Clearance: Famag IM-5S Mixer, Marina

I purchased an IM5 mixer (not the M5S) primarily for 75-85% hydration doughs. So far the mixer has been used for a few batches each of ciabatta, pizza in teglia dough, and focaccia, and it has been a treat to use when compared to the old KitchenAid. The dough is beautiful right out of the mixer, silky smooth with impressively developed gluten strength.
The mixer itself is quiet and cool running and appears to be a quality piece of equipment.

Don't be afraid if they're back-ordered either - this showed up about two weeks before Pleasant Hill's guess at a "back in stock" date. A very nice surprise!

Works as advertised. The hard work of kneading bread becomes easy as pie! Awesome dough kneader.

Excellent mixer with outstanding results even with high hydration doughs. My first run was a 83% Asian milk bread and it turn out superb. The gluten was perfectly develop and separated from the bowl nicely. My only regret now is not having ordered the next size up.

This mixer has certainly made a positive impact on my sourdough and Neapolitan pizza dough however, the locking base on mine is slightly off so each rotation of the bowl hits against the metal back causing it clank. I'm certainly disappointed given the cost and high esteem which are given to Famag.

Pleasant Hill Grain customer service was excellent, which means I will continue to buy from them again in the future. Thank you PHG!

I bought the High Hydration IM-5 with tilting head/removable bowl. The machine is expensive and amazing. It's a commercial quality spiral mixer in a compact size that exceeds the output needs of a small family kitchen. The tilting head/removable bowl for me, results in the ease of both cleaning and loading of ingredients that I seem to like to do in different places in the kitchen. The "HH" High Hydration option, was a small fee to upgrade, in case I ventured into more troublesome dough hydrations not achievable at home or a bakery without such a machine. I would say, that it is a recommended must-do option. Higher hydration sourdough loaves or 00 Napoleon pizzas, etc are amazing above 70% hydration. For those who think their Kitchen Aid Pro, Cuisinart Precision Master, Ankarsrum, etc are on the same level, you are all fooling yourselves. I set aside money for several months, as I debated buying a mixer of this quality and price point, but after having experienced it first hand, I wish I would have bought it sooner.

My complaint against Famag and the fix. Having a removable bowl means things won't be as tight as permanently fixed objects. With my mixer, there was a slight knocking noise as the bowl is rocking under tension from the dough and hook at higher speeds. The Fix: a 4x4 or 5x5 square inch of paper towel (single layer) placed under the bowl before latching it into the under carriage. I don't think my mixer is an outlier and this review is mainly meant to share this knowledge, which has further increased my appreciation of this machine.

I was also interested prior to buying, how small of a load could this mixer be effective at mixing? I've used it to mix many batches of as little as 400g of flour at 70-80% hydration.

It mixed 600g of flour with 80% hydration perfectly. Did the same for 700g flour and again with 1110g flour at 80% hydration.

Game changing mixer. The silkiness of the dough it produces is so nice. Mixer itself is a beast. Built very well. Wouldn’t be surprised if this gets passed down a generation or two.

When it comes to tools, I'm a "buy the best you can afford and cry once" kind of person and this machine falls into that category.

Like so many, I'm wanting to transition from home baking of breads and pizzas to baking for the public. Hand/short mixing and my 6qt Kitchen Aid taught me the rules and the Famag IM-5S is allowing me to dial in the recipes I will use outside of the home... while still at home! Something to note about Famag as a company and PHG as an importer/distributor... they are customer service oriented. Famag listened to the feedback they received about their once-straight-not-curved breaker bars being too far from the spiral and altered their product for the better.

PHG with its small teams and *amazing* customer service makes dealing with an Italian manufacturer more than a pleasant experience. No regrets on this purchase whatsoever.

If your goal is to make the best possible dough for Neapolitan pizza, sourdough bread, focaccia, or anything else that requires gluten development, look no further.

The Famag IM-5S is an absolute workhorse and will elevate your dough game 10x (compared to a standard KitchenAid mixer). Also looks great on the counter.