I bought this mixer because I had a Kitchen Aid that I used to make bread doughs and kneading so many doughs broke the lock lever. I wanted a mixer that would both mix dough without worrying about breaking it and also could still be used for all the other things we used our Kitchen Aid for - whipping cream, cakes, cookies, mashed potatoes, etc.

First, I would say the mixer is very quiet when making bread and seems strong enough for bread dough. It isn't a "put it in and forget it" mixer but if standing by making sure everything is getting mixed for the first part is done, it does a nice job on the kneading part on the timer. Using the bread dough bowl is very quiet, but the mixer is very loud when the plastic bowl is used, at least louder than the Kitchen aid. I have been very pleased with the quality of bread doughs and it is a lovely attractive mixer to have sitting in the kitchen. I watched a lot of videos to get a feel for how to use it for dough but once I made 20+ doughs it's as quick as the kitchen aid and makes a larger volume dough with better smoothness so I don't have to make so many batches.

That said, I definitely prefer my Kitchen aid for most other things. The whipping of whipped cream is very fast and egg whites as well, and I think this mixer does those better. But for ease of cleaning and scraping the bowl, the plastic mixing bowl is messier and more difficult to clean. I was pretty hard on my Kitchen aid mixer so having to always make sure the butter is soft etc has been a bit of a pain. I would say the mixing is as good or better but cleanup is longer with more moving parts.

I wanted only one appliance in my kitchen and I feel this is an excellent dough maker, so it is worth the trade off for not being as handy for other things. The only thing I haven't tried yet is mashed potatoes but everything else I normally make in my mixer worked well.

The biggest downside is that the Kitchen aid was self-explanatory so my husband used it all the time. Now with the Anksarsrum being so much more complicated, he doesn't touch it (I guess more accurately I forbade him to touch it without watching the video first) and I have to do all the cooking he used to use it for!

If dough is your main thing, this is a great mixer. If you rarely make bread doughs, then I would say the Kitchen aid is a better buy - very durable, easy to clean up and no instruction required.

What can I say? This mixer is hands down the best non-commercial bread mixer that's ever been made. It's pricey. It has a learning curve. But it's also worth all the time and money.

It isn't a planetary mixer like all the rest ; therefore you have to learn how to ensure there's enough friction between the spinning bowl and the contents within, throughout the process. But once you figure it out, it'll be hard going forward to make bread without it ever again.

In a nutshell, the reason for its popularity is because it combines the mixing and kneading processes into one. But that requires a change of mindset along with a bit of practice.

The resulting dough comes out so buttery-smooth at times it resembles a cake mix more than bread dough. The dough is simply smoother, stronger and better consistently than dough from any other mixer.

Of course the dedicated mixing bowl and wisks are amazing - but that feature can be obtained by purchasing a Braun for a lot less. It's the bread kneader and scraper combo which sets it apart.

It's so amazing that almost everyone I know has been deceived into believing in an cook well. Due to this mixer. And no, that's not a joke nor an exaggeration.

Just got this today (it shipped fast) and made cookies. Amazed at how quick it blended the dough! Much quicker and more thoroughly than the KA I gave away. It comes with easy instructions and is quieter than I thought it would be - given the fact that it is so powerful.

The craftsmanship in this machine is really hard to believe. It is flawless. It whipped butter and sugar up so fast!

Looking forward to baking bread tomorrow.

WELL WORTH THE MONEY.

P.S. I bought a Bosch Universal Plus mixer and returned it the next day because it was a plastic toy. I thought I would save money but it was a toy compared to the Ankarsum Assistent.

I haven't bought bread for years now, so my Ankarsrum is used primarily for that purpose.
I had been using a KitchenAid but started getting an oil seepage around the oscillating(?) mixer head. Not bad... but not good. Mixing denser dough also caused the mixer to get very warm too. I liked the KitchenAid, it was basically put the ingredients in and walk away... (Alexa... 10 minute timer). Voila! Let the dough rise. Form the loaves. 20 minutes later... Fresh baked bread. (Bring on the butter and I'm in hogs heaven!)
The Ankarsrum is a bit different. It isn't add ingredients and walk away... well... Kinda. It take a little monitoring, but the results are definitely worth it.
Just a bit of a learning curve.
As far as a denser dough? No problem. It's just the way it mixes. Actually I think you could mix cement in it and it would do just fine without damaging the machine. (No I haven't and won't.) It's just a very well made machine.
Would I recommend it? Yes, if you're going to use it often. No, if it's going to set on the shelf for months at a time. It is kind of pricey, but if you need or want a great mixer, it's probably the only one you'll ever need to buy.

I was lucky enough to get this brand new here for $499.00 + tax otherwise I would have never been able to afford it. I'm glad I snagged it because a day later it was back to its original price. I've made so many things with this mixer breads desserts butter you name it...worth every penny. Gave my kitchenaid to a good friend that needed it. I give this 4 stars