The Kitchenaid Stand Mixer: an iconic, sought-after wedding gift, on par with Crate and Barrel as a whole with its implicity in the wedding gift-giving firmament.
I hate the Kitchenaid Stand Mixer. For one thing, I know more people who have one that don't use it than people who are big into baking and cooking and even own one. Couple this culture with the creation of a food website and you are met with all kinds of incredulous comments.
"You don't own a Kitchenaid? But I thought you baked all the time!"
"How do you beat egg whites?"
"How do you make cookies?"
Now, keep in mind I've also met people who didn't know you could make cookie dough from scratch and previously thought that from scratch meant buying a chilled roll of dough, slicing it and baking on a cookie sheet. I'll ignore that extreme and explain why I've never wanted a Kitchenaid.
- They're a status symbol, and I'm not really into that kind of thing. They are pined-after, expensive and ultimately unnecessary. And they perpetuate the myth that you need a long list of kitchen gadgets to be a "good cook."
- They're heavy as hell and take up a lot of space on your counter and you have to wipe them down every time you clean the kitchen or they get that gross dust/film on them.
- The vast majority of recipes don't require a mixer.
- I can think of a sub-list of other things I'd rather spend $300 on, including, but not limited to, a Dyson, a new rug for my living room, a credit card payment, and a tattoo.
- It would encourage me to bake more often, and I already have a hard time curbing my sweet tooth.
- I already have a Kitchenaid stand mixer. It's me, standing there with my Kitchenaid hand mixer for about 5 minutes, which is more than most recipes need anyway.
And lastly, the Kitchenaid Stand Mixer also drives home the idea that getting married ought to involve overpriced *stuff* because that's why you get married. We'll focus on the presents now--worry about the marriage itself later. I even considered adding it to my wedding registry then checking it off as received so as to discourage anyone from generously gifting something I've repeatedly said I don't want. On a side note, one other thing I don't want: crystal.
So naturally, the meeting of the parents yielded:
- One crystal vase
- One crystal trifle dish with four crystal dessert dishes
- One Green Apple Kitchenaid stand mixer
Until then, I'll work on my meringue and maybe even get a loaf of bread properly kneaded.
"But, in order for them to truly enter into whitedom, they need to own the holy grail of white kitchens – the kitchen aid stand mixer (right). They will match this mixer to their kitchen’s color scheme and it will make up the focal point. And much like many religious artifacts, it will remain untouched for months and even years, sitting on the counter to be admired as a testament to their lifestyle." http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/02/05/54-kitchen-gadgets/
ReplyDeleteand once you have the mixer, then you need to get the meat grinder and the pasta roller and the cheese shredder and the fruit strainer and...
Word.
ReplyDeleteYou pretty much summed up my feelings about popular wedding gifts. In my case I had the added issue that I knew I'd be moving country someday and therefore anything 1. large, heavy, excessively fragile, or otherwise awkward or 2. dependent on a 110 AC current would be thrown to the wayside once I left. I escaped with only a small crystal dish and a Cuisnart food processor, both of which I came to love. Didn't stop me from having to get rid of the Cuisinart when I moved, though.
(Apologies if this comes through twice. The blog burped when I tried to post.)
hahahah love the rant :) and couldn't agree more about crystal and china dishes!! I must say I love my kitchen aid though :D I keep it in the box in the pantry... no dusting that way... plus it's a good workout lifting it out to use it ;) I really only use it for bread and meringue like you said though... cookies and all other baked goods are totally by my arms alone!
ReplyDeleteVery well said. I was super excited when I got my kitchen aide six years ago. I really thought it was THAT important. I only use it at Christmas time when I bake a metric ton of holiday goodies. Otherwise it's stuffed in cabinet.
ReplyDeleteI will however say that I think you may change your mind about the Crystal. I didn't really care for it, but my MIL insisted that we register for it. I pretty much planned to return it for store credit after the wedding but something made me hold on to it, and I'm so glad I did. I don't love it because it's fancy or expensive. I like that it makes a dinner feel special. To me it represents our wedding and our marriage. And a kind of tradition. We make it a point to use it at least once a month because what's the point if it's only going to take up storage?
Hope that doesn't sound like assvice. Just thought I'd lend some experience.
I got my mixer before I realized it was a status symbol or the most sought after thing for home bakers to get... I didn't pick it out, but I've always thought it was a homey thing to have out on my kitchen counters. While I definitely have gone thru periods of not using it much, it gets more use than any other appliance I own or have ever owned. Couple it with a kitchen scale and baking is a friggen LOT faster... even cookies.
ReplyDeleteI can't comment on the crystal, we didn't get any and I definitely didn't want any!! We did get some weird pewter stuff that I still haven't found any use for.
ReplyDeleteLove it. Rant away.
ReplyDeleteBut OBVIOUSLY you have never tried to make Italian buttercream with a hand mixer. :)