Are you looking for a stand mixer for your kitchen? I was looking for a mixer that would be strong enough to make bread, but wasn't prepared to buy one of the industrial sized Bosch mixers that makes 6 loaves of bread at once. I wanted to, but it was too big for my kitchen. I found the perfect compromise in the Bosch Compact Kitchen Machine. It has the durability and motor power of the full-sized Bosch, but is compact enough to fit into a small kitchen, apartment, or even an RV!

The Bosch Compact Kitchen Machine (Product Number MUM 4420) is a powerful, compact, and versatile kitchen offering, and one of the best investments I ever made for my kitchen. This all-in-one kitchen tool is a mixer, and if you buy the additional accessories, can also act as a food processor, blender, juicer, and meat grinder, all at an average cost of only about $200 U.S. dollars. That is a lot of functionality for the price.

This small mixer has a powerful, 400-watt engine, the same size as the larger Bosch Kitchen mixers that sell for more than twice the price. I find that the Bosch Compact's small size and powerful engine make it a highly versatile food preparation tool in my small kitchen, while the fool-proof design allows me ease of use with almost no learning curve. The Bosch Compact Kitchen mixer comes in a washable white and all of its accessories are dishwasher safe for easy cleaning and maintenance.

Bosch Stand Mixer Components

Base and engine

The powerful 400-watt engine is the best in its class. The compact model Bosch can mix almost 6 pounds of bread dough at once. In contrast, the Kitchen-aid 5-quart stand mixer has only a 325-watt engine. If you are looking for a powerful mixer that can handle weekly bread or pizza-making sessions, the additional power of the smaller Bosch is a significant selling point. This powerful engine makes little noise for the amount of power it produces. I primarily use my Bosch Compact Mixer for bread and pizza doughs. The engine has handled these weekly recipes with no visible impact on the engine. The coil wrap for cords and fold-down arm make the base easy to store out of sight in small kitchens.

4-Quart Mixing Bowl

The heavy-duty 4-quart mixing bowl is an easy-clean plastic surface that takes multiple uses without showing signs of wear. I have been very impressed with the quality of the bowl which continues to look brand new and hold its color two full years since I purchased it. Notched feet in the base of the bowl insert into the engine's platform, holding the bowl in place while the mixer is in operation.

Spatter-Proof Lid

The heavy-duty splatter-proof lid is constructed of a heavy-duty see-through plastic, allowing you to see the progress of any recipe while the mixer is in action. The lid includes a pour-spout feature, allowing you to add ingredients while the mixer is in operation without risk of splatters.

Bosch Mixer attachments

The Bosch kitchen attachments are all dishwasher safe and come with their own storage stand, so you can store your entire Bosch system within easy reach.

• Dough Hook. I use the dough hook when making breads, pizza doughs, and drop cookies such as sugar cookies and chocolate chip cookies. Homemade pizza an homemade bread can be made effortlessly with the dough-hook set to mix on setting 2. The steady action of the mixer is a great boon to anyone whose wrists are weakened by arthritis or carpel tunnel.

• French Whisk. The whisk attachment works swiftly to make fluffy meringues in just a few minutes. You will be shocked at how easily the whisk attachment stiffens egg whites compared to a conventional hand-held electric beater, and with the splatter-proof lid, you have no mess to clean up. You can also use the whisk attachment to make omelets and mix homemade mashed potatoes into fluffy mounds.

• Wire Whip: I have used the wire whip attachment to whip up cakes, quick breads, waffles, and pancakes in a matter of minutes. My family raved when I made crepes using the Bosch for the first time only a few weeks ago.

The great versatility of this kitchen tool in such a small package is what recommends it to any kitchen, whether your tastes incline toward a more gourmand foodie menu or if you are a hurried parent trying to prepare simple, fast meals. This little machine does it all, reliably, affordably, and in a very small space.

You can purchase several attachment pieces to work with the Bosch Compact MUM 400 kitchen mixer. These attachments fit on the mixer base to turn the Bosch Compact into a multi-functional kitchen machine. I think this affordable versatility is what recommends this mixer over the others in its class.

Some of the mixer attachments include: A food chopper, a meat grinder, a blender (comes with the basic mixer in some packages), a grain mill (highly recommended if you are making bread), a juicer, and even an ice cream maker.