Tale of a KitchenAid – WFMW
This weeks Works For Me Wednesday post is a little different than usual. It’s more of a “this didn’t work for me” post. Or even a “don’t let this happen to you” post. And it’s in story form. It will be fun, I promise. 🙂
If you’ve read my blog for any length of time, you know that I’m semi-obsessed with my KitchenAid. (anyone else out there with me on that?) I use it for pretty much any and all baking that I do – using it to knead bread, mix cookies, and even mash potatoes. And I attribute much of my baking success to that wonderful machine.
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| hmm…not the cleanest my house has ever been…sorry. Please try to ignore the slowly dying herbs in the background. |
Well…on Saturday I was using it to mix up some of my favorite ciabatta bread. The recipe calls for the dough to be kneaded for 7 minutes in the mixer. So I turned the mixer on, set the timer, and went downstairs to start some laundry.
I had been downstairs for 5 minutes or so when all of a sudden I heard a huge thud from upstairs! Imagine my shock and horror when I raced up the stairs to see the following:
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*re-enactment* |
Yes, my KitchenAid had kneaded itself right off the counter and onto the floor! And the amazing thing was that it was just laying on its side still kneading the bread dough! I just stared at it for a second, calmly picked it up and put it back on the counter to finish the job. The dough was fine, the mixer seemed fine, I just pretended it didn’t happen.
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beautiful loaves of ciabatta bread kneaded by the errant mixer |
It was only later that I saw (ok, Mike searched for and found) the following gouges in our wood floor.
Those mixers are heavy! Unfortunately at that point I also realized the locking switch on my KitchenAid was bent as well. My mixer may not have emerged completely unscathed, but the fact that it had only a minor bruise after a huge fall to the floor is pretty impressive. Although, I do still have the ask the question – it shouldn’t have been able to knock itself off the counter in the first place, right?
And so, my Works For Me Wednesday tip is this: Learn from my mistakes. Don’t leave your KitchenAid unattended on the counter while kneading bread!
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Welcome! I'm Megan and it's my hope that here you'll find food that has been made with love and recipes that are shared with joy. Thanks for stopping by! 
If I ever get one, I'll remember your advice! I've been wanting one for awhile, but the one I have is still working fine, so I'm waiting!
Wow! Haha that's so weird it would just fall on the floor all by itself! I've been wanting a kitchen aid for a while now. But I don't mind regular mixers too much so i'll probably just stick to that for now(:
Too funny! I heart my kitchen aide! I use mine so much I decided to name it 🙂
Oh my… hahah. When I am using it for dough mine also moves and jumps around. I do get scared that it will end up on the floor!
I have come close to this in my kitchen as well. When Imix any heavy doughs my kitchen aide begins to do dance all over the place. I am now required to stay in the presence of the kitchen aide to ensure it behaves. Other than the random dancing, I adore mine as well!
I just got a kitchenaid a few months ago and do treat it like a small child – therefore I can imagine that horror when you saw it on the ground! Glad everything's okay! 🙂
i'm obsessed with mine as well! i have a bread maker, and my kitchenaid is a hand-me-down so its OLD so i don't do heavy doughs in it. but my bread maker does the same thing and i'm always afraid it'll fall to the floor. glad yours is relatively fine! 🙂
Wow… I have had mine slightly bounce around on the counter when it's been overloaded…but never has it jumped to the floor!! Glad nothing more serious happened. I too am obsessed with my KitchenAid..it's my favorite kitchen tool!
I had something similar happen to me but I was still in the kitchen and missed it landing on my foot. UGH! So glad yours is still working as I am sure it would have been a tragedy if it broke.
Happy fall!
This cracked me up and frightened me a little! I have often been worried about something happening to my mixer…I mean what would I do?! Make cookies by hand…::gasp::!
I am glad that everything was okay though, besides the minor damages of course!
