So I found one for them, but it's in Australia. It's a cute little mixer,
12" bowl diameter, about 6" deep. Looks neat.
Barry
I talked at some length to the lady at the US agent for Artofex. She said
that the machine was made in the 1940s, maybe 1950s. The bowl has
screwheads inside it, which she said was no longer allowed for sanitary
reasons, which doesn't bother me. She also said that it would cost a
fortune to ship it from Australia to here.
I'm going to keep looking for one here in the US.
Barry
I just got an "indicative" price quote from the people in australia.
A$3200.
Barry
Barry
Maybe this one is cheaper?
http://www.processplant.com/image.asp?ID=7444&pID=914815.jpg
Roy
That's the one I found and which they will sell to me for the piddling sum
of A$3200, plus shipping, etc.
I'm going to keep looking. However, the lady at the company said that they
sold VERY few of them each year, so finding one might be impossible.
Barry
I agree with your sentiments, but A$3200 for a home mixer? That's 50 years
old? :-))
My 25 year old Hobart/Kitchen Aid does well, but I was inrtigued with the
Artofex's action and the promise that it brings to making artisanal breads.
It looks like it will sort of mix and punch down at the same time.
What other makes of smaller professional-action mixeres are there? Do you
think there's enough of a market for these things to justify making them?
For $3200 (US) I can equip a good small machine shop and make these things.
If one could get, say, $800 for them, then it just might pay. Certainly the
advances in bearing and metal technology in the past 60 years are enough to
make the machines even more durable and wear-resistant than they were back
then, or make them so easily fixable that they would be almost ever-lasting.
I saw a picture of one with a 1/4 hp motor hitched to the back end and
driven via a gearbox on top. Well, an intelligent choice of gear head and
seals makes this arrangement last a long time and easy to fix when it wears
out. The arms could be carried by teflon sleeve bearings that would be a
snap to replace -- sell the machine with two spare sets. And so forth and
so on.
Barry
To be exact, the mixer is suited to individuals that prefer an
equipment that simulate hand mixing of doughs.
>What other makes of smaller professional-action mixeres are there? Do you
think there's enough of a market for these things to justify making
them?
There are plenty....I have used a lot of laboratory scale, planetary
mixers( like Hobart), spiral mixers, artofex mixer, vertical cutter
mixer( like a food processor), Tweedy high speed mixer, Z blade mixers,
Oakses mixers( for cakes and aerated confections),
etc.
As long as baking laboratory exist and there is a need for smaller
scale equipment that can duplicate the large equipment in mixing
performance,; manufacturers will continue to do so.
There is a huge demand from R&D and other test ktichen and laboratory
baking instituttion for such.
Any chemical or food processsing engineer had to scale down any
potential recipes before they try that in production scale basis. They
market is significant for such miniature equipment.
>For $3200 (US) I can equip a good small machine shop and make these things.
>If one could get, say, $800 for them, then it just might pay. Certainly the
>advances in bearing and metal technology in the past 60 years are enough to
>make the machines even more durable and wear-resistant than they were back
>then, or make them so easily fixable that they would be almost ever-lasting.
If you had the aptitude or mechanical bent you can surely re-engineer
or fabricate any parts and even improve its performance.
IF we base it on the price of procurement of such institutional
equipment; its is a fact that they are priced above the toys we play
in our kitchen.Just consider the price of a 5 quart Hobart mixer, its
way above the cost of the similar bowl size kitchen model.
The former is built ot improve profit margin of the manufacturer while
the latter was built to last but with a higher price.
Therefore thinking further, if I am a dedicated bread baker I would not
mind buying and equipment which from experience is good performing.and
built to last.
If I spent my vacation money on it I wouldn't mind; and its still a
wise investment for me, as I spend more time in the kitchen than in the
tourist spots overseas.
Roy
Zing!! Right into my Favorites List! Thanks! Maybe they have a PH0 machine
or the lab machine.
The PH0 is 1 1/2' wide, 2' long and 2' high. It's got a 1/4 hp motor and
looks to be a heavy, solid machine.
Don't know what it costs, but if I had the space, I'd be tempted. :-)
Barry
RsH
--------------------------------
On Fri, 8 July 2005 23:32:39 -0400, "barry" <john...@optonline.net>
wrote:
>"RsH" <r...@idirect.com> wrote
>> http://www.artofex.ch/html_de/englisch/occasion.html sells used but
>> reconditioned machines - located in Switzerland, a little closer :-)
>> =======================================================
>> <r...@idirect.com>
>