Oftentimes, we find our KitchenAid mixer overheating during use and we have not the slightest idea why and how to stop it.
A KitchenAid mixer is a versatile, must-have kitchen appliance that is every baker’s delight as they help reduce the work of mixing dough and batter.
For this reason, a lot of KitchenAid users tend to neglect and pay less attention to their mixer until it begins to develop overheating issues.
When it comes to fixing KitchenAid overheating, a good rest time of 10-15 mins in between work will reduce the overheating. However, it is important to first troubleshoot for the cause of the overheating, before knowing what necessary action is required.
Why Is My KitchenAid Mixer Overheating?
As said earlier, it is important for us to troubleshoot the cause of the overheating, before we can proffer a solution to the issue.
There are numerous reasons why our KitchenAid mixer will overheat, however, all the issues spawn down to one major cause.
Which is proper unawareness of our mixer.
Below are the most common reason why our KitchenAid mixer overheats;
Using The Mixer For Long Periods
When we first purchase our KitchenAid mixer, we are amazed at how fascinating it works but as time goes on we begin to pay less attention to the mixer.
As far as leaving it to run while we attend to other things.
This prolonged use of the mixer will surely cause it to overheat. The average accepted time for uninterrupted use of the mixer is 10mins.
Using the mixer above 20 mins will cause it to overheat.
A Thick And Unsupervised Batter
Although a KitchenAid mixer is a powerful and versatile appliance, leaving it to mix heavy dough or batter isn’t such a good idea.
Thick batters just like bread and pizza dough can be too heavy for the mixer.
Mixing heavy batter will put a lot of pressure on the mixer and cause the mixer to overheat due to the strain.
And therefore shouldn’t be done without supervision.
Tip: When dealing with heavy batter, rationalize the mix into portions before mixing. Never put it all in.
Bad Circuit Board
A bad circuit board can also cause your mixer to overheat. This has a far damaging problem as the problem can persist for a long and damage the mixer completely if not taken care of.
This is mostly an internal cause but can also effect by rising steam from the mixture being mixed.
Mixing hot steaming contents can make the steam rise and disrupt the circuit of the mixer.
Third-Party Or Wrongly Connected Hooks
Using unsupported third-party hooks or whisks with your KitchenAid mixer can make it much harder to mix batters.
This requires a lot of pressure from the mixer to use the hooks, thereby causing it to overheat.
This can also arise from wrongly connecting hooks and whisks.
Speed Settings
Using the wrong speed setting in mixing your various types of dough can be another reason for your mixer to overheat.
Each mixture has its preferred settings and using otherwise can also lead to overheating of your mixer.
Power Connections
Likewise overheating faults can develop from using wrong or improper electric power connections.
As an electronic, the right electric connection required for your mixer to function properly is needed.
An improper connection can send in too much or too little voltage hence causing your mixer to overheat.
As we can observe, overheating issues mostly arise from proper unawareness of our KitchenAid mixer.
Regardless, the problem can also arise from other internal causes. We shall be diving right into the best KitchenAid mixer overheating fix.
Troubleshooting Solutions For Fixing KitchenAid Mixer Overheating Issue
Overheating can leave lasting damage to your mixer even to the point of a total shutdown.
Therefore preferring the right solution for your mixer when it begins to overheat is important.
Solution #1. Practice Timing And Resting
Timing is a very important factor in the lifespan of your mixer.
A KitchenAid mixer shouldn’t be running for an extended period such as 30 mins to an hour without rests in between.
A major advantage of using a KitchenAid mixer is how quickly it can mix our batter.
This can lead us to let the mixer run nonstop mixing dough without rest. This is a bad way of using the mixer.
Let’s analyze the proper way of practicing rest time for mixers.
- After putting the necessary mix in the bowl, set it to the right speed and let it mix for 5-15mins depending on the mix.
- Let the mix rest for about 10-20 mins. This allows the mixer to cool off and avoids overheating.
- Restart the mixer for about another 10 mins and leave it to rest for another 10 mins.
- Repeat this process until the mixture is all done and settled.
Note: Some KitchenAid mixers will shut down automatically once the mixers begin to overheat. This is a failsafe to prevent overheating.
Solution #2. Know The Right Speed Settings
Every mix has the preferred speed setting to be used. Using the wrong speed setting can put a strain on the mixer.
Hence it is important to know the right speed setting for the mix you are working on.
Let’s review the right speed settings depending on the mixture.
- Speed 1 or 2 when starting the mixer and mixing dry ingredients
- Speed 2 is ideal for heavy batters such as bread, mashed root veggies, and candy mix.
- Speed 4 is best suited when adding egg whites to a heavy batter mix.
- Speed 8-10 works fine for whisking eggs as well as heavy creams.
- Speed 6 is best for creaming butter and beating frostings.
Note: Never start mixing on speed 10, especially heavy doughs. It could be quite damaging.
Solution #3. Use the Right Attachments
KitchenAid mixers come with an assigned whisk and hooks. It is best to use the rightly assigned hook or other attachments.
If there is a need for a different hook, ensure that it is compatible with the mixers and it is well-connected.
Also using the right attachment for the right mix is also important. The KitchenAid mixer comes with 4 attachments;
- Paddle; multipurpose for mixing cake batters and other common batters
- Wire Whip; Used for beating eggwhite and heavy cream
- Dough Hook; Used for mixing pizza dough, pasta and coffee cakes
- Scraper; A multipurpose beater used for scraping the edge of the bowl, perfect for sticky foods.
Solution #4. Ensure To Use The Right Power Outlet
The power that comes into your mixer is of paramount importance, hence caution must be exercised when it comes to selecting the right power outlet for your mixers.
A good power outlet to use with your mixer is a GFCI outlet.
Aside from the right power outlet, avoid using your mixer when there are unstable currents.
A low current is damaging as well as a high current.
Solution #5. Service Your Mixer Frequently
As with every electronic appliance, service and maintenance are good way to reduce overheating issues.
Some of the causes of overheating are internal or may arise from prolonged use of the machine over a period of years.
Certainly, some of the components are bound to be defective or dust gets into the machine.
Taking your mixer to be serviced by the approved maintenance service providers for KitchenAid mixers is the best way for stopping overheating in the machine.
In situations where the mixer is recently bought, and the overheating persists despite following the necessary preventive measures.
Then the use of warranty should be employed.
Note: Avoid trying to fix your mixer yourself as any changes in the mixer makes the warranty null.
Finally,
Your mixer is an integral part of your kitchen and as such should be monitored to prevent your KitchenAid mixer overheating from and leaving lasting damage to the mixer.
Ensure to purchase quality KitchenAid mixers and read the instructional manual before operating them.
This will give a deeper knowledge of the acceptable terms and will reduce overheating generally so long as you follow the rules.