Oh and the bread looks awesome too! : )
Found you on WFMW. Sad day! Yesterday I was using mine and after I put the cake in the oven I left it with the head up and proceeded to unload the dishwasher. I opened the cabinet to put away the glasses and knocked the head down. I don't think it broke but I was afraid the heavy thud made the cake fall. It still tasted ok even if it did fall.
I love my Kitchen Aid too. I have had it move a bit on the counter when it's been kneading. Didn't know it could move itself right off the counter! I'll have to keep an eye on mine.
Oh no! I love my KA mixer, so I don't know what I would do if it was broken! I will always make sure it is pushed way back against the wall when I use it now! 🙂
Oh no! I love my KA mixer, so I don't know what I would do if it was broken! I will always make sure it is pushed way back against the wall when I use it now! 🙂
I love my Kitchen Aid. I often wonder if she'll walk off the counter like yours did, so I keep her pushed waaaay back. The fact yours kept on going proves it is a quality product. I'm just glad nobody (or no pet) was standing where it fell!
Thats so very true.This is the case with blenders too when running at high speeds.need to be more careful now after your post! 🙂
Funny. I had my own Kitchen aid kneading disaster this summer–I had thrown a bunch of ingredients in the bowl, hoping to get a loaf kneaded and ready to rise before heading to work at 9. And then I hopped in the shower, thinking it'd be done kneading by the time I got out. Instead, I stepped out of the shower into an apartment filled with smoke. The kitchen aid was off, with dark black marks all around the speed gauge suggesting an electrical fire inside. I felt the dough and it was really stiff–so it must have just been too much for the motor. And here I thought they were basically indestructible…
I too use my KitchenAid all the time, for anything I can think of. I love it so much! This has not happened to me, however, I haven't kneaded dough in it yet and mine is set back against the backsplash…maybe that would help?
I'm cracking up over here… too funny! Life, eh?
That is so unreal. I never would have thought that it could knock itself off the counter like that. I guess I'll keep my mixer as close to the wall as possible from now on.
wow! that's hilarious. I LOVED the reenactment.
I'm so glad your mixer is ok–I would be heartbroken if anything happened to mine. I'm quite attached.
wow! that's hilarious. I LOVED the reenactment.
I'm so glad your mixer is ok–I would be heartbroken if anything happened to mine. I'm quite attached.
Funny! Love my KA but I do have to keep it further back on the counter to make sure it doesn't walk off the counter while it is kneading stiffer doughs. Glad your's is still working. What would we do without them?
That's almost happened to me a few times while I was right in the room with it! I had to laugh when I read that it was still kneading the dough, lol. And I too LOVE my KA!! It's my favourite appliance.
That is totally scary considering I leave my KA unattended while it's kneading bread ALL THE TIME! I never would have guessed that it could work its way off the counter. Yikes!
LOL! what a great anecdote. The image of your pristine white kitchen aid still kneading the dough on the floor of your kitchen is hilarious. I'm still smiling!!
I have seriously thought the same thing abou my mixer!! I always set it in the very center of the counter because I feared this happening to me too!
Tough machine huh? Too bad about the floor but at least that and the bent lever was all of the damage.
I wonder how many complaints or stories KA has received about mixers jumping off of the counter? You should totally link the post to them on twitter.
Your poor kitchenaid!!! My Kitchenaid has taken a tumble too, but was inside a moving vehicle on its way home to me. The power switch is bent on mine. Still works fine. I figure the bent switch adds character 🙂
Impressive that it was still kneading, not impressive that it fell!
Oh my–reading your post just made me laugh out loud. Really. Thankfully I'm at home with only my husband as witness to my seemingly 'random' case of the laughs. I love that the dough kneading continued after the mixer fell–amazing!
oh my gosh! I can't believe that can happen–I better watch out, too crazy 🙂
hahaha! such a funny story… glad your mixer is okay. your ciabatta bread came out beautifully 🙂
Wow, thanks for the tip! I know how heavy those things can be…once the top part of one came crashing down on my collar bone while I was setting it down. Ouch! Glad your mixer and bread survived. 🙂
Ph no, at least it still works. The bread looks delicious!
