Ankarsrum Assistent Original – Black Diamond

Excellent replacement for a 25 year old clapped out KitchenAid mixer (new KitchenAid mixers seem to be of much lower quality than older models, which is why I looked for other options). Easy to use after watching online video. Easy to clean and robust build: it easily mixes 2 kg of sourdough without sounding strained.
Parts seem to be very high quality (but I’ve only had a few weeks of alternate day use, not years, so time will tell).. Very satisfied and would purchase again! Great design features because I can add ingredients from the open top while it’s running. Nice lid means I can do first proof and stretch and folds right in the mixer’s bowl then go right to shaping and bannetons. Very quiet compared to the old KitchenAid mixer. Great for people like me who like to bake bread, focaccia, pizza etc.

I make sourdough bread but with carpel tunnel, it was getting more and more difficult and painful on my hands. Now, with this assistant, I can make my autolyze in it, leave it over night, next day, add my levain and let it mix at low speed for 15 minutes, and that’s it. The window pane is always perfect. I then remove the dough roller and knife and I leave the dough right in there and cover it with the proofing lid for the bowl fermentation process that goes on for about 4 hours.. From there, I empty the bowl on my work bench, split my breads and shape them and place them in the bannetons. I let them proof for about one hour and then retard them in the refrigerator till the next day. So I make my bread over 3 days and it makes an incredible tasting bread. I could not do my bread without my Ankarsrum. It saves me a lot of work and is easy on me. And the bowl and accessories are very easy to wash.