I would like recommendations for a commercial bread mixer. Can someone tell me a reliable brand to use for mixing dough? I want to sell bread and buns. If I was making 20-30 loaves, 3-4 times a week, would I need a commercial one? Also where could I buy a used one? Thanks.
Try for a used Hobart commercial mixer. For what you need now, you want at least a 20 qt. If you think your need will increase see about the price on the next size up. 20 qt is about the limit for what you want now. I used one for 5 years for bread and 20-2# loaves was about the comfortable upper level. You can do a few more, but you're going to have to watch and scrape, etc.
You do have to get someone who knows mixers to make sure there's nothing really wrong, but thee are workhorses and a lot of firms buy them and then don't use them a lot. Good luck and good baking.
Go to all restaurant supply places in your area and talk to them about which ones they sell most, repair problems etc. This is after you call all the bakeries in your area and ask them which one they own, how much they use it, did they buy it used, repairs etc.
Since there is such a flux in businesses closing right now, make sure you can get repairs done on whatever you buy. Here I'm talking parts for the mixer.
I'd say you'd need a commercial one; you can get a large counter type, but it would burn out in no time and any warranty would be voided for that much usage.
You probably can get a good used one. Look on craigslist for businesses going out of business. Look for auction sales of restaurant equipment, which are frequent and would be listed in your local paper. This might be your best bet, but go early to look at equipment. There are lots of restaurants, and they go out of business all the time, especially now. Most of them use a large mixer which probably comes with a dough hook attachment or you could buy one. See if you can get a large restaurant supply company like
Boxer Marcus (might just be Boxer now) to send you a catalog so you can read up on the types and sizes. There are probably also magazines for the baking industry which have ads, maybe even online, for used equipment so you can get an idea of prices, not that you'd want to buy that way. Good luck.
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