No matter the size of the bakery, each has one thing in common: the need for a durable, reliable mixer. A mixer is at the heart of everything a bakery makes, whether it’s bread or cookie dough, cake or cupcake batter or fluffy meringue to top a pie. And like any piece of bakery equipment, a mixer is a big investment.
Expanding operations, adding new menu items or mixer failure due to age are among the reasons to replace a mixer. Ongoing service and repairs, along with declining performance are others. Over the life of a mixer, belts, gears, transmission grease and motors may need to be replaced — and the frequency of these repairs increase exponentially as the years go on. Adding to that, gear or belt wear can slowly lower a mixer’s RPMs, affecting mix time and causing changes in the quality of product. That can lead to increased costs for wasted dough and batter and increased labor time and costs for mixing new batches.
At a certain point, upgrading to a new mixer makes financial and logistical sense.
A Hobart® Legacy+® maximum heavy-duty mixer is a reliable option that brings advantages to bakeries — ranging from cost savings to improved performance, time savings and more.
Why a Legacy+ mixer?
Hobart has long been known for its commitment to quality and dependability. The features of its Legacy+ mixers continue that tradition. Hobart offers countertop or floor models, with 20-, 60- and 140-quart mixers among the most popular for bakeries.
The PLUS System is at the center of the advantages offered by the Legacy+ mixers and consists of three Hobart-exclusive technologies that offer more powerful mixing.
- The VFDadvantage variable frequency drive (VFD) uses a variable speed motor and a single gear train, a design that simplifies the transmission of the mixer and eliminates the need for separate sets of gears for each motor speed. The drive changes the frequency that the motor uses, which in turn determines its speed. During operation, the VFDadvantage precisely monitors the motor and RPMs to safeguard it from overheating and to ensure optimum mixing performance. The technology drives more power to the bowl and mixes up to 30% more in the same size bowl (depending on the application).
- Maximum-capacity overheat protection consists of extreme-duty wiring and connections. These manage more power so bakers can mix heavy ingredients without concern for downtime.
- A reinforced planetary shaft system, combined with the all-gear driven transmission, provides exceptional power to the bowl to increase mixer capacity and overall product output.
The combined technologies help improve productivity by allowing continuous mixing — batch after batch — throughout the day. The PLUS System also offers cost savings. Fewer gears in the VFD mean fewer components that need repair. That, along with more durable parts overall, lowers the total cost of ownership of the Legacy+ mixers.
Beyond power and cost savings, Legacy+ mixers offer additional benefits to bakeries.
Better performance
The Legacy+ mixers offer multiple features that support consistent mixing performance.
- Quick-Release™ agitators include a pin that locks the agitator to the mixer shaft, which eliminates up/down movement associated with bayonet-style agitators. The bowl-to-agitator ratio remains the same for better mixing and ingredient incorporation.
- An ultra-slow stir speed, enabled by the VFDadvantage, mixes ingredients slowly to thoroughly incorporate ingredients. This speed is in addition to three to four mixing speeds (depending on the model).
Ease of use and time savings
Hobart has incorporated several features to simplify and expedite the use of its Legacy+ mixers.
- Shift-on-the-Fly™, another benefit of VFDadvantage, allows bakers to easily change speeds while the mixer is operating, helping to save time by eliminating starts and stops. There is no concern about damage to the motor.
- A SmartTimer™ recalls the time and speed of mixing, making it helpful for mixing repeated batches. It counts time up and down, so it’s easy for bakers to create new recipes.
- The swing-out bowl allows bakers to easily remove the bowl and move it to a bench or tub using a bowl truck. The process takes minimal effort and helps minimize physical fatigue.
- An electric bowl lift, found on the 60-, 80- and 140-quart Legacy+ mixers, moves the bowl into position with a touch of a button.
Simple cleaning and sanitation
Bakers want to spend time creating, not cleaning. Legacy+ mixers make that happen.
- Soft start technology, another VFDadvantage benefit, delivers electricity to the mixer slowly until it reaches the desired speed so there is less ingredient splash-out to clean up. It also protects the motor.
- The stainless-steel removable bowl guard allows bakers to remove it without tools and is dishwasher safe for easy cleaning and sanitizing.
Operator assurance
Peace of mind when operating Legacy+ mixers is paramount to Hobart and drives design considerations.
- Triple Interlock System prevents the mixer from operating until the bowl is fully in position and locked with the baker has secured the bowl guard.
- The FastStop feature, which is another benefit of VFDadvantage, is standard on 80- and 140-quart mixers. It stops all moving parts in less than three seconds.
For bakers looking to improve productivity and gain high quality results, Legacy+ mixers are solid investment. They have a lower total cost of ownership over the life of the machine compared to older mixers due to their reliability and reduced service and repair needs — all without sacrificing power, efficiency or speed. Learn more here!
