Discover the Ankarsrum Mixer

Oct 21, 2023 by Chef David

By Chef David

Baking challah is an art as much as it is a science. While the recipes differ, they all begin by making the dough. The home baker needs to ensure that the dough is the correct consistency. We recently tested making bread using the powerful Ankarsrum stand-up mixer. It is a Swedish brand designed for professionals, but simple enough for the novice home-baker.

Unlike traditional stand mixers whose moving parts spin around in the bowl, the Ankarsrum’s bowl moves. The bowl sits atop a high-torque 600-watt motor, with an adjustable arm that holds the dough roller or the dough hook.

It is nicknamed “The Workhorse Mixer” because it provides enough power to mix and knead even the heaviest bread dough without straining or burning out.

Function versus Fashion

The Ankarsrum mixer is designed with a large base and wide bowl.  The bowl rotates while the movable stainless-steel arm can be positioned to hold the roller or dough hook in place, allowing the mixer to knead and mix. This design provides open access to the top of the bowl making it easy to add ingredients and watch the progress. The motor is powerful, and by placing the rotating bowl directly above the gearbox, Ankarsrum achieves an optimal gear ratio. Their transmission features a belt drive that provides power more efficiently than common gear drives. The Ankarsrum is designed for stability and sits firmly in place without shaking or moving when you work.

Ankarsrum’s design provides tremendous torque (angular momentum), with a variable speed (ranging from 40 to 180 RPM). It has an electronic speed sensor that automatically adjusts motor torque to the load. And there is a timer for automatic shut off. Ankarsrum created a mixer that works quietly while you attend to other tasks.

Ankarsrum Story

The Ankarsrum began as the Electrolux Assistant food processor, designed in 1939 by Alvar Lenning in Sweden. In 1940, Lenning converted the professional restaurant kitchen device into a smaller, more compact gadget for domestic use.  ‘As an ad from 1944 proclaimed, it could whisk, mix, knead, mash, chop, crush, slice, mix, grate, and puree the ingredients. It could even stuff sausages.’  This mixer was intended to be the only kitchen appliance you would need.

Specifications

The Ankarsrum 6230 mixer measures 13.5″H x 10.5″W x 15.7″D and weighs 19 lbs. It sits firmly on solid rubber feet and won’t walk on the countertop during heavy use. The manufacturer’s warranty covers the motor and drive train for seven years, and all other parts for one year.

Each machine comes with everything you need for baking.  The standard package includes the high-capacity stainless steel bowl with cover, dough roller, dough knife, and dough hook, a BPA-free beater bowl with the drive shaft and standard double beater/whisks, hand spatula, cookie whisks, a Quick Start guide, and a 113-page recipe book.

Ankarsrum has a vast catalog of accessories, letting your mixer perform other kitchen tasks. Find a local retailer.

Our Experience

We enjoyed the Ankarsrum design. The open rotating bowl makes it easy to add ingredients and to see the dough. As the mixer runs the scraper (dough knife) folds the dough while the roller provides a powerful massaging action. They claim the roller is more similar to hand kneading, and we agree. Ankarsrum also includes a bread hook for heavy dough.

We particularly like the large size of the stainless steel mixing bowl which is 7.4 quart (7 liter) which provides ample capacity for any recipe without concern about overflow. The metal bowl holds up to 6.7 lbs of flour, enough to make approximately 11 pounds (5 kg) of bread dough, and it also works wonderfully for batches as small as 2.2 pounds (1 kg). We even let the dough rise in the bowl just using the included cover.

For cakes and cookies, Ankarsrum provides a BPA-free 4 qt. (3.7L) beater bowl. This stationary clear bowl has the whisks driven from below (the clear bowl is shaped like a bundt cake pan with a center drive column).

Using the stainless bowl and its unique roller and scraper design we were able to quickly knead smooth, elastic dough. The mixer was flawless (once we got past the short learning curve) we achieved consistent perfection when mixing or kneading. Our introduction began with making pizza dough and quickly progressed to challah (recipe below).

One Tough Machine

Lay the machine on the side, add accessories, and it can transform to perform 16 different functions including becoming a grater, a pasta maker or blender, a juicer, or a strainer. Adding attachments lets you adapt this versatile powerhouse beyond baking.

We agree that the Ankarsrum is not just a machine, but a really tough one. A machine that will inspire you to bake more, making it fun and easy. Ankarsrum was designed for tough work. Built of chrome and steel to provide maximum durability and exceptionally good looks, it comes in 14 bold color choices to match your kitchen décor.

It may become the only mixer you will ever need.

Classic Challah – (adapted from Fleshig Magazine)

This recipe makes one very large challah, we have used it to make several smaller challahs.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
• 1 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
• 2 cups + 1 tablespoon warm water
• 7-8 cups bread flour
• 1 extra large egg
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Instructions:

Step 1 – Gently stir yeast, tablespoon of sugar, and warm water in the bowl of your mixer. Allow yeast to proof for 5-7 minutes, until it starts to bubble and foam (this lets you know the yeast is active).

Step 2 – Add in the water, egg, and oil, and mix until combined.

Step 3 – Put in the remaining cup of sugar, and salt, followed by the flour. Mix until the flour is incorporated.  Add the last two cups of flour slowly (you may not need all the flour). If the dough is sticky, add more flour, a couple of tablespoons at a time. Continue to knead in your mixer until a smooth dough is formed.

Step 4 – Split the dough into equal portions using a bench scraper or a pairing knife. Roll each portion into a large ball and place it on a silicon baking sheet.

Spray the tops of the dough with cooking spray or coat with oil, and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let rise at room temperature for about 2 hours, until doubled in size.

Step 5 – Braid if desired, but rolling the dough into a spiral ball can be just as satisfying and much more beginner-friendly. Place on silicon baking sheets, leaving room in between loaves to rise.  Cover with a clean towel and allow to double in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Step 6 – Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush loaves with egg wash and add sesame seeds or other toppings as desired. Bake for 35-45 minutes for regular loaves, rotating pans halfway through.