One of the most indispensable tools in my kitchen is my KitchenAid stand mixer. It makes so many jobs much quicker and easier, including making fresh whipped cream, mixing up cookie dough, and even shredding chicken!
But a while back, I noticed that my bowl-lift mixer wasn’t mixing everything together as effectively as it once did. My daughter Britta ended up finding the unexpectedly simple solution to my problem online, and it worked like a charm!
I’ll be telling you all about this simple fix in today’s post. Because our stand mixers are far too vital to us to be hindered by a totally fixable issue! :-)
Related: 9 Brilliant Hacks That Will Make You Love Your Stand Mixer Even More
The Problem: The Beater Sits Too High (Or Too Low) In Your Stand Mixer
The issue I was facing with my stand mixer is actually pretty common. Every time I mixed something, I would find a small patch of unmixed ingredients at the bottom of the bowl.
As I soon discovered, this issue indicated that the beater in my stand mixer was sitting too high. But the opposite problem can occur just as easily, where the beater sits too low in the bowl, causing scratches or chips on the bowl and/or beater.
The Solution: Adjust The Height Of The Beater
These may sound like serious problems, but luckily for us, they are actually surprisingly easy to fix! All you have to do is adjust the height of the beater by following the simple steps below! :-)
I’ve included adjustment directions for both tilt-head and bowl-lift models, since they are slightly different.
Does Your Stand Mixer Pass The “Dime Test”?
To determine if your stand mixer’s beater has the right amount of clearance, KitchenAid recommends doing the following “dime test”:
- Place a dime in the bottom of your mixer’s bowl. (Place it in the lowest point of the bowl off to one side, rather than on the bump in the center.)
- Attach the flat beater, then turn your mixer on to level 5 on the speed selector.
- When the beater is at the ideal height, the dime will move 1/4” to 1/2” around the bowl with each pass of the beater.
- If the dime moves further than that, the beater is sitting too low and needs to be raised.
- If the dime doesn’t move at all, the beater is sitting too high and needs to be lowered.
How To Adjust The Beater Height On Your KitchenAid Stand Mixer
For Tilt-Head Mixers
Unplug your mixer and remove any attachments from it. Tilt the head back and look for a screw at the hinge where the top and body of the mixer meet.
Use a flat-head screwdriver to turn this screw a quarter-turn at a time to adjust the beater height. Turn it clockwise to lower the beater, and counterclockwise to raise it and create more space.
After each quarter turn adjustment, perform the dime test (see above) to check the new height. Readjust as needed.
For Bowl-Lift Mixers
Unplug your mixer and remove any attachments. Spread a towel out on your counter and gently lay the mixer down on its back.
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Look for a screw where the top and body of the mixer meet. Use a flat-head screwdriver to turn it a quarter-turn clockwise to lower the beater, or a quarter-turn counterclockwise to raise it and create more space.
After adjusting, perform the dime test (see above) to check the height, and re-adjust as needed.
But What About The Sides Of The Bowl?
Perhaps your stand mixer’s beater is at just the right height, but you notice that it leaves unmixed ingredients on the sides of the bowl. If that’s the case, I highly recommend investing in a flex edge beater!
This beater attachment has a silicone scraper on one end that scrapes down the sides of the bowl as it mixes, making it a must-have accessory! Check out the flex edge beater for tilt-head models, or the version for bowl-lift models here.
Do you use a stand mixer at home?
I LOVE this fix because I noticed the same problem years ago. However, the screw on mine won’t budge either way (it’s 36 years old) I’ll see if dh can do something. Thank you, Jillee!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks so much for all the tips you provide in your post. I never fail to find something or more often many things, I didn’t know about or had forgotten about (in my 76 years of trolling articles to improve my homemaking skills). You rock, Jillee!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I bought a beautiful stand mixer last year (not a KA, couldn’t afford it!), and I LOVE it! However, when I was reading reviews for many different brands, to help me decide, I noticed many complaints about “tiny pieces of something that appeared to be metal” in the owner’s frostings, potatoes, etc. I would be willing to bet that many of these complaints could have been alleviated by raising the paddle! I’ll bet this was tiny metal shavings! I would also bet (If I were a betting woman!) that this is the reason they began putting the rubber scraper on paddles? Well, I feel like Captain Obvious!! LOL!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.it is great but my mixer does not have that item. there is no way to raise or lower and I have had it for 30 years so I guess it is just too old. Jillee I just love your posts.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you! I never knew about this adjustment feature. You are the greatest!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I purchased a 600 Professional bowl lift last year. It did not pass the dime test. The screw would not budge clockwise to lower, so hubby turned the screw counter clockwise until it passed the test. Just an FYI…..
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you! You just saved my marriage! Whew! My husband gave me the same one you show in the pictures a year ago and I put my beloved 25 year old basic white KitchenAid away for posterity. But I have hated the results I have had with the new one. I could tell he felt that I didn’t like it. I followed your steps and life is new and fresh once again! Jillee, you’re a life-saver.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi Helen,
Thanks for sharing your story. I’m so happy that this worked and everyone is happier now! :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you for this — mine leaves unmixed on the side so I have been carefully sliding my silicone scraper in to push the unmixed in and sometimes have to stop the mixer to give the batter a good mix and then turn on again………….I am going to enjoy my lift mixer so much more now…..