My mummy has one, and she's obsessed with it too. She has it in the garage, and she uses it every other day – in the garage.
Your bread looks delicious!
Oh no! Glad your mixer survived the fall! Love the dying herbs on your table. I have a dying basil plant in my kitchen window. Hubby asked me yesterday morning…… "What is this and what's wrong with it?" LOL!
You had me laughing out loud at your *reenactment* tag, ha! I can't believe it kept going! So glad it survived the fall…KA mixers are a lot tougher than I thought! 🙂
How sad. My old kitchenaid is pretty jumpy. I dare not leave her unattended! Hope the week is getting better!
That is too funny, Megan! I can just picture it:) I, also, can picture Michael checking out the floor just as his dad would do:) I think dad finally gave up on his beloved hardwood floors when I accidently knocked over his golf clubs that he had placed so carefully by the door. I think every club left a nice little dent. I told my husband it added character to the floor…he wasn't amused.
Hahaha! Too funny! The kneading option is pretty intense once the dough thickens. I'm glad your mixer survived the fall! I think I remember reading about this on twitter…
I'm very sorry for your floor and your mixer but that's quite funny that it managed to scoot its way off the counter like that!
It's the one piece of equipment I don't own yet. I'm still a mix by hand girl but the mixer is definitely on my wish list. Glad not too much damage was done.
Plan B
I've had a similar experience with my beloved Kenwood Chef – only I managed to catch it just before it toppled off the worktop. Poor floor – but at least the Kitchen Aid survived. And that's the really important thing!
WOW – can't believe it feel like that and lived (through you to tell the story). My mixer actually has "jumped" a few times while on the counter when I throw in butter to cream with sugar that is cold. It's a scarey thing but the fact that it still works is a true testament to the quality of Kitchen Aid mixers.
I've seen my mixer jerk around a bit too. Thanks for sharing the experience. We obviously need to keep a watchful eye on them when mixing something strong like bread dough.
OMG! I am so glad it didn't break! Your poor floor though….I looove ciabatta, I need to try making your recipe!
I really think I would have passed out if this happened to me! wow
I had the EXACT same thing happen to me a few years ago! I immediately called Kitchen Aid (just as I would call the pediatric doc if my kiddo had taken a big fall!)and they told me that if I would refer to my owner's manual (who reads those?!) that it states to only knead bread for two minutes. I protested and said that my recipe said to knead for five and they told me that it didn't matter what the recipe said…in a Kitchen Aid mixer, you only need to knead for two minutes. Now I know….
I hope you don't mind me linking to this blogpost from my post about Stand Mixers! Great post! Claire @ thingswemake.co.uk
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I had the same thing happen (from kneading dough from dough for bread, changing over laundry, to still kneading, dented floor), except now, my motor is very loud. It still works. There isn’t any kitchenaid repair store in PA. Closest one is in Brooklyn, NY. I could send it back to the factory for $35 round trip, pay $25 for diagnostic, repairs could be up to $200, but not more. Do you think it’s worth it? I’ve had it for 15 years. I have 2 other counter mixers (1 kitchenaid with a smaller bowl and a sunbeam) and 1 hand mixer, but this is mixer is truly my sous chef. I use it for everything. I’m torn and need advise
I would totally use it as an excuse to buy a new one. 😉 I have never tried to get one fixed before, so I couldn’t say for sure. Good luck!
Glad yours is relatively fine!
It’s my favorite kitchen tool!
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Was using my wifes Kitchenaid last night and it suddenly danced off the kitchen bench, stand mixer damaged and tiled floor as well, shes not happy, it was only a month old, I am so so so pissed off, the mixer should have a warning label on it about it could do that instead of in a user manual that no one reads. Just my opinion, these things are not cheap.