iKon Professional Dough mixer

So Raid101 is not just about geeky stuff, but about Lifestyle. And if there's a Gadget that makes life easier, why now. We'd review it for sure. (provided we like it and we get our hands on it ).

So to save time and effort (and the fact that I was getting a deal), I picked up a Dough mixer to prepare Chapatti Atta, save the missus the effort (and time) and be a good hubby overall.

First up. Tech specs of the iKon IK-XH866 Professional mixer.



Now though the container is 4.3 L, the maximum amount of dough recommended is 1 Kilogram or about 2.4 Pounds.



Same on the side. To point out, the Device was really well packed with good quality Thermocol and a quality box. This can take some abuse during transportation.



Unpacked. The color, I know. They didn't have any other color available (guess that's why it was on a deal).



The underside, with suction cups. Very decent quality, I must say.



User manual and a warranty card (Note - Repair only) was the only literature with it. I was hoping for a cook book



The latch is strong and easy to operate. Build quality was better than what I was expecting. The plastic is of good quality, though there are some average bits. This isn't a Braun or a Black and Decker, but for the price, it's not too bad either.



The 3 kneading/mixing heads. Whisking, kneading, mixing.



Notice the rough edges on the plastic. The finish was not great. Though the shaft, the metal parts had good quality plating.



Installing it was pretty straight forward. Removing is easy as well. There is a ball ended joint that makes insertion and removal easy.

This device has a planetary type motion, so not only does it rotate, but it also rotates about an axis, while moving vertically. If this sounds too confusing, I'll upload a video the next time We're using it.



The steel bowl. Well finished, no scours or indentations.



The underside was held in place by 3 robust screws and a durable plastic plate. The plate does look like it can take a lot of abuse.






The mounting. Again, good quality plastic and does not look like it will give way easily.



The device does come with a safety mechanism that will not allow the machine to turn, unless the bowl is installed (probably a safety switch that gets activated when the bowl is rotated and locked in.

The finished product -



Tester's Note -

- The device did wobble and make a lot of noise once the mixture got thick and heavy. We had unfortunately loaded it right to the limit, since I had accidentally put more water. (Recommended ratio is 5:2 ).

- Took about 4-5 minutes for the dough to be ready. The limit on operation is 5 minutes continuous running. So it's pretty much under the limit for one run.

- With the right proportion, I believe it can be shortened further. Also to save time, the 4 prong mixer head should be used first, and then the single Captain Hook head.

- The machine is not small. Measuring about 14 inches high, by 14 inches long and about 10 inches wide at the widest point, it needs dedicated storage and space.

- Consistency of the dough was in line with what one would get kneading it by hand.

- There are some hassles of setting up the machine, but the energy and effort saved is well worth it.

- For the price (3,400 INR), I would definitely recommend this. A few good years of service might make it worth the expense.