June 7, 2007 - 10:15am
Trouble removing bowl from KitchenAid after kneading
This keeps happening to me, but nobody else has mentioned it. I haven't mentioned it, either, so that doesn't mean much. And it happened again last night.
I have a KitchenAid Classic, 4.5 quart bowl.
When I finished kneading some bread dough, I had trouble removing the bowl. The kneading action tightens the bowl, and I spent ten minutes trying to remove it. I even wrote myself a note before I began this time about which way to turn the bowl to get it off later.
Does anyone else have this problem? Do you think buttering the bottom might help? I don't believe I'm doing anything extraordinary, like kneading at too high a speed or putting too much in the bowl.
Rosalie
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Rosalie, I have a 5 qt KitchenAid so I don't know your mixer that well. However, it seems rather odd. Have you asked about it at the Kitchen Aid Forum? Here's their website and they're pretty helpful. They'll contact you personally if they think you have a warranty issue. Or they did with me.
http://forum.kitchenaid.com/forums/default.asp
I found the answer to my question on the KitchenAid forum. Thanks, Squid. kitchenaidkelly01 said, "The bowl can be loosened from the base plate by several sharp slaps on the sides of the bowl, using the flat palm of the hands in a rotating motion. If you still have difficulty loosening the bowl from the base plate, try putting a small amount of vegetable oil on a cotton ball and lubricating the base."
I printed this out for reference.
I'd still appreciate hearing from anyone else who has dealt with this problem.
Rosalie
instead of violence. Don't go slapping anybody. Be calm. Negotiate with your bowl. :)
Seriously, this happens to many of us (until we break down and buy an Electrolux Assistent) ahem. So, when it happened to me, I inserted a long handled, thick spoon in the handle and was able to gently unstick the bowl, no matter how hard it had torqued itself.
You're welcome. Glad you found an answer to your question.
For the record, I have the same problem with my KA, and I do what they recommend--whack it a few times in the direction of loose. It's a pain, but I'm used to it now.
Katie in SC
The same thing kept happening to me. I just remember to always clean the base and give it a sprits of nonstick spray every once in awhile, it's the buildup of flour that sucks away the lubrication and allows the bowl to jam.
Yes, this happens so often that I thought it was normal! i got used to giving the bowl and jerk to the left. This now sounds somewhat heavy-handed but my beloved KA has been used several times daily for 5 years without ever complaining (the poor little thing !!)
I have two mixers, one in Florida and one in Illinois. I have to spray the one in FL with PAM. However, the bowl in IL has a handle and a sharp wrap on the handle is all it takes. I think I will buy another bowl with a handle.
George
Absolutely, the handle provides extra leverage when whacking the bowl. =)
Katie in SC
Well, it does sometimes. I know which way to turn it (anti-clockwise) but simply haven't the strength when it's really stuck. doesn't happen often but I have little strength in my hands and arms. My husband calls me a feek and weeble woman.
He delights in being able to show his manly muscle in loosening it and saying that it was simple.
Bah!
The bowl that stuck the other night has a handle. It was not terribly helpful. I think I'll plan on oiling the base when I'm going to be kneading.
Rosalie
Like some of the other posts here, I have *always* had a problem removing the mixing bowl after kneading bread in my standard Kitchen Aid mixer (which I absolutely love, by the way). Again, like some other posts, I've found that whacking the handle sharply a few times does the trick.
I also remember that the first time I tried whacking the handle, I couldn't get the darn thing to budge. Eventually, I realized that I was hitting it in the wrong direction, and was only making the bowl harder to remove!
I do like the suggestion to oil the base. I'll have to try that the next time.
Gibbeon
Troutdale, Oregon
LOL, Gibbeon! I've done the same thing, whacked it in the wrong direction, making matters worse. It was my inner dizzy coming out. =)
Katie in SC
My bowl sticks all the time, too, and I always forget which way to turn it - I never thought to oil the base but I'm certainly going to try that next time! Thanks for bringing it up!
Kate
Just remember: Righty tighty, Lefty loosey. JP
It is a blessing or a curse ( of KA ) to see other's with the same problem.
I would take a sharpie and draw an arrow as to which way to go to losen it LOL.
Never thought of oiling it.
Finally broke down and bought a 6 qt Pro Model - WITH lift bowl.
Now its alot easier to remove - only problem is some bread doughs climb up into top of dough hook. So have to pay alittle more attention to it as it nears the end of mix time.
Slide__Out
On the "Which way to turn" question - I figured it out. Just like screws.
Righty tighty, Lefty loosey.
Rosalie
In addition to spraying WD40 around the base of the stuck bowl, I also added several cups of boiling water to the bowl. The heat helped the WD40 to penetrate the little accumulation of gunk which was in the spot where the bowl rests, and it loosened much more easily after that.