Scrub the paste with a scratch-free scrubbing pad in a circular motion.Spread the paste over the surface and allow it to sit for 10 minutes or longer (up to a few hours) if you have stubborn rusting.Mix some baking soda with vinegar (either apple cider or white vinegar) until it forms a paste.If you do have a rust build-up, KitchenAid suggests taking these steps: You’ll also want to avoid steel wool when cleaning as it can cause your bowl to rust more easily. The fix: First, check your dish soap to make sure it doesn’t contain halogen salts (chlorine, fluorine, bromine, iodine), bleach or antibacterial agents that contain the chemical Triclosan, KitchenAid suggests. The good news is you can usually get rid of rust with a DIY rust remover. If you’re noticing that your mixing bowl gets rusty, you may need to change up your cleaning routine. Stainless steel is resistant to rust, but not completely rust-proof. But, if the appliance has overheated for any other reason, you’ll want to let it rest for 30 minutes before trying to restart it. The fix: If you think steam is to blame, give your mixer three minutes to cool down before turning it back on, KitchenAid suggests. But, if you’re mixing something steamy - like mashed potatoes - the steam can condense on the circuit board, causing a disruption that shuts the motor off. Some stand mixers have a Thermal Overload Protection feature that will automatically shut the appliance off if it overheats.
Do the dime test periodically to make sure your appliance is performing optimally. KitchenAid recommends only adjusting the height a quarter turn at a time and performing the dime test after each adjustment to gauge if the mixers have been properly reset or if they need more adjusting. If you need to lift the beater, turn the screw a quarter turn to the left. If you need to lower the beater, turn the screw a quarter turn to the right. If you have a bowl lift mixer, the screw is located on the inside of the stand and is visible. If you have a tilt-head mixer, the screw is in the hinge between the mixer’s stand and the head and is apparent only when the head is tilted back. Find the silver screw don’t tinker with any of the black screws as they aren’t related to adjusting the mixers. You’ll need a flathead screwdriver to make the adjustment. If you determine you need to make an adjustment, unplug your mixer. But, if the dime is traveling slowly around the bowl, it means your beaters are properly adjusted. But if the dime is moving continuously, the beater is too low, possibly scraping your bowl. If the dime doesn’t move at all, the beater is too high. To determine if your mixers need adjusting, place the dime in the bowl, attach your KitchenAid flat beater and then turn on the low-speed stir mode. Note, though, that the dime test only works with stainless steel bowls, not ceramic or glass ones. A dime is perfect because it’s 1/16th-inch thick and provides a good visual aid to help you adjust the beater-to-bowl clearance. The fix: KitchenAid recommends a dime test! It’s important you use a dime, not any other coins. Ideally, you want to make sure your mixers have a 1/16th-inch clearance in the bowl, the KitchenAid professionals say. In either scenario, you’ll need to adjust the beater-to-bowl clearance. Either your mixer isn’t reaching all of the ingredients, leaving them unmixed at the bottom of the bowl, or your flat beater is extending too far down into the bowl, scraping the bottom. This is one of the most common problems that pop up with KitchenAid mixers over time. Your mixers can shift and become misaligned, KitchenAid’s help team explains. Thankfully, the KitchenAid team has troubleshooting suggestions so you can fix your mixer in no time and get back to baking.įrom misaligned beaters to a stainless steel bowl that seems to be a magnet for rust, here are four common KitchenAid problems - fixed! The Problem: Your Mixers Are Misaligned (And, psst, you can trust a KitchenAid stand mixer with your big batch of guacamole, too).īut, like all appliances, the KitchenAid lineup of mixers can experience some minor malfunctions and other problems every now and again. Not only do they add a cheerful pop of color to the kitchen, but these appliances are true workhorses for bakers, adept at mixing everything from cookie dough to fluffy buttercream frosting.