Everything you need to know to remove the bowl from your KitchenAid stand mixer. Hint: it doesn’t happen with the touch of a button.
There is nothing like the feeling you get when you see your KitchenAid sitting on the counter; it is truly a thing of beauty.
The love affair might be over, however, if you don’t know how to remove your bowl from the mixer properly. It can appear stuck, and you risk spilling the entire contents all over your mixer, workstation, and kitchen.
If you own a KitchenAid, follow instructions carefully to smoothly remove the bowl from your mixer stand—and learn a little more about this amazing appliance while doing so. It can be frustrating when the bowl seems stuck, but typically it is just a matter of human error.
There is really no limit to what these multipurpose mixers can do with the right attachment. Here is what you need to know about removing the bowl from your mixer, without making a big mess or driving yourself crazy in the process.
Removing a Bowl from Your KitchenAid Mixer
Everyone has been there: you just finish making your dough and go to remove the bowl from the mixer stand. It’s stuck.
You try wiggling and prying the bowl from the stand. After all, it went on the stand, easy-peasy, but to no avail. This is especially problematic when you have a full bowl or loose batter that can spill and make a mess. Furthermore, it is simply an interruption and distraction that you don’t need when cooking or baking.
Typically, consumers have two different KitchenAid mixers in their kitchen: a tilt-head stand mixer and the bowl-lift style model. These are both equally as popular, but just with different buyers. For example, a tilt-head stand mixer style of KitchenAid is far more common among home bakers while the bowl-lift model seems better suited to larger, heavier batches, and when baking for a crowd.
Which type of KitchenAid mixer do you have?
KitchenAid Tilt-Head Stand Mixer
Every home cook yearns to have the lovely traditional KitchenAid tilt-head stand mixer in their kitchen. These are the most coveted housewarming and wedding gift, but worth the money to treat yourself anytime.
The things that you can make with these mixers never ends, and the tilting style makes it easy to change attachments or add ingredients to the mix.
This style features a bowl that locks into place. So, what about removing the bowl?
Here is what you do:
- Turn off and unplug the mixer, for safety purposes;
- Unlock the tilt-head of your mixer by pushing the locking lever on the side, hold and raise the mixer head;
- Next, remove the mixer attachment by turning it on the left side to disconnect from the pin- pull the attachment downward and out firmly;
- Use both hands to hold the mixing bowl and twist in a counterclockwise- that is to the left-direction;
- Pull the bowl free from the mixer stand base plate.
KitchenAid Bowl Lift Stand Mixer
The KitchenAid bowl-lift stand mixer is a common fixture in commercial or communal kitchens. These are designed for bigger batches and doughs, so they have a broader base and a stationary-style head.
The appliance’s bowl rests on two little arms that seem to reach from the mixer, raised and lowered by moving a lever. Ready to remove the bowl after mixing-up batter or dough?
Here is what you do:
- Like always, turn off and unplug the KitchenAid bowl lift stand mixer before proceeding;
- Lower the bowl by putting the bowl lift handle in the downward position;
- Remove the mixer attachment by pushing the shaft to detach it from the attachment. It will unhook the locking mechanism when you turn it to the left;
- Hold the bowl firmly with one hand on the front lip of the bowl and use the other hand to press on the bowl lift handle. Lift the bowl handle up and off the locking pins to release the bowl;
- Pull the bowl towards you to release from the base of your mixer.
Dos and Don’ts for your KitchenAid Mixer
Is your bowl stuck?
Every so often, the bowl simply does not want to cooperate, especially after mixing heavier mixes and doughs, like bread dough, for instance. Here are some dos and don’ts when removing the bowl from your mixer:
Do Try a Towel
If the bowl won’t budge, dampen a kitchen towel with warm water and wrap it around the base of the bowl. Make sure that your mixer is unplugged.
Hold it for a few minutes and try wiggling the bowl free. The heat from the warm wrap may help the metal expand and loosen.
Do Lube It Up
Dab a bit of mineral oil to the part of your bowl that secures to the base plate on the mixer stand. Just a couple of drops may help lubricate the bowl and let it loosen up for removal.
Don’t Use Cooking Oil
Avoid using cooking oil to lube the bowl as it can create a messy residue that makes cleanup more difficult.
If you are unable to use something more suitable and are in a jam, you can give the bowl a light spritz of cooking oil spray to try and lubricate and loosen it.
Don’t Beat It Up
Be gentle with your bowl. Beating it up helps nobody. Don’t whack at the bowl arbitrarily; it may get knocked from the mixer stand, spilling the contents, and potentially damaging the bowl and mixer.
If all else fails, wrap the bowl in a kitchen towel for protection and gently tap on the bowl to wiggle it loose. A rubber mallet is the preferred tool for this job and the least risky in terms of damaging or denting the bowl.
Do Reach Out for Support
Try these tips but if the bowl still doesn’t move, you may want to reach out for support. Contact the KitchenAid service and support center, found online. Surely, they can help!
Use these tips to remove the bowl from your KitchenAid mixer the right way, every time. Depending on the type of mixer that you are working with, the steps vary but there are similar care instructions for both.
Don’t get frustrated and do anything that could compromise the appliance warranty, and always reach out to customer support for questions, concerns, or issues regarding your mixer.