Bosch MUM46A1 Food Mixer, Anthracite/Silver Finish

Now I've had my Bosch Mum Food Mixer for almost a month and have used it extensively, I feel I can write a helpful review to lay some ghosts to rest.

First up, I was very nearly put off buying this wonderful device because of a couple of negative reviews. I'm so glad that I ignored those comments and decided to give the Bosch a try.

To call this just a food mixer is almost an insult to all the functions this kitchen gadget can successfully carry out. I'll admit that I was just looking for a reasonable stand mixer when I purchased this but I liked the idea that the Bosch Mum had the other attachments as well. Had I just gone for one of those glossy stand mixers that I was tempted by, I'd really be missing out now. Here's my pros and cons:

PROS:

1) More than just a stand mixer - you also get a blender/liquidiser, citrus press and continuous shredder/slicer accessory.

2) The mixer DOES mix small batches properly, the bowl is raised in the middle and the whisk attachments move all around the sides of the bowl. I have whisked the contents of 3 small egg whites into meringue with no problems.

3) It IS POWERFUL ENOUGH for the average home cook. I don't kid myself that I'm some amazing chef. I'm a home cook with a small family, I love to cook and I cook meals daily. This machine hasn't struggled on power with anything. Someone cooking on a professional level will probably require a machine with a motor more powerful than the 550 watts this one provides.

4) The size of the bowl is great if you're normally cooking for 2-6 people. I normally cook for 3 and require smallish quantities for which the bowl is never more than half full. But I've also made food for 6 with no issues at all.

5) Small and light enough to keep out on your worktop at all times. I have the Bosch out permanently and I also have all the accessories out on the worktop except the juicer which is large and isn't something I tend to use. The accessories do take up quite a bit of space but are very useful which is why I keep mine out because they get used a lot.

6) Looks quite smart - not as smart as those glossy mixers but smart enough for the average kitchen and luckily our accessories are black. It all seems to be well made from sturdy plastic (shredders and cutters are metal) apart from the bowl splash cover which I've never yet needed to use.

7) Mixer has been used to make meringue, sponge cakes, rich fruit cakes (use the dough hook when all the fruit needs to be mixed in,) batter, cookie mixes and loads more. Not had any issues. Yes you might need to scrape mix off the whisk if it's sticky - I imagine this would be the case with any mixer. I haven't made any bread dough because I have a bread machine but if it doesn't struggle to make a huge and thick fruit cake, I can't imagine it would struggle with dough either.

8) Blender has been used to make curry paste, soups and milkshakes. As I've never had a blender, I'm loving this feature. You simply push the Bosch Mum arm so it's pointing right down, take the cap off and push and twist the blender on. It makes delicious, frothy milk shakes with ease. Yum.

9) Continuous shredder/slicer attachment - essentially this is like a dumbed down food processor. I love the fact that you can shred or slice things right into the supplied bowl or another bowl or plate. It's easy to use once you know how it all attaches together (tip look up bosch mum videos on youtube) and I use this feature loads. It grates and slices everything I need for pizza toppings, quiches, curries, fruit pies and more - and fast. Pizza toppings and quiches are so easy now because I just slice and grate all the items in a flash. You can grate cheese on the coarse side of the shredder blade (there is a fine and coase side for each blade) but as cheese is sticky, leave it till last as it can clog it up if you're doing loads. You will probably need the coarse side for most items although I made a delicious Apple Tart with ultra fine sliced apple. It doesn't cut chunky chip shapes but I think you can buy a blade which does.

10) I love this device so much I'm doing more home cooking than ever and now having to watch my waist line!

CONS:

1) It doesn't look quite as attractive as some of the (more expensive) food mixers. If you're more interested in how a kitchen gadget looks than its actual usefulness, this could be an issue.

2) Although the machine itself is pretty compact, you'll need some storage space for all the accessories because they do take up some room.

3) The instructions are not the best. However, I picked up lots just by watching a ton of youtube videos on Bosch Mum - most of the Mum devices work in a similar fashion so don't just look up this specific machine.

OVERALL:

Love, love, love this Kitchen Machine/Helper. I'm so thankful that I decided to give it a try. It's been brilliant to use, a joy to use actually and yes I would buy another Bosch Mum again if I had to. You can buy other accessories (different blades, mincer etc) for this and a spare bowl from a UK Bosch website by the way.

If you class yourself as a home cook who enjoys cooking for a small to medium sized family, you should love this machine. Hope that helped.

Took ages firstly deciding if I wanted a food mixer or food processor-decided food processor was more for chopping and i wanted to mostly bake. Next decision was Kitchen-Aid or Kenwood Chef-both excellent with great reviews but quite hefty both in weight and price. I wanted to be able to leave the mixer out on the work surface where I knew it would be used more if at hand rather than having to keep putting it away and getting it out of a cupboard when required. I then came across the Bosch Mum quite by chance and immediately was attracted to how different it looked and how it would take up no more space on my worktop than the chopping board I had in place all the time-and it wasnt too heavy. I am so glad I chose the Bosch Mum-have tried every accessory except the juicer. Made 3 christmas cakes and it was so nice not having to mix in the fruit and cherries by hand as just put the mixer on lowest setting and it stirs the fruit in without crushing them. Made so many different types of cup cakes and the icing sugar for the frosting doesnt fly around the kitchen because the cover is so effective. I made bread using a bread mix as I didnt know what to expect, and it made a great job using the kneading attachment so next time I will make bread myself instead of out of a packet as I am sure it will be very easy and cheaper than shop bought bread mixes. I even tried mashed potatoes just because I could-again, great results. Once I fathomed out how to use the attachment for slicing, I sliced all vegetables for soup straight into the pan with minimal waste and was impressed that I didnt even have to use the pusher as it grabbed the vegetables without any force. It is very quiet and this gives the impression that it may not be very powerful, but it has done everything I have asked of it, and I havent had to scrape down the bowl because it mixes every last bit. Washing is no problem and I store the mixing attachments in the bowl with the cover on ready to use and now find myself thinking-what can I make today......? I highly recommend the Bosch Mum food mixer and infact have persuaded my mum to buy one too as she has been trying everything I have made so far-just as well as I am in danger of putting on weight due to all the baking! In my opinion, this is great value for money, performs well and looks attractive on work surface when not in use and wouldnt hesitate buying this over the other more expensive and heavier food mixers.

I have not owned a stand mixer before, so no true comparative review here. Rather, a critical point I nearly missed: a stand mixer that is going to get used lives out on the kitchen worktop, where it is taking space from something else. This Bosch has a full-size bowl, yet its footprint is only half that of my 4-slice popup toaster. It's a really clever, compact design. When I'm rich and have a huge kitchen, maybe I will buy a Kenwood. Until then, this mixer is far better suited to my requirements.