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi,
Please log in or create a free account to comment.For KA owners in the British Isles what coin should we use that is equivolent to the dime’s size, could it be the 5 pence piece?
Thanks Jillee, for this, much simpler explanation
Yes, a 5 pence piece should work.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I just found out about this adjustment yesterday when my new beater arrived for my KA Ultra mixer that was my mom’s. The white coated beater that came with it chipped on the bottom so I replaced it with a stainless steel one. It’s heavier so should handle cookie & bread dough better.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My KA stand mixer is 30 years old! We’ve moved 7 times in that 30 years and it still works like a charm. I’ve never had to adjust it all & I still use it 3-4 times a week!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Check you books for the adjustment info. my book shows how to adjust the bowl lift. I’ve had a 6 qt for over 10 years and haven’t had a problem so haven’t adjusted it. I had a 5 qt previous to that for over 10 years and it never needed it either. It just wasn’t big enough. My first 30 plus years of marriage I only had a hand mixer for all my baking! What a blessing the KAs are.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You are awesome! I had no idea!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have had my bowl lift mixer for probably 25 years and use it regularly ~ now I know how to adjust it myself!!!!
Thank you Jillee ~ I look forward to you posts every single day!!!!
Even my hubby will say “Maybe you could check with Jillee and see what she says about it.” Lol
Thank you, Alba! I was also excited when my daughter and I figured this out.
I am so happy that you enjoy my website and tips. We are here to make people’s lives easier with solutions to everyday homekeeping, beauty routines, recipes, natural products and more. Oh, and by the way, your husband is a smart guy! :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great reminder! I did this a few years ago and I feel like it needs it again. My husband talked me into this mixer 40 years ago (it’s avocado green!) and I’m still loving it.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My hubby bought me a tilt KitchenAid mixer but my problem is not knowing how to utilize it to its fullest. I’m not much of a baker but I love to cook. Any good ideas on how else to use it other than batter for cakes and cookies?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Diane, the whisk attachment is great for making whipped cream or turning egg whites into meringue. I also use it mix my meatloaf mixture. It makes a nicer texture.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Putting cooked, boneless chicken in and turning it on will shred it easily instead of using a fork. Same for pork or any other meat.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Mashed Potatoes!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My K5SS is about 30 years old. I do not have an adjustment screw, but in rarely is there unmixed batter. Also, KitchenAid does not offer the scraper beater for my 5 quart lift bowl. I have been looking since they introduced this. I love my mixer and my husband got big points for the surprise!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This is the most concise and clear explanation of how to adjust a Kitchen Aid I have ever read! Thank you!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Are you kidding me? I have had my mixer for about 20 years and it has NEVER mixed everything in the bottom. I couldn’t figure out what all the fuss was about these mixers. A lot of money and I’d still have to hand mix. After reading your article I had a head slap moment. Racing for a dime and screw driver right now! Thank you!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Tammy! I feel like you really left us hangin’ in suspense! How did it go? Do you still have a working mixer or a big bowl with a racetrack in the bottom of it?? lol
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have an older model KSA90AC that does not have the screw. Do you know if this model can be adjusted?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for this. Needed it!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We do have a stand mixer at home. My sister actually recently gave my mom the attachment your showing for Christmas. We like it. One of the main problems is when I make a recipe with a heavy dough the mixer started to rock because it was too heavy for it to handle. It started doing it near the end of the recipe. This has been my only issue since getting the attachment.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great to know! I feel like my mixer was accurate when first purchased but over the years has slipped and I wasn’t quite sure what to do about it. Thanks for the tip!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My husband bought me a stand mixer years ago before I even knew I needed one. Counter space was a major issue then (especially until we bought an over-the-stove microwave) but it’s been well worth the space it occupies, especially now with my pasta and juicer attachments. I learned about the beater-height adjustment early on (although I hadn’t heard of the dime-test), but I also noticed that the beater/whisk and dough hook require different heights which to me seems like a design flaw. As I recall the hook needs to be 1 1/4(?) turns higher to not scrape the bottom, but for me it’s been largely a moot point as I’ve mixed all but the wettest doughs by hand anyway. I’ve also heard of the flex-edge design for the beater but haven’t gotten around to investing in one. You’d think this would be a simple matter of snapping an attachment onto the regular beater, rather than buying a whole new whisk attachment. I guess there’s a reason why this wouldn’t work(?)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great suggestion. I rarely use my standing mixer anymore, no kids at home, so I rarely bake, plus my husband has been GF for over ten years.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.When I used to serve whipped potatoes, I would just raise the mixer head, use the plastic or rubber spatula to scrape the bottom of the bowl so that the mixture could be beaten some more and become the consistency that I wanted. Sometimes I would add some 1/2 & 1/2, sometimes sour cream, and I would always add minced onions.
Now that I am in my 80s I purchase the already mashed potatoes by Bob Evans, or I used the powdered potatoes, but I do not use water as they suggest, I use milk mixed sometimes with some half and half.