My old Hobart mixer finally gave up the ghost during a big catering job

It happened last Saturday, right in the middle of a 300-person wedding cake order. The motor started making this awful grinding noise, then just quit. I've had that thing since my first kitchen job in Portland, maybe 15 years ago. We used to fix everything with a wrench and some hope back then. Now I'm standing there with a bowl full of half-mixed batter, a line of sheet pans waiting, and a silent machine. I had to send a runner to a restaurant supply store to grab a new one, which set me back over $800. It got the job done, but it just doesn't have the same soul, you know? What's your go-to move when a key piece of gear dies in the middle of service?

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3 Comments

lilykelly7mo ago

Ugh, brutal. Honestly, that's when I start mentally checking which menu items I can pivot to if the replacement gear sucks too.

10

the_holly7mo ago

Nah, I just wait it out, @lilykelly.

7

nancy4757mo ago

Last time that happened, I just asked for a side of fries while I waited. @the_holly has way more patience than me.

1