This machine (1997 K45SS) was in excellent overall condition, requiring only routine maintenance. Unfortunately, the head lock lever was bent in transit (the mixer tipped over and landed on it), but that was easily resolved with a replacement latch mechanism while the lower gear case cover was off. The owner had retrofitted the mixer with… more →The Cake Machine
There’s a popular claim that modern KitchenAid mixers are specifically inferior to vintage ones because their “gears are made of plastic” (or a similarly phrased complaint). This is a category error, in two ways. First: all of the gears in full-sized tilt-head KitchenAid mixers, from a 60s-era K45, the 90s KSM90 “Ultra Power” or the… more →Plastic Mythology
So, in “Hard Luck Cases“, I mentioned learning a valuable lesson. When I got the mixer on the bench, I didn’t even plug it in to see if it ran. Once I saw its overall condition, with the corroded power cord, crud, and all the rest, I just started right in on disassembling it. As… more →It’s Never The Motor Brushes
“Rusty” was another Goodwill find, a Hobart-era K5SS (bowl-lift, solid state speed control, 5qt bowl). This classic needed almost as much work as I’ve ever put into a mixer. Most of the time spent was just on getting through the layers of crud so that I could disassemble it and perform the necessary service. (I… more →Hard Luck Cases
Here are some tips to help keep your bowl-lift KitchenAid mixer in dependable working order. Keep it Clean After each use, unplug the mixer. Then clean it thoroughly using only a soft damp (not wet) cloth and very light pressure. If there’s anything sticky that won’t wipe off easily, you can use a little dish… more →Care Tips for Bowl-Lift Mixers
This is about Rosie. She’s a 4C, one of the final iterations of the design before Hobart went to the now-familiar K4 silhouette and internal architecture. We got this one cheap on eBay, and it came with the glass “beehive” bowl and combo beater/whisk. (The 4C did not support a flat beater or dough hook.)… more →We Can Do It!
I don’t remember exactly how old I was when it arrived; I was just a kid. (Maybe ten or so.) Avocado green, because that’s how it was done in the 1970s. Our old Sunbeam Mixmaster had gone to the great appliance farm in the sky. We had an Oster meat grinder which made the most… more →You Never Forget Your First…
Hello. I’m a KitchenAid stand mixer repair enthusiast. That means that I think KitchenAid stand mixers are pretty awesome. I’ve been doing maintenance and repairs for friends and family for a while now, and I’ve bought a few mixers from Goodwill and eBay to help develop my skills and build a collection. (I might have… more →Hello World