While booking it through the Home + Housewares show yesterday in Chicago (there is so much to see), Faith and I passed these gorgeous pastel machines, and immediately stopped to ooh and aah. "Ankarsrum," I read on the booth sign. "Swedish quality since 1940." The shape of the machine was interesting, and we were particularly intrigued to see a few units lying on their side. What were we dealing with here? A stand mixer? Juicer? Blender? Meat grinder? Turns out an Ankarsrum machine is all those things, and more:
Ankarsrum stand mixers (previously known under a variety of names including Verona, Magic Mill, Electrolux Assistent, and DLX) have been around since 1940, when they were launched by Swedish manufacturer Electrolux, but they've only recently become available for purchase in the US.
An Ankarsrum machine isn't just a mixer: it's a "kitchen assistant" or "kitchen center" as the PR people like to say. The accompanying accessories (all made by Messerschmitt, which also makes the attachments for KitchenAid) enable you "grind meats for hamburger and sausage; strain/puree fruits; slice and shred all types of vegetables; flake grains for oatmeal, granola, musli; blend a smoothie, grind flours and coffee; make your morning juice; grate nuts; extrude your favorite pasta shapes." So basically, if you have this machine you can get rid of your food processor, blender, meat grinder, grain mill, juicer, strainer, and any other slicers/choppers you have.
See? The machine on its side!
What's fascinating is that a few of the accessories (like the grain mill and the meat grinder) require turning the machine on its side, which is odd and brilliant. Also, the 600 watt motor is in the bottom of the unit, which means that when kneading dough, for example, the bowl itself spins while a steel arm holds a moveable roller and scraper. Want to see it in action? If you have 20 minutes, watch this video which introduces all its features:
The electrical motor and all of the aluminum components, including the arm, the arm attachment, the upper stand and the mincer and its parts, are still cast, processed and assembled at the Electrolux factory in Ankarsrum, Sweden. The machine retails for $699 - a hefty investment, but a lifelong one.
We're hoping to get a unit to test out and review! If you have an Ankarsrum, we'd love to hear your thoughts on the machine. Is it really as great as it sounds?
Go to the website → Ankarsrum Original
Related: Stylish New Stand Mixers from Bodum
(Images: Cambria Bold)
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These mixer posts are killing me. I really don't have room. But I really want one. And these are gorgeous!
I finally bought one of these last year after wanting one for decades, and I love it! It is wonderful for huge batches of sourdough bread and the roller/scraper combo kneads dough of all kinds far better than my Kitchen Aid. I will admit, however, that I still use the Kitchen Aid for things like whipping cream and making butter, shredding cooked meats, making a single batch of cookie dough, etc.
I use my Kitchen Aid for everything... except shredding meat? How do you do it? Completely intrigued.
I don't have one, but know people who do. They're beloved by larger batch bread bakers because they handle large batches of dough more effectively than consumer quality KitchenAid machines, but do poorly for cake mixtures and whipping.
Wow! A girl can dream.
ashley erin mayer
For shredding meat in the KA I simply use either the paddle or dough hook. I only learned to do this recently, after a friend told me she did it. I think pork and beef do well with the dough hook and chicken with the paddle. Put in the meat (slightly cooled) and turn on the KA, using whatever speed you need to get the level of shredding you want. With high speeds you might want to drape a towel over the KA to prevent splatter.
Are these bigger than KA stand mixers? I've never been able to justify the cabinet space for a KA but this one looks like it could have a smaller footprint yet I see comments that people like these for big batches which makes me think it must be bigger...
I'm going to go home and cook some chicken just to try this. Thanks.
Never dawned on me to just pummel the hell out of meat I needed shredded. Haha.
Fascinating...I want to know how! This technique should be a kitchn post of its own.
Very, very interesting. I would also love to know dimensions. I don't think I could really get away with anything smaller than my KA Pro.
Oh wait, it's on the website. :)
-7L stainless steel bowl
-3.5L Double whisk bowl assembly (bowl, whisks, head gear, and shaft)
-Weighs only 19lbs. with stainless steel bowl and fits conveniently under overhead cabinets on most kitchen counters. Rubber feet and solid construction keep mixer in place during operation.
-Dimensions: 14.25W x 19D x 14.25H
Seems comparable to a KA; maybe a little shorter?