Kenwood Chef Titanium KM010 4.6 Litre Kitchen Machine, 1400 Watt, Titanium

I bought a KM010 Titanium after considering a range of food processors (eg Magimix, Dualit, Kitchen Aid) and have been very pleased with that the Chef can do. I've never owned a food processor so am not entirely sure if the claimed versatility of them is true in practice. What I do know is the Chef does what I need and instead of almost everything going in one bowl you have to think that the Kenwood way is to have a specific apparatus for each task - hence the 4 attachment points and different speeds. I've found it kneads bread well (my biggest use of it thus far) and in a decent sized amount, it mixes well and it liquidises well too. Points I noted were:

1) the glass liquidiser is huge and for smaller or older people with a weak grip it is heavy. Having said that it does mean you can really fill it up eg with soup for 4-6 people and liquidise it in one go. making one milkshake does look a bit lost in the bottom.

2) it is a bit of trial and error working out when to use the flexi beater versus the classic K beater - the cook book that comes with the machine (that is otherwise a well written book) makes no mention of the flexi beater - assume it was not invented in 2003 when the book says it was printed. flexibeater seems to work best with sponge cake mixes.

3) the machine is a bit noisier than I expected at full pelt but to generally have it on for only a minute or two at that speed. however it is very stable and there is no sense that the motor ever labours.

4) the food processor works pretty well (I've never had a proper one to compare) but it does even on min setting start quite "fast" - this can feel very quick for shredding/slicing - slicing onions seems to take about 1.5 seconds....but the result is perfectly respectable - again the whole thing feels like the task is of no strain at all on the main motor.

5) the metal finish is of high quality and the parts all fit together with a decent clunk/fit. the only bit that feels a bit flimsy is the splash guard. While it is not a structural partit looks like it could easily be damaged in a busy washing up bowl.

I've had this Kenwood Chef for almost a year now. It replaced an old Kenwood Chef passed down by my parents. That machine eventually expired after over 30 years of breadmaking. So far, the new one is proving to be a worthy successor. The extra power and electronic control enable it to handle a 3 lb bread dough with ease where the old one struggled. The cover to the bowl (with opening hatch) ensures that all the flour stays in the bowl. Fortunately (and rather unusually compared with many manufacturers) most of the attachments from my old machine fit this one. The new machine is also much quieter.

I have just one minor quibble that prevents me giving a five star rating. The mains lead is rather short, so it has to be within an arm's reach of a mains socket. In a cramped kitchen with not many power sockets, for a machine as heavy as this, that really is quite inconvenient.

Where to even begin with this thing? I purchased this having owned a Kenwood food processor. I thought to buy a new processor which had got lost in the move, but the more I looked, the more I realised I did enough baking, mixing and liquidising to warrant the Chef.
The Chef really does have endless possibilities. I use it in the kitchen if not every, then certainly every other day. I'm going to discuss each section to make it easier to get a handle on this mammoth piece of machinery. About the size; Yes, it is big. Not so big that it will take over your kitchen however, assuming you have a work top handy. The box however is another story, if I ever sell my house, I might consider laying a foundation and simply living in the Titaniums box for the rest of my life, once I've worked out how to put a bathroom in there.

Mixer:
The mixing bowl is smooth stainless steel, perfect for mixing pastry, dough, or cake mix. It detatches from the base so you can easily pop the ingredients in and slide it back in to position, attach your tool and begin mixing. The 2 side handles make it perfect for carrying it around when it's very full. The 4 included tools are also very useful, the dough hook prepares quite simply the best
dough I've ever seen, the whisk will have you mixing a perfect pavlova in no time and the 2 included beaters are great for general mixing. I tend to use the rubber coated flex-beater for cake mixes and the metal beater for hamburgers and meatloaf. I do agree with previous reviewers that the splashguard could have been a little more thought out, it is plastic and can sometimes slip off when you're attaching the tool. However, when mixing it's rock solid and it ensures there is absolutely no mess that escapes the bowl, even when set on maximum speed. It also allows you to pour additional ingredients in through a convenient little hatch in the side.
Beware, you need to have enough room above the machine that you can lift the top and attach the tools, so I would not advise putting this under a shelf to use it.

Liquidiser
The liquidiser is a lovely glass piece with raised measuring markings on the outside. The blade assembly and lid and stopper all detatch for easy cleaning and it can hold enough to make a decent milkshake for 3-4 people.
To use this, you must attach it to the top, so again, no putting it under shelves, there probably won't be room. Also, a word of warning, if you crank the liquidiser to full speed, be prepared for a lot of froth to come bubbling out of the top, so make sure it isn't too full. It does however produce the smoothest milkshakes I've ever made.
All these people complaining it's too heavy I find slightly weird. The whole unit is about 5 times heavier, how did you get it on to your worktop in the first place? go get some dumbbells and work out that milkshake arm. It has a very sturdy handle, so you won't drop it.

Food processor
A smaller bowl than found on a traditional Kenwood processor, this again attaches to the top. It has all the usual blades for shredding, dicing, grating and cutting, as well as the large feed shoot and carrot feed shoot that come as standard. It has a safety mechanism which does not allow the blade to engage whilst the lid is off, so no chance of turning yourself in to mince meat. Trust me, I tried, just to see what would happen. It's very good at it's job and tares through almost anything. I saw it cut a raw swede to ribbons the other day without so much as stuttering. I have now taken to calling it master, just in case.

There are numerous attachments you can buy for the machine, I have my eye on the ice-cream maker.
It's a rock solid, utterly diverse and completely reliable piece of kitchen equipment and you won't regret it if you buy it. It comes with a plethora of recipes, but even using it for everyday tasks is an absolute joy. From the moment you start using it, you realise they've not skimped on quality at any point during its construction.
My fridge is now always filled with puddings, breads, savoury treats, soups, meat loaf and milkshakes and honestly I don't know quite what I did before without it.