Ankarsrum Kitchen Mixer Review

The one and only stand mixer you’ll knead!

This is a sponsored post. I had the wonderful opportunity to collaborate with Jalyns, the Canadian distributor of Ankarsrum Assistent Original to bring you this review and special discount offer. Though monetary compensation was received, all opinions are my own.

About

This kitchen mixer might be new to some of you, but it’s certainly not the new kid on the block. These mixers have been produced and manufactured in Sweden since 1940. They’re assembled by hand and these robust machines come with a 7-year warranty. Now that’s confidence!

What Makes the Ankarsrum Assistent Original different?

The Design:

Right away you’ll notice that this kitchen mixer looks like no other. The design is sleek and timeless, and there is no head piece because the motor is in the base.

The Attachments:

Most stand mixers come with a paddle, balloon whisk, and hook attachment. The Ankarsrum comes with all of these plus a dough roller, dough knife, a lid for the bowl, two balloon whisks, two cookie whisks (in place of the paddle attachment), and a hardcover cookbook with over 35 recipes.

How it works:

For kneading, the bowl rotates instead of the attachments. For beating and whipping, a set of dual whisk attachments (balloon or cookie whisks) rotates around the bowl. There are two dials – one is the on/off and timer, and the other controls the speed.

Other Specs:

Huge 7-litre stainless steel mixing bowl
600W engine that can handle up to 5kg of dough (that’s enough for 8 large loaves of bread!)
Lighter weight and quieter than other mixers
Over 20 available accessories. You can make everything from pasta to smoothies to ice cream, or even use it for grinding meat.

First Impressions

When I first saw it, I thought it was gorgeous, but I was also intimidated because it looked so different compared to what I’m used to. Surprisingly, the assembly was quite easy and intuitive.

The Experiment

I wanted to test out most of the attachments, so I made a batch of cinnamon rolls, chocolate chip cookies, and no-churn ice cream.

Kneading:

For the cinnamon rolls, I used the main dough roller attachment, the dough knife which acts as a scraper, and the large stainless steel bowl. I was impressed at how quick and easy it was to make yeasted dough. All I had to do was add the warm milk and yeast to the bowl, let it ferment, then add in the rest of the wet ingredients, sugar, and salt. Give that a stir, then slowly add in the flour.

The roller worked wonders rotating and mixing all of the ingredients together, while the dough knife kept the sides of the bowl clean. Once everything was combined, the roller would press the dough against the sides of the mixing bowl, squeezing it through its groove to mimic hand kneading. I was amazed at how quickly my dough came together. The kneading stage only took 5 minutes before I got a nice ball of dough ready for proofing. The lid was also convenient for this stage.

Mixing:

For the chocolate chip cookies, I used the set of the cookie whisk (aka flat whisk) designed for creaming and thick batters, comparable to a paddle attachment in terms of applications, and the plastic bowl. The dual whisk action was great for creaming and combining all the ingredients, even folding in the chocolate chips at the end. However, with the spindle and attachment piece being in the middle and the two whisks rotating, I sometimes found it tricky to add my ingredients while the mixer was on. To avoid making a mess and getting my ingredients all over the attachments, I would turn off the mixer every time I needed to add something. Other than that, it was easy to use and the cookie dough came together really quick.

Now, after speaking to Lynn from Jalyns, she informed me that for large batches of cookies the stainless steel bowl with roller and scraper is recommended. The large open top makes it easy to add ingredients with no mess and the end results are better. It can also handle quadruple most recipes.

Whipping:

To make the no-churn ice cream, I used the balloon whisks and the plastic bowl. I was excited to see how fast it could whip up the heavy cream since there were two whisks 180 degrees from one another and it did not disappoint. Everything was nicely and evenly whipped in a matter of minutes. I loved that the whipping action was not just focused in the center, missing the sides and bottom of the bowl as with my other stand mixer.

Overall, I was very impressed with this application.

Pros

Powerful yet quiet motor
Lightweight but sturdy, even when handling large batches
Unique dough roller that gets the job done and is gentle, resulting in softer crumbs
Love the open-bowl design of the stainless steel bowl
Comes with a 7-year warranty

Cons

Most recipes are not written for this kind of mixer
The mixer and accessories are pricey (retail price of the mixer is $969.99, accessories starts at $75.99)

Conclusion

There is a small learning curve, but after the first time with each attachment, you’ll start to get the hang of it. For me, once I got familiar with the mixer, everything seemed easier and quicker to make with it.

In my honest opinion, if you are an occasional baker, then this mixer might be a bit of a splurge for you. However, if you are an avid bread maker and/or like to make large batches of cookies, then the Ankarsrum Assistent Original was made for you. It makes bread making enjoyable and a breeze. It’s a dream for making large batches of cookie dough that would otherwise make a regular stand mixer quiver.

Special Offer for FBC Members

Use code FBC200 to receive $200 off the retail price of an Ankarsrum Assistent Original. Available in 14 different colours. Use FBC300 to save $300 off the retail price of the special edition Crème colour (the extra discount is only for this colour). Visit www.Jalyns.ca for more information. Valid from now to January 31, 2023 (limited quantities of several colours). Shop Now!