Review of Bajaj Platini SM01 and comparison with Kitchen aid...
Let me first begin with the cons... (have to put ear plugs on the SM01 :) )
1. Though the build quality of the stand mixer is good, the same can't be said about the flat beater, wire whisk and dough mixer attachment. When I held the flat beater, I thought this might just break at the first spin (luckily that didn't happen) 2. The mixing bowl is tall and deep and there isn't much space really to put ingredients in without having to stop and lift the mixer (coz of the bulky head), for a baker who has few dozen cakes to be baked, iced, etc and time is of the essence, this stopping the mixer every time is annoying... there is a spill proof attachment but the space provided for pouring ingredients in is again small. 3. The biggest drawback and I plan to write a suggestion to Bajaj R&D about this.. Why in the world does the mixing bowl not have a handle? it is really difficult to empty the batter from the bowl without a handle.
Now the PROS: :) (someone's blushing)
1. On first glance the SM01 looks classy, nice colour, good finish and feels tough. 2. Once the mixer sits on the table top.. stainless steel or granite it will refuse to move. the suction cups at the bottom will hold on no matter what and it will take significant amount of force from your end to lift it or push it. this is really good when you have heavy mixing to do. 3. The speed knob feels good and helps in gradually increasing the speed so you don't jump from low to high suddenly. It does have a powerful motor, the comparison between the Kitchen aid and Bajaj - 6 speed of Kitchen aid = 4 speed of Bajaj. 4. The SM01 is made for the Indian kitchen where space is a constraint, the top part doubles as a regular mixer and one can attach the meat mincer too (both parts are sold separately or you can buy the entire package with the SM02 option). 5. The price being Rs 23,999 (additional cashback or festive discounts aside) is really good when compared to Kitchen aid which goes for anything between Rs 40k-50k (in India)
COMPARISON with Kitchen aid (wicked smile) :
Having used a Kitchen aid, for 2 years, I may seem a little biased towards it, its much more sleek, sturdy too but not as much as the SM01. The mixing bowl is short and wide so pouring ingredients is easy and one does not need the spill proof attachment. The bowl does have a HANDLE. The mixing bowl of SM01 weighs in at 560 gms and its Kitchen aid counter part is 777 gms. The build quality of the flat beater and other attachments too is good. One point about the Kitchen aid that really bummed me out when I bought it was the mixing bowl and other attachments are all Made in India and exported to USA. :( But I got a amazing steal in 2014 during an offer I bought it online and got it shipped with import duty for Rs 19K...
MY VERDICT: If you are a part time baker who does the occasional baking for friends n family or uses a hand held mixer/blender then the SM01 is a good step up keeping the price in mind & service and if you are a pro baker and already have a Kitchen aid then the SM01 can be a backup option, since I have read about problems with the rotary part of the Kitchen aid due to prolonged use and expensive/no service if purchased outside India. There are other options too but since I have used both these, I would certainly recommend them.
Hope I have done justice to the review and helped fellow bakers who are waiting to buy either one or both :)
Thanks for reading...
Comments