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Kitchen Aid Mixer Madness

#1
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6/12/06 at 7:19pm
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I have a Kitchen Aid Ultra Power mixer. I have the pouring shield, which is supposed to help you keep from spraying dry ingredients all over the place when adding them to wet ingredients.

I confess I don't bake often, but today I baked some cookies and a carrot cake. In spite of the pouring shield and extra care to add the dry ingredients slowly, my counter was showered with flour.

What am I doing wrong?? Is it the steep shape of the bowl, or something I need to do differently?

(Momoreg, you had this mixer. Did you have this problem??)

Thanks!
Mezzaluna

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#2
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6/12/06 at 9:22pm
  • Joined: September 2005
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Well, what speed was the mixer going at when you were trying to add it in? If at all possible, could you stop the mixer completely and add in some of the dry ingredients in small installments just to be safe?
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#3
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6/12/06 at 9:57pm
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What I usually do is put my ingredients in, with the bowl lowered. Then, at the slowest speed slowly raise the bowl up.
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#4
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6/13/06 at 2:48am
  • Joined: September 2005
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Well, is it possible to turn it off before you add your dry? Or would the recipe "get even" with you if you tried that?

If you can't then...can you add dry with the bowl raised?

Once again, if not... how much gets dusted about your kitchen?
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#5
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6/13/06 at 3:05am
  • Joined: September 2005
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Secret is to start slow. If you jack the mixer to 10 right off the bat it will look like it snowed in your kitchen. You can take solice in the fact that we have all probaly done this a time or two. I like all the suggestions they gave you though.Good tips...

Rgds Cakerookie...aka Rook
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#6
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6/13/06 at 4:27am
  • Joined: April 2006
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ruben

i have the same problem, you say flour never mind. milk can reach the ceiling.
i must say it is a small price to pay this machine is never tired and no dough no matter how sticky will ever stop it.
i can live with that so pour in stuff slowly very slowly and be ready for clean up
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#7
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6/13/06 at 2:35pm
  • Joined: August 2000
  • Location: Wisconsin USA
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On this model the head tips up and down; the bowl stays put.
http://images.google.com/images?q=ki...&start=20&sa=N

I always start on the lowest power! I learned that as a 10-year-old with my mom's mixmaster. I always add the dry ingredients in batches.

I guess I'll be moistening the dry ingredients in the wet before turning on the machine. Any other suggestions?

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#8
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6/13/06 at 2:47pm
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A decent amount of ingredients omitted will alter the formula.
Mezz, I actually like the aligator type mixer because they give you the opportunity to lift the top and get in there with a spoon and mix a little, before lowering, and mixing. Do you think you will be able to mix the dry enough to get it started?
pan
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#9
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6/13/06 at 2:55pm
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You know Pan I was thinking maybe use the wire whip if she has one to get the mixture started then switch over to the paddle. Have not did this myself but I have sprayed flour all over my kitchen more than once! And I started on low! The type KA I have is a 5 QT Heavy Duty 325 watt and this thing will sling stuff to the ceiling! Of course my bowl drops down instead of the head raising up as Mezzalunas does.

Rgds Rook

Oh, Mezz, Pan is right about the ingredient altering part.
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#10
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6/14/06 at 5:33am
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  • Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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It may sound kinda dumb but since everyone is talking about mixer speed and the speed of which you pour the liquid ingredients, have you considered that maybe your making too big of a batch of whatever. I'll admit that I do this and still do, I bake up large batches of cookies during the Christmas season.

If this is the case, sometimes the speed of your mixer dosn't matter much but it does help to reduce the mess made. I find sometimes a wet towel around the spill guard can help.
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#11
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6/18/06 at 1:29pm
  • Joined: September 2005
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The two worst things to have to keep tabs on lest it turn into a cloud:

powdered sugar and dry milk.

*shudders* I sware, there were days I could pat my coat after I got home and STILL look like I was cleaning erasers...
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#12
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6/18/06 at 2:00pm
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Thanks for the insights, everyone. I think I'll pre-stir a bit with a spatula to moisten the dry stuff and get things going.

BTW, I'm using standard recipes- not putting too much in the bowl. I like the wet towel idea though!

I guess I'll keep it- for the time being. If I ever replace it, I'll make sure to get a bowl with a flatter bottom so the dry ingredients don't shoot up out of the bowl as severely.

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#13
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6/18/06 at 2:34pm
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I use a kitchen aid at work all the time and occassionally at home. At work I never use the pouring shield and the clean up is very easy, I tend to make a mess on the machine itself rather than every where else. At home I do. use the ppouring shield and I find flour all over as well. But I think the problem is trying to be too careful. I make more of a mess at home just measuring the flour and sifting than I do adding it to the machine. When making pie dough and the butter is ice cold I do get a fine mist of flour all over the place but that doesn't happen with a cake or cookie batter. I also work on a large flexible silpat so that makes cleanup very easy. I hope that helps you somewhat.
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#14
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6/18/06 at 4:59pm
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Yes! I feel a bit more.... normal. :D

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#15
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6/20/06 at 6:55pm
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Well Santa happen to bring one of them KA mixers a few years back. I had written him requesting a slightly less than commericial model sausage grinder called a Del-Rey (sic) from http://www.alliedkenco.com which cost about 800 bucks. Well whut do you know..the warden bumped into a slick talking salesman at Service Merchandise who managed to convince her that if she bought the KA Mixer and all the various attachements which accompanies the gizmo all would be well. I could do copious amounts of sausage whilst she used the same critter for meringue pies about twice a year on the holidays. Yeppers..you got it right. The thing is a total peece o sheet. I done gave away all the attachements of which none of them worked as intended...especially the part which allegedly makes sausage and we still got the monstrosity which I have to drag down from the top shelf of the cupboard and get a hernia so she can make pie about once a year. I would like to bump into the huckster who invented that thing. He got to rank right up with PT Barnum.

bigwheel
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#16
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7/25/06 at 6:20am
  • Joined: February 2005
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When adding flour the machine is running but at the stir speed until the flour is mixed in then i bring up the speed. I get flour on the counter cause i'm a pig
:chef:
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#17
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7/25/06 at 8:15am
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What brand mixer is it?

I had similar trouble: http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/showt...=mixer+trouble

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#18
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7/25/06 at 8:50am
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I'm still really happy with my new Hamilton Beach stand mixer (Ecletrics). I use it at least once a day and three or four each weekend day. So far, I have not needed to use the bowl's shield as the speeds start out nice and slow. Great value for the price ($160).
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#19
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7/25/06 at 9:49am
  • Joined: July 2006
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Can't you add the liquid to the dry?
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