Should You Buy a Floor Mixer?
A floor mixer is an essential component of commercial kitchens and bakeries, and for good reason. It frees up counter space, making a larger prep area.
Besides their obvious heavy-duty strength, what factors make a floor mixer a better option than a traditional stand mixer or even a hand-operated model? When should you take the plunge and opt for the heftier model?
Think About Capacity
While a countertop or stand model only gives you a 20-quart capacity at best, that’s the minimum you’ll get with a floor mixer. A floor mixer comes with 20-to-60-quart holding capabilities. It’s substantially larger than the average countertop mixer.
Choosing a mixer based on capacity is key, because it is not good to constantly use your mixer at full capacity — it wears down the motor much faster. You should also think about the volume of product you’ll need to make at once as your bakery or restaurant grows. The size of your mixer may directly affect your growth capability.
Consider Absorption Ratio
This type will hold more dough, but it will also be able to mix drier dough, which is usually difficult for a smaller model to handle in large batches. To calculate the absorption ratio of your dough, divide the water weight by the weight of the flour. The lower the absorption ratio, the harder it will be to mix the dough.
Check your mixer’s operation manual to view the guidelines on absorption ratio batch sizes. If you’ll be mixing dough types with low absorption ratios day in and day out, you should invest in a machine with motor power that can easily handle larger batches. For the most part, a floor mixer is probably your best bet, as their motors are usually built with more horsepower.
Quality Matters Most
No matter what type of mixer you choose, make quality the top priority. Choosing just any floor model (or the one that is the least expensive, without regard to any other features) isn’t a good idea. You should research the manufacturer and check on warranty coverage as well.
Your floor mixer will play a major role in the everyday success of your bakery or restaurant, so it’s imperative that it is built to last.
Why Depend on Dough Tech?
The floor mixer models we offer at Dough Tech are built with you and the demand of your industry in mind. As bakers ourselves, we understand how vital a quality mixer is to success, and our real-life experience influences the products we carry. You can trust you’re selecting from the best when you shop online at Dough Tech.
