The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

anyone had this happen to their bosch compact?

pcake's picture
pcake

anyone had this happen to their bosch compact?

after taking a break from baking, i couldn't wait to get back to it.  i whipped out my trusty bosch compact, and while mixing, there was a horrible and unfamiliar smell.  i threw out the dough, figuring something was amiss that i had missed.  but then i noticed - the smell was coming from the mixer as it mixed.  it wasn't a burning smell, but a rancid smell.  i'm guessing the grease went bad after non-use, but i've never smelled that from old mixers put back in service before.

we threw out the mixer because it was out of warranty and it stank.

 

anyone else ever experience this?

troglodyte's picture
troglodyte

The next time something like that fails and you are ready to throw it away, unplug it, get out your screwdrivers and other tools, and take it apart slowly and carefully. You have nothing to lose and and much to gain. The worst case is that you throw it away in pieces. With time and enough broken things, you can learn how to disassemble almost anything, learn how stuff is put together, and maybe fix a few things along the way.  :-)

It is my belief that the major obstacle for most people is lack of confidence. Remember that you have nothing to lose. Just close your eyes and imagine you are MacGuyver. 

This is a bread making website and not a fix-it-yourself website, but there are lots of resources on the internet to show you how to take apart and fix stuff. 

 

plevee's picture
plevee

You ought to have contacted Bosch on their customer service line. They are usually very helpful. I've had my baby Bosch for over 10 years. I only use it for doughs that need to be intensively mixed but it is a great little machine and has never let me down.

 

Camarie's picture
Camarie

Have you thought about getting the Nutrimill Arttiste mixer? It's slightly larger & sits between the Bosch Univeral & the Bosch Compact. It has a robust 650-watt motor & the strong plastic work bowl that holds 6.5 qts. It can make up to 10lbs of dough!! I've never had any trouble with it! I still have yet to make that much dough with it, but it is comforting to know that it can!!
pcake's picture
pcake

i'm torn between getting the compact and the artiste, actually.  they both fall within my budget, and i was interested in the artiste since you got it.  and i guess it's still going strong for you, so that's a good thing.

pcake's picture
pcake

it turned out my husband didn't throw out the mixer - it's in the garage.  i called the mixer department at bosch, and the rep offered me contact info for repair people.  the woman i spoke to said she'd never heard of this happening for any of their mixers.

Camarie, i told her how you recommend the artiste, and she told me to thank you very much.  she and her husband have an artiste, and she says they like it a lot.

barryvabeach's picture
barryvabeach

it turned out my husband didn't throw out the mixer - it's in the garage.  i called the mixer department at bosch, and the rep offered me contact info for repair people.  the woman i spoke to said she'd never heard of this happening for any of their mixers.

I have never heard of this either -  if it is a very funky smell, it is possible that when mixing, some food substance got lodged in the machine and has gone bad?

 

idaveindy's picture
idaveindy

to throw things away.

[Raises hand.]

clazar123's picture
clazar123

I don't know if it is possible but did a critter get inside somewhere and die?  Gross to think about but food safe grease doesn't go smelly like that.

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

😝

idaveindy's picture
idaveindy

Me three.

Camarie's picture
Camarie

Actually, the grease or oil in a mixer is supposed to be sealed up in a transmission casing so that it stays there, never ending up coming in contact with the food that you are proscessing in the machine!! With the Bosch Compact, Bosch Uninversal & the Nutrimill Artiste mixers, that is not supposed to happen.

I've heard of grease or oil dripping from the motor head & into the bowl. One of the reasons why I stopped trusting a KA mixer. With the Bosch Universal & the Nurtimill Artiste mixers, the inner workings & machinery are UNDER the bowl in the base with the motor. Not sure about the Bosch Compact. I had thought about getting this mixer, but when the Nutrimill Artiste came out, I had changed my mind & decided to try that one instead. I found it to be a great dough maker!! The only drawback is that you MUST remove the drive shaft before washing the bowl.

pcake's picture
pcake

is the drive shaft easy to remove and replace?

Camarie's picture
Camarie

Yes it is.

pcake's picture
pcake

we have no bugs here, and our condo complex had every condo checked for rodents - they didn't find any, and i've never seen a hint of any rodents like poop, something knawed on or small hairs.  no mysterious squeaking at night, either.

also it didn't smell like a dead animal, it smelled like horrible rotten food.  i'm a vegetarian, and nothing with meat ingredients goes in my stuff, and while soybeans smell horrendous when they go bad, this didn't smell like that.

it's a mystery.  maybe my husband will take it apart and see what's what since he put it in the garage.

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

Maybe there was a dirty sour dish towel or something similar draped over the machine by accident and the smell transferred to the paint and or plastic parts.  The cloth long gone into the wash or trash.

pcake's picture
pcake

it's a good thought, but the compact has been sitting uncovered on my baking cart for a year.  nothing else on the cart or in the kitchen or dining room smells.  my kitchenaid also doesn't smell.

a repairman who works on bosch said he hasn't heard of this, either.

it may be destined to remain a great mystery of life...

troglodyte's picture
troglodyte

If your husband takes it apart, he may want to think about taking take photos at each step. If he cleans up the problem inside, he may want to refer to the photos as he reassembles it.

You might be able to help him (and learn) by watching as he takes it apart. You can help keep track of screws and parts to remember where they came from, and/or taking the photos as he works.

Plenty of good lighting makes a big difference for this kind of work, too. Good luck!

pcake's picture
pcake

my husband is a manufacturing engineer and hobbyist maker.  i'm sure he can take it apart and reassemble it without a problem on his workbench.  i'm concerned since the head is over the bowl about how thoroughly we could clean it since there is a mystery substance inside...  i know kitchenaids sometimes drip oil into the bowl if they're not run for a time.  whatever is happening in the compact, i'm VERY sure i don't want it in your food.

if it was a protein that sprayed up into the head - say milk or eggs - the tiny amount would be totally dry by now (i haven't used it in a year), probably desiccated with no smell, and the amount of stink coming out of the mixer is huge.

troglodyte's picture
troglodyte

Your husband sounds like the right person to help you find out the root cause of the odor. Let us know what you learn. 

VickiePNW's picture
VickiePNW

Flour might have gotten into the mixer innards and a moth might have laid eggs. I've had stuff infested with larvae and there is a rotten stink. It's amazing what they can get into. I'm with the others who say take it apart. And, if you do, let us know what you find.

pcake's picture
pcake

ewwwww!  what a lovely thought.

i'll ask him to take it apart this weekend with progress pics and will post them and let you all know what we fine.

Camarie's picture
Camarie

At this point, I'm nor sure if I want to know, since someone said it was bad.