Pizza dough mixers, which are the best?

To obtain a good final result, it is vital to know how to choose the right mixer. There are different models and types of mixers for pizzerias on the market and sometimes choosing the one that is right for you can be quite difficult.

Of course, to avoid unpleasant surprises, it is always a good idea to opt for professional machines rather than cheap ones, because even though the price may be attractive, the objective pursued will certainly not be satisfactory. Therefore, here are some suggestions to help you make the right choice. (click on the respective images to see the available models)

Fork mixer

For those who want to make dough with a low percentage of water, then the fork mixer represents the best solution that can be taken into consideration. It is composed of a kneading arm, called fork, and unlike other types of machines such as the spiral or diving arm one, it is slower during the execution of the work.

However, it has several advantages, namely: it is excellent for making hard or soft dough, or for kneading bigas, it has a low thermal yield, so if the continuous method is used the machine will yield 3°C to the dough, while if the discontinuous method is used in this case it will yield 6°C.

Of course there are also some disadvantages that we cannot fail to mention, specifically: it is not suitable for making doughs that have a water percentage higher than 65-75%, at least 30 minutes are needed to carry out the processing as the machine is designed for slow processing, in addition the volume of the dough will not be very high, and finally the productivity will be quite low because the execution times are very long as illustrated above.

Impastatrice a braccia tuffanti

This mixer is characterized by two arms, which simulate the movement of human arms. Compared to the previous movement, it is possible to make very hydrated doughs that require good final oxygenation. Therefore, the resulting result will be a greater volume of dough. It is ideal for use in pastry shops to produce panettone, pandoro and colomba but is also highly sought after and appreciated by bakers to make ciabatta, baguettes and focaccia.

The advantages of this machine are many: it is possible to obtain a greater volume of leavening as the dough is much more oxygenated, as far as the average kneading times are concerned they are different depending on the type of processing that will need to be carried out: for normal doughs the processing times are about 15/20 minutes, while for very hydrated doughs the times are a little longer and in this case the waiting time is about 40 minutes.

Among the disadvantages, however: the cost to purchase this type of mixer is high, the dimensions are quite considerable so it could be a problem to place it in a certain place and finally the productivity is quite low considering the processing time for very hydrated doughs.

Impastatrice a spirale

It is suitable for any type of dough, and thanks to the rotation speed the processing times are reduced. In fact, this machine is able to reduce processing times for industrial use. Therefore, for pizza doughs, a maximum of 12 minutes will be needed.

Among other advantages we also illustrate: the possibility of reversing the direction to make the bigas and to better collect the flour, the tanks can be easily extracted and the head is easily lifted, it is really efficient for soft doughs. Good price/quality ratio.

As for the disadvantages: smaller volume due to reduced oxygenation of the dough and significant thermal heating.

Impastatrice planetaria

Ideal for pastry making and cooking, but not suitable for pizzerias because the thermal heating is very high.

Highly appreciated thanks to the versatility it offers. In fact, it can use different types of arms depending on the dough that needs to be made, the final result that follows is more than satisfactory.

Advantages include: the ability to use more dough tools, high oxygenation and therefore greater volume.

The disadvantages: considerable size which makes the machine cumbersome, the investment is very high and finally the tub is not very large.

Now that you have a clearer idea, you can choose the mixer that best reflects your needs.