Whether you own a pizza shop, a bakery or a restaurant, regardless of the size of your business – if you ever need to bake or cook something that includes pastry, you will need to have a fast method to make a certain amount of dough. Kneading takes time, which is why many prefer using dough mixers even for home cooking, considering how tiring and time consuming it can be to knead.
As their name suggests, these mixers are tools for mixing up the dough. Since they save so much time and labour, they are extremely useful both for home and commercial use. For businesses that require a lot of dough to be mixed, not many investments are more useful than a high-end commercial dough mixer. However, whether you are upgrading, or you are opening a new hospitality business, choosing the right one for your specific establishment isn’t as simple as choosing one for home use. One of the reasons for this is that commercial mixers are very versatile, and they come with many different features.
How to Choose the Right Commercial Dough Mixer?
source: .pmq.com
When you are opening a hospitality business, it can be overwhelming to choose the right equipment. There are so many things to think about, from the decor, the cutlery, the tables… all the way to refrigeration and cooking appliances… All of these decisions are very important and very complex, and will greatly influence the success of your business. So, with so many things that have to be considered, before buying the first bread or pizza dough mixers for sale you see, you should first learn as much as you can about what you really need. The equipment you choose will have an impact on the quality of the products, making or breaking your business. It’s also one of the things that will ultimately determine your costs.
Types
There are three main types of dough mixers for commercial use. Your choice will again be determined by the quantity of dough you need, and the types of products you make.
Spiral Dough Mixers
source: fermag.com
Probably the best option for commercial use, they are the most flexible ones, and for that reason also the most popular ones. They feature a rotating bowl that moves around a spiral-shaped agitator, mixing the dough very efficiently and completely. It is also the most versatile option when it comes to sizes. Furthermore, they are the most energy-efficient option.
Horizontal Dough Mixers
source: aaronequipment.com
They are made to simultaneously mix the dough and feed the next batch into the machine. They can prepare the largest volume of dough in the shortest amount of time. They are also the biggest ones in size.
Planetary Dough Mixers
source: pmq.com
They are upright machines with a stationary bowl, with a central agitator that rotates around it. The agitator attachments can be changed, allowing you to use it for mixing different substances, and not just dough, including icings or puddings. They are typically smaller, so they are best for establishments that don’t have enough space. They are most popular for home use.
Size
The main question you should be asking is what size mixer do you need, and this will depend both on the type of business you’re running and the size of your business. If you invest in a small size mixer and it turns out you need to overuse it to prepare too much dough in too little time, it’ll end up costing you more time and money. Furthermore, you’ll have to clean more, and preparing the dough will require more labour hours. The machine might not be able to withstand overloading, which again means a bigger cost for maintenance and repairs, or even replacement.
Bowls shouldn’t be overfilled, not only because your dough won’t have the same quality, but also because this can prevent the machine from working properly, which can ultimately affect its longevity. On the other hand, having the bowl too empty isn’t the best solution either. Buying a mixer that’s too large for your business’s needs, means that you’ve spent more than necessary from the start.
Power
Once you’ve determined how big your commercial mixer is going to be, the next thing to consider is the power. Generally, the larger it is, the more powerful it will be. For this, you also have to consider the ingredients used in your product. Dough with more moisture is easier to mix, while dough with more flour than water is more difficult. So, this is why there is a difference between mixers labelled differently.
If, for instance, you opt for commercial pizza dough mixers for sale, this will mean that the manufacturer had the usual ingredients used in pizza dough in mind when producing that particular model. So, if you have a pizza place, you are golden. The only thing you need to be concerned about now is the quantity of pizza dough you are going to be preparing so that you can decide on the size of the machine.
Final Thoughts
To determine the size, the type and the power of the mixer you need, turn to your business. Try making the best assessment possible regarding your mixing needs before investing. When you are making such a big investment in your business, it’s crucial to have a longer period in mind, so that whatever you decide to invest on not only meets your business’s current needs but that it also accounts for the possible future changes. For this, you should ask yourself:
- What is the nature of your business? (Is it a pizza place, a patisserie, a bakery, a restaurant…)
- How often do you use dough in your business?
- What kind of dough are you going to be making?
- How big is your business?
- How much dough do you use daily?
- Is speed or volume more important for your business?
- Do you think any of this will change in the future?
