Ankarsrum Original AKM 6230 Basic Package Mixer Nordic Sage

A stand mixer for bread bakers and big batches, in Nordic Sage, a soft green with a matte finish, with the full basic package ready for everything from sponge cakes to sourdough loaves. In the box: the 7 L stainless steel bowl with dough roller, dough knife, dough hook, spatula and proving lid, plus the 3.5 L Tritan whisking bowl with balloon whisks and single-wire beaters, and an Ankarsrum recipe book.

The Assistent Original has been made by hand in Sweden since 1940, and it works differently from most stand mixers. The drive sits in the base and turns the bowl itself, while the roller and scraper, or the dough hook, work the dough against the side much as hands would. Motor feedback adjusts the speed to the load, so it stays steady and quiet through a heavy dough. The 7 L stainless steel bowl takes up to 5 kg of dough or 1.5 L of liquid, and the 3.5 L Tritan whisking bowl handles cream, meringue and light batters.

Use & care: unplug the mixer before cleaning and wipe it down with a damp cloth, with a little washing-up liquid if needed. Many of the parts can go in the dishwasher, but washing them by hand and drying them straight away is gentler; wash the Tritan whisking bowl by hand. Before the first use, wipe a little olive oil around the inside of the stainless bowl, leave it a few minutes, wipe it out with a dry cloth, then wash in hot soapy water. This prevents the small black spots a new bowl can leave on the dough knife at first.