When a Stand Mixer Has That Burning Smell

[BakerAunt]

As I was mixing up dough for three loaves of my Whole Wheat Oat Bran Buttermilk Bread, I detected a smell I associate with electrical burning when a motor strains. My 7-qt. Cuisinart stand mixer has a heavy motor, and I always assumed that it could handle a heavier dough, but it may be that my twelve-year-old stand mixer is showing its age. I plan to continue using it, although I may use a lower speed for kneading in the future. Cuisinart only made stand mixer for a short period, when Kitchen Aid had dropped the ball, but KA came roaring back, and Cuisinart got out of the stand mixer business, so I doubt that it could be repaired once it goes.

I have told my husband that if it bites the dust, I will be shopping for an Ankarsrum mixer. I use my mixer a lot, and I do a lot of wholegrain doughs. I also try to bake at least two and sometimes three loaves at a time.

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[chocomouse]

This is not good news BakerAunt! Although, if I needed to buy a new stand mixer, I would be purchasing an Ankersrum. I had a Cuisinart stand mixer years ago, but after it died, I did not buy another, and I still do not have a stand mixer. I use a hand-held GE portable that is about 40 years old for cookies, etc., and a bread machine for mixing and kneading bread dough.

[BakerAunt]

I do have a Cuisinart hand mixer that I bought about 14 years ago. When it malfunctioned before the two-year warranty period expired, Williams Sonoma, where I bought it online, was able to give me a copy of the receipt. The malfunction was that one of the beaters would not stay in the mixer. I had to pay postage to send it to Cuisinart, and I think $20, but they replaced the hand mixer, and I have had no problems with it. However, I do not even try to use its bread dough kneading beaters, as I think that was the problem, even with a lighter dough. I still have my older Kitchen Aid hand mixer, which is not as powerful, in case I need back up on cookies and cake mixing.

I do like my Zo bread machine that I bought at a moving sale, and I have an older back-up bread machine that does not handle quite as much dough but that is lighter and so easy to cart to family reunions for baking sweet rolls. I use the Zo for rolls and single loaves, as it has always done a better job on small amounts of dough than the stand mixer.

When I bake my crispbread recipe, I only use the stand mixer to combine it. I knead the dough by hand for ten minutes. In the stand mixer, it just sticks to the bottom and the spiral makes a hole, and it was not good for me or the mixer to have to turn the mixer off and move it around. It is too heavy for the bread machine.

I've begun researching the Ankarsum, and I began with this review by Serious Eats:

https://www.seriouseats.com/ankarsrum-stand-mixer-review-7099243

[RiversideLen]

BA, I'm willing to bet that your mixer can be repaired. It's either a motor or gears replacement. Those things are probably available online. The problem may be finding someone to do it.

[Mike Nolan]

Haven't actually used it, but I've seen several positive references:

https://www.mrmixer.store/

[skeptic7]

I hope you are able to fix your mixer or send it somewhere to be fixed. I once took an old Kitchen Aid mixer apart but it was always sort of misaligned when I put it back together. It did work for a couple years after that. I've always admired the Ankarsum mixer but it was out of my budget.

[aaronatthedoublef]

BA - I have an old KA from before they were acquired by Whirlpool. It smells like burning plastic whenever I use it which is why Kate bought me a new one (the "new one" is about 17 years old). But it still works. It just stinks.

The burning smell started mixing a stiff bread dough at a higher speed. