All other reviews will share what a fantastic mixer and how much fun it is to use. We also recevied outstanding service from HomeExpo (shipper), when we did not get a manual. They answered our e-mail in less than 24 hours, sent us two e-mails and called us two times to follow-up and ensure we were happy.
First, you just have to buy the book (from Amazon) "The Mixer Bible" when you buy it for yourself and expecially if it is a gift.
If you really want to cook (bake) from scratch, with the most nutritious ingredients, buy from Amazon the "Wondermill Grain Mill". The Wondermill grinds flour from wheat grain, other grains and even beans-- at super fast spead. Also makes a great set-up for Crisis Preparedness Planning, assuming you have electricity. A generator for 10 minutes will grind enough grain for a few weeks of bread products. 10 more minutes with the mixer and you are the "local baker".
If Crisis Planning is a consideration, also buy from Amazon the book, "Crisis Preparedness Handbook" by Jack Spigarelli and the book "Cooking with Home Storage" by Peggy Layton. Both will give you the knowledge for developing and executing a serious and workable family crisis preparedness and storage plan. The mixer and grain mill will enable you to store what you eat and eat what you store.
Lastly, if you also want a hand grain mill, the Country Living Grain Mill is what you want (hard to turn, but if no electricity it will be a life saver). If you want great wheat grain, and other grains search for Honeyville Grain, Inc., where they sell bulk grains and only charge $4.95 for shipping anywhere, any weight. Buy a few hundred pounds of grain and Honeyville will save you considerabe money.
So-- get the Crisis Preparedness Handbook, which will enable you to develop a crisis preparedness and storage plan and then move forward to fill the shopping list-- incuding these products. Oh- this whole process is a great insurance policy for a crisis (or pandemic) and enables you and family to have a great deal of fun cooking from "real" scratch.
Get more detail about KitchenAid KSM150PSER Artisan Series 5-Quart Mixer, Empire Red.
