The Kenwood Titanium Chef Baker XL Stand Mixer is a masterpiece in the world of kitchen appliances, blending style, functionality, and power. Whether you’re an avid baker or someone who appreciates the convenience of a high-performing mixer, this Kenwood model deserves your attention. In this blog post, we’ll delve into what makes this stand mixer exceptional, exploring its features, functionality, and how it stands against its competitors.
Kenwood: A Trusted Name in Kitchen Appliances
Kenwood has been a pioneer in the kitchen appliances industry since 1947. Based in the UK, the company is celebrated for its innovative designs, quality craftsmanship, and commitment to delivering reliable products. From food processors to coffee makers, Kenwood has consistently been at the forefront of kitchen innovation, earning the trust of chefs and home cooks worldwide. Their stand mixers, in particular, have become iconic, often setting benchmarks for performance and durability. The Titanium Chef Baker XL stands as a testament to Kenwood’s decades-long tradition of excellence.
Key Specifications of the Kenwood Titanium Chef Baker XL
While the Titanium Chef Baker XL boasts a wide range of features, here are the specifications that matter most to regular users:
- Motor Power: Equipped with a 1,200-watt motor, this mixer delivers consistent power and is capable of handling heavy doughs and large quantities.
- Capacity: A generous 7-L bowl makes it ideal for baking in bulk, accommodating up to 2 kg of dough.
- Integrated Weighing Scale: The built-in EasyWeigh digital scale allows you to measure ingredients directly in the bowl, saving time and reducing mess.
- Customizable Head Cover: A unique feature that lets you personalize the mixer’s look.
- Weight: At 11.5 kg, it’s sturdy yet manageable for kitchen use.
- Speed Settings: Multiple speed levels, including a pulse function, offer versatility for different tasks. The speed dial is easy to operate - simply turn the dial to the desired speed. A pulse function is activated by turning the dial in the opposite direction once it's switched to 0 speed.
- Dishwasher Safe Attachments: They can make a big difference since they save time and free up space on the kitchen counter.
What We Love about Kenwood Titanium Chef Baker XL
The following are the key advantages of this stand mixer and also contain all the "pros" that we considered when choosing our stand mixer:
- Built-in Digital Weighing Scale: A standout feature that saves time and ensures precise measurements.
- Large Capacity: The 7-liter bowl is perfect for large batches and is ideal for families or frequent bakers.
- Durability: Constructed with high-quality materials, the mixer is built to last.
- Versatility: With numerous attachment options and variable speed, it caters to a variety of kitchen tasks beyond mixing.
- Customizable Aesthetic: The replaceable head covers give your kitchen decor a personal touch.
Functionality and Attachments: Beyond Just Mixing
The Titanium Chef Baker XL is much more than a mixer; it’s a versatile kitchen companion. Its base unit supports over 25 optional attachments, ranging from food processors to pasta rollers. Some of the most popular attachments include:
- Food Preparation Attachment: Perfect for chopping, slicing, and grating.
- Stainless Steel Whisk: This is a standard balloon whisk, perfect for making whipped cream and meringues.
- Stainless Steel Dough Tool: With this dough hook, kneading requires no effort at all. It's durable and able to handle even the most challenging dough. We use it frequently for bread and pizza dough.
- Stainless Steel K Beater: This attachment is perfect for cookie dough, mashed potatoes, cake batter, and similar purposes.
- Creaming Beater: Perfect for delicate and airy cake creams and toppings. Its wings are very convenient for removing any ingredients stuck to the sides of the bowl.
- 2 Large Bowls: The food mixer has a 5L stainless steel bowl and an extra bowl of 7L capacity. We prefer to use the smallest bowl for daily cooking and store the mixer attachments in the other bowl to save space. A splash guard is also included in the kit and can be attached to the bowls to keep the surroundings clean.
- Juicer: Allows for the creation of fresh juices. It presses the juice out of fruits really well, and the leftovers are indeed dry.
- Glass Blender: A good option for juices, smoothies, and soups.
- Food Mincer: Opens up possibilities for homemade sausages and burgers.
- Dicing attachment: Great for dicing veggies into small cubes for soups, salads, and stews.
- Glass Multi Mill: Convenient for chopping, milling, grinding, and blending small quantities.
An important thing to note is that these are by far not the only attachments available for this stand mixer. For serious bakers and pasta lovers, there are plenty of options for different pasta shapes, from pappardelle to spaghetti or even lasagna, not to mention a biscuit maker, a frozen dessert maker, a ravioli maker, a fruit press, and many more. You can never get bored in the kitchen with such a vast selection of different attachments to experiment with!
After 2 years of use, the attachments we have used the most and would recommend (apart from the beater, whisk, and dough tool from the standard kit) are:
- Multi mill: This one is frequently used to prepare powdered sweetener/sugar or oat flour, and we totally love it. It's quiet and does the job really well.
- Meat grinder: To ensure the meat we consume is of top quality, we prepare minced meat at home, and this meat grinder comes in handy. It allows us to prepare big batches of minced meat in no time and is quieter than the specialized grinders that we used in the past.
- Food preparation attachment: We use it frequently to prepare pancake filling or breadcrumbs and grate or thinly slice vegetables.
- Glass blender: We love smoothies, and this glass blender is a perfect match. It's also helpful when making creamy soups that require blending the ingredients.
The mixer’s functionality is enhanced by its planetary mixing action, ensuring thorough blending of all ingredients without needing to scrape the bowl frequently. This feature guarantees consistent results whether you’re whipping cream, kneading bread dough, or mixing batter.
Things to Keep in Mind
No device (or person) is 100% perfect, and this Kenwood creation is no exception. Upon daily use of the stand mixer, we discovered the following drawbacks that you might want to consider before opting for this mixer:
- Dancing on the Countertop: When running at higher speeds, the mixer tends to move all over the countertop, and it's essential to consider it so it isn't left unattended close to the edge of the countertop.
- Difficult to Whisk Small Amounts: Another potential drawback of the Kenwood Titanium Chef Baker XL is its difficulty in whisking small amounts of egg whites or heavy cream using the standard balloon whisk. The whisk attachment doesn’t reach the very bottom of the mixing bowl, making it less effective for small batches and requiring manual intervention or alternative solutions. However, you might find the creaming beater attachment helpful in these situations due to its flexible wings that can reach the sides and the bottom of the mixing bowl.
- Attachment Costs: While the mixer itself is versatile, additional attachments can be expensive.
- Attachment Storage Space: The more attachments you buy, the more storage space you'll need. We have a large drawer dedicated to the mixer attachments, and we are still considering purchasing some additional attachments in the future.
The key question to ask now is - would these disadvantages make us change our mind if we were to make the choice again? Not really. The advantages significantly outweigh these minor drawbacks.
Competitors and How the Titanium Chef Baker XL Stands Among Them
The Kenwood Titanium Chef Baker XL faces strong competition from other premium brands like these:
- KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer: KitchenAid is renowned for its robust build and classic design. However, it generally offers a smaller bowl and lower motor power than the Kenwood. If you prioritize a larger capacity and versatility for complex recipes, the Kenwood Titanium Chef Baker XL may be more suitable with its vast selection of optional attachments. However, if you value a timeless design and a strong brand heritage, the KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer could be the preferred choice
- Bosch Universal Plus Mixer: Known for its powerful motor and excellent kneading ability, the Bosch Universal Plus is a worthy competitor. Despite the Bosch's more powerful motor, some tests suggest that the Kenwood mixer performs mixing tasks more efficiently despite its lower wattage. Also, Kenwood's integrated scales and customizable design offer added convenience and personalization. For those requiring larger batch preparations, the Bosch's greater bowl capacity may be advantageous; however, it lacks the built-in weighing scale.
- Breville Bakery Chef Hub: Breville provides innovative features and a more compact design but doesn’t match Kenwood’s bowl capacity or attachment variety. The Breville, with its standard bowl size, is suitable for typical home baking needs. The Kenwood's higher motor power and larger bowl capacities make it well-suited for handling larger and more demanding baking tasks. The integrated scales also add convenience for precise baking.
Among these and other similar rivals, the Titanium Chef Baker XL stands out for its combination of power, capacity, and unique features, like the built-in weighing scale and the wide selection of attachments. For the time being, we haven't been tempted to look in other directions and consider a replacement for our Kenwood stand mixer because it performs really well and be customized with additional tools according to our preferences and needs.
Key Takeaways
The Kenwood Titanium Chef Baker XL is a powerhouse mixer designed for serious home bakers and cooking enthusiasts. With its versatile functionality, modern features, and premium build, it’s a solid investment for those who value performance and style in their kitchen appliances. While its price and size might not appeal to everyone, the value it delivers in terms of convenience and capability is hard to match.
If you’re looking for a stand mixer that does it all and then some, the Kenwood Titanium Chef Baker XL is an excellent choice that lives up to the brand’s longstanding reputation for excellence. While there are newer and more advanced models available in the market, like Cooking Chef XL, Kenwood's Titanium Chef Baker XL is still worth considering in 2025.
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