The Bosch Universal gets really good reviews over on the heavy duty mixer forum on Yahoo groups. I have an Electrolux Assistent, but considered the Bosch universal.

If you're still in the market for a mixer with a shredder attachment, I recommend the Bosch Compact. I'm very pleased with both the mixer and the shredder. The mixer handles a double batch of ultra-stiff rye bread well, creams butter well, incorporates all ingredients with ease, allows for good mixing control for when a light touch is needed, is light weight, portable, & has a tiny footprint. It has a slow start & slow stop mechanism, and a Momentary setting for when you need a tad more rotations. I'm particularly happy with the way it works with doughs as it is so quick, hands-free, and seems to handle any recipe thrown at it. Doughs don't crawl up the hook. The bowl is only 4 quarts, though, so the mixer is limited to 2 batches of whole grain bread & perhaps 3 batches of white bread, pizza dough, or stiff cookie doughs. The dough hook is used for stiff cookie doughs & creaming very cold butter, and works fine, but I think dough beaters like the Universal's or a paddle beater would be more efficient for working with these things. But I'm only talking about reducing beating time by a minute or two, not improved consistency or anything.

I am delighted with the continuous shredder. The variety of slicing discs and slicing speeds means I can always get just the right thickness or consistency, something I couldn't get with my Cuisinart food processor. The shredder sets up in a flash. It slices or shreds into any bowl, which is useful when making salads or slaw. The feed truly is continuous; no need to stop the machine & remove a feeding device before adding another piece of vegetable or fruit. The shredder's easy to clean. Cons: the feed tube is smaller than a Cuisinart's, and there's no way to get a chop like in a food processor.

If you buy the Compact with the shredder attachment, a blender comes with it. I could never use my Cuisinart f. p. for liquids, soups or even very thin batters. They would leak out the bottom. So it's nice to have a blender for these things. It doesn't chop veggies or fruits either, but does make a lovely puree.

Finally, the machine is fairly quiet & easy to clean.

My Compact was about $270 at Target. It's the stainless steel bowl version with the accessories. Target shipped it in 4 business days.

I have a Bosch Concept 7. It is a powerful machine and can handle just about any dough you might be inclined to work with. I've made 4 loaves of bread at a time with no problems. The base is light and convenient; the mixer can be disassembled and stored in a drawer.

However, I don't feel the center post design is optimal in some respects. You do have to stop and stir around it to incorporate cookie doughs, etc. That's not a reason not to buy it; just something to be aware of.

The shredder is very convenient. I like how it functions better for that than the Cuisinart.

I am happy with my Bosch and don't regret buying it. I think especially for those of us getting a little older it's a great choice for its light compact design. You also can't beat Bosch for its longevity and reliability.

The one thing I would say is the Bosch is not an inexpensive machine. I'm guessing you won't save money by buying a mixer with the shredder as opposed to separate appliances. And you won't save much space either, because you'll still have to store a separate bowl and blades, which is the bigger part of a food processor.

Carol

Here is a link that might be useful: Bosch Concept 7

I have owned the Bosch Concept for probably 7 years and love it! I make ten 1-lb. loaves of bread at a time and it's no problem for the Bosch. I don't have the attachments though.