How to Calculate Absorption Ratio (and Why You Should Before You Buy a Commercial Mixer)

If you're buying a commercial mixer for dough, you must calculate the absorption ratio for your recipe to make sure you're buying a right-sized mixer.

Why is it Necessary to Calculate Absorption Ratio?

• You don't want to overbuy or underbuy a mixer.  Mixer capacity seems straightforward.  A 20-quart mixer can hold 20 quarts, right?  Wrong.  What you're mixing is the limiting factor.  It takes a mixer's motor a lot more horsepower to make heavy pizza dough than it does to make light and airy bread dough.  By knowing your ratio and the size of your batches, you can then understand how much of your recipe a mixer can accommodate.
• You don't want to burn out your motor. If you miss a calculation, one mix of a new recipe in your mixer *probably* won't matter.  But if you mix a recipe in the wrong-sized mixer day-in and day-out, your motor will burn out (no matter what brand you buy).
• Preserve your warranty and the quality of your product.  Globe mixers are thoroughly tested with different recipes of different absorption ratios at different capacities, and sold accordingly.  To preserve the warranty on your mixer and the integrity of your recipes, make the calculation and buy the right one.

Calculating Your Recipe's Absorption Ratio

To calculate the absorption ratio, divide the weight of the water by the weight of the flour. 

For instance, if your recipe calls for 2 gallons of water and 32 lbs. of flour, you would calculate 2 gallons X 8.33 lbs/gallon = 16.66 lbs. of water. 16.66 divided by 32 lbs. of water = 52% absorption ratio. 

Understanding Your Numbers

Dough with a lower AR is tougher and requires more power to mix. Dough with a higher AR requires less power to mix.  

So you'll need a larger mixer to mix the same amount of something with a lower AR than you would a recipe with a higher AR.

Once this is calculated, use the Globe Mixer Capacity Chart to properly size the mixer for your application.

Or, you can contact us for help to figure all this out and buy the right mixer for your operation.