Kitchen Machine
Kitchen Machine
At first glance the Bosch Universal Kitchen Machine doesn’t look like 10 kitchen appliances in 1. It’s a stand mixer, blender, bread maker, cookie dough maker, meat slicer, pasta maker, sausage maker, juicer, cheese and nut grinder, and a food processor. All that in one handy machine. I forgot to mention the berry press. The idea is that with a full range of attachments the only machines you can’t replace in your kitchen with the Bosch universal kitchen machine is the toaster, the coffee maker and the microwave. Maybe Bosch is open to suggestions.
The Bosch Classic Kitchen Machine features a 400 to 600 watt belt driven motor. It has 3 speeds and a pulse button. One of the features that makes the Bosch unlike any other kitchen stand mixer is that the drive mechanism and the attachment holder comes up from the bottom of the bowl. All other stand mixers such as KitchenAide use a crane like design that lowers the mixer into the bowl.
Kitchen Machine
Kitchen Machine
The universal machine comes in two configurations. The standard universal kitchen machine and the compact machine for smaller kitchens and RV’s. The main difference is the compact uses less counter space and the mixer bowl is 4 quarts instead of 5. It also has a smaller motor at 400 watts of power but with a smaller bowl it doesn’t need the torque of its bigger brother the standard kitchen machine.
If you purchase the Bosch Universal Kitchen Machine you will pay about $300. It features a 600 watt motor and three speeds as well as a pulse button. The belt drive transmission is a standard feature in all Bosch mixers. Of course, there is a catch. In order to have all 11 machines in one you will have to purchase some optional attachments. The additional attachments run about $500 to $600 if you buy them all. That’s a pretty steep price for some people. Yet, if you are a heavy duty, make everything from scratch, type this machine is ideal for that. When you price out each appliance if purchased as individual machines the cost is less than what you pay for a separate appliance for each activity. Keep in mind that you want to compare brands of similar quality. And then there is the issue of where you will store all those appliances. The Bosch attachments take up a lot less room.
Of course, you may have to hurry if you want to find a Bosch Universal Kitchen Machine. The old machine has been discontinued. Most sites are sold out. You may still be able find them on the odd site or two. There will be a small number available in the used and refurbished market as well as on E-Bay.
Kitchen Machine
Kitchen Machine
The good news is that Bosch has replaced the old classic machine with a new and improved Universal Plus Kitchen Machine with a stronger motor at 800 watts of power. It also has 4 speeds now and the pulse button for a burst of speed. The company was very smart and made sure that all the attachments that fit the old classic kitchen machine will fit the new universal plus machine too. In fact, all the attachments fit the full range of mixer models from the UM3 to the current UM6 series. The downside to this is that the new machine costs about $400.
One site I visited also featured a Bosch built in version with a 700 watt motor and the same belt driven transmission. I can see where this might be an excellent idea if you were re-modeling a kitchen or designing a brand new home. And with the average life span of a Bosch kitchen mixer being 20 years you wouldn’t have to worry about replacement costs and labor costs to remove and repair the mixer.
Of course, Bosch warranties the motor and transmission for a full three years. The rest of the appliance has a one year warranty. Bosch states that the transmission failure rate is only 1% over 20 years. That’s pretty impressive in a world that expects appliances to wear out and be replaced almost yearly. People who use the Bosch line of mixers are some of the most loyal fans of the kitchen machine.
In summary, if you like the idea of a owning a kitchen appliance that can do everything except make toast and coffee in the kitchen and save money you better grab one of the classic machines while you still can. If it’s not too late.
