I realize my questions may seem really idiotic and obvious, but I want to make sure I'm using my attachments correctly as to get the best use out of them and not break them.
Basically I just want to make sure of which attachments are good for doing what.
The dough hook:
Obviously for breads and doughs, which leads me to which I feel is my silliest of my questions, this would include cookie doughs as well?
The paddle attachment:
Icings and batter? For icing, American Buttercreams only?
The whisk attachment:
Obviously for whisking -- egg whites and such. But for SMBC/IMBC, would you continue to use the whisk attachment or would you switch to the paddle once you start to incorporate the butter?
I'm sure the whisk attachment is a more delicate attachment vs paddle and dough hook -- obviously I'm not going to put something really stiff/hard in there and try to use the whisk, but what are the limitations? What specifically should the whisk attachment be used for and avoid?
Are there any other things that I'm missing that could be used with these attachments and which ones?
I make most breads with the dough hook.
I use the paddle for cookie dough.
Never made American buttercream.
Use the paddle for all batters. There's a cake (fluffy yellow cake from Cooks Illustrated) though that gets mixed with the whisk.
I make meringue buttercream with the whisk, mostly IMBC. Change to paddle when adding the butter, even though some people do not. I do it because it incorporates less air to the buttercream.
The hook is good for making fondant too. I use the paddle for most everything, except icing and bread.
American butter cream would use the whisk attachment. I have not made any other kind of BC, but you can look up martha stewart's recipe video to see which she uses.
Wanted to add that my Cuisinarts came with a video of a lot of recipes being made by a chef. When I sent one to my sister as a present, the video helped her a lot when she watched what the baking item was and what was being used and at what speeds (she doesn't speak English).
Maybe your mixer came with something like that, too.
Definatly use the paddle for AMB icing, mixes and cookies. The wisk for eggs and meringe BC, and the dough hook for doughs and fondant. I make English Buttercream (same as AMB, but with butter instead of shortning), and you need the strength of the paddle for that. Don't think the wisk would be strong enough for the icing during the mixing stage. That stuff is tough when you first add the icing sugar.
Thanks so much for the information!
I just want to make sure I don't mistakenly use the wrong thing (mostly the whisk) and end up breaking something.
I'll have to check for anything in the box for other information as suggested. I haven't had a chance to open it yet -- though I will tomorrow as I'm using it for the first time tomorrow 
I use the dough hook for breads and fondant, the paddle for doughs, batters and American buttercream, and I use the whisk for whipping, meringue's and IMBC, switching to the paddle when I add the butter.
All I can say is... omg, I love my KA!
Mixes more thoroughly and much more quickly. I haven't done a cake yet, but I did over 5 dozen cupcakes and they came out so much more beautifully than they ever have. Not to mention my white cake came out so fluffy. I just ate 3 of them... (un-iced)
Love love love my KitchenAide mixer. I would break down and cry if it quit working. I use the dough hook for breads and fondant. I use the paddle for mixing cake recipes and American buttercream, and I use the whisk attachment for meringue. My grandmother gave me my first KA (her old one) it lasted me several years. I could have cried when the motor burned up in it. My DH got me one that following Christmas as a surprise. I would highly recommend them to anyone considering buying one, it will cut your work tremendously.
Love love love my KitchenAide mixer. I would break down and cry if it quit working. I use the dough hook for breads and fondant. I use the paddle for mixing cake recipes and American buttercream, and I use the whisk attachment for meringue. My grandmother gave me my first KA (her old one) it lasted me several years. I could have cried when the motor burned up in it. My DH got me one that following Christmas as a surprise. I would highly recommend them to anyone considering buying one, it will cut your work tremendously.
ajwonka, I saw those on amazon! I definitely want to get one, though I may wait a little bit. There are a few other things I'd like to get. Though my mom already made note that attachments would make great gifts lol
cabecakes, now that I know the benefits of having one (after only one night of use!), I already told my boyfriend that I don't know how I was using my cheapy mixer (with just beaters - which I hated and were a total PITA to wash) and that I refuse to go back lol
I definitely noticed how much quicker it made things. 3 cupcake flavors; started at 4 finished by 9-ish. So 5 hours of mixing, baking (and making cream cheese icing) which does include prep time and about an hour break in which I took to eat/celebrate my boyfriend's brother in law's birthday.
And as far as the difference in my cupcakes. I could tell just by looking at the batter, but the way they turned out... HUGE difference. I think I was over beating my batter before (just doing the stand mixer with the beaters -- beaters only stayed in one place, so I would always take the top part off and mix like it was a hand mixer, but it took a lot to mix everything).
I'm really excited for tomorrow morning; I've tried SMBC a few times, but I just don't think I had the right equipment to do it. I tried it with beaters (when I first tried, wasn't sure what I was doing), and then had a really small hand mixer with a whisk attachment. Sorta worked... but not quite. So I'm really looking forward to trying SMBC out in the morning (without the extra work of trying to use a hand mixer).
Augurey: I don't know what recipes the person used that said that they would mix american buttercream with the whisk, but my recipe I beleive would cause the wires on the whisk to be bent out of shape and would mess them up. I would definitely use the paddle. I use my whisk only for whipping cream and eggwhites and light batters that need a lot of air. I know that the attachments seem pretty sturdy, but I would be in deep hot water if I ever used my attachments for the wrong thing because if they broke I would not be able to replace what I used when I needed it the most. So I do not think that your questions are stupid or silly. I think that you are trying to take care of what you have so it will last you a long long time. Those mixers are not cheap. I think that you have the general idea though. I also mix my cookie dough with my paddle attachment. Best wishes.
Thank you so much for your response, jules5000.
I definitely want to take the best care of this thing. They are wicked expensive; I was able to get mine half off, but it took me awhile to save up for just half off and have been wanting this for quite some time. Just my experiences with it last night gave me some good perspective on everything. The whisk attachment does seem sturdy, but I know that I wouldn't want to chance it and have to spend a lot of money to replace it.
I use my as:
Dough Hook - breads and doughs only. Not for cookie dough at all.
Paddle - cookie doughs, cakes, some bread, pie, or muffin doughs. Some buttercream such as American and if re-paddling SMBC for reuse.
Whisk- Making SMBC and even when adding butter (my butter is adding when very, very soft not melted), meringues, whipped cream, some of my cake recipes that start off liquids first and adding dry later.
Your whisk is the most delicate and if you put something in the bowl that is too thick or heavy to cut through, your whisk wires will break. Due to frequent use, the whisk will be the first to go. While at a restaurant, I went through about 3 in one year!
Happy baking!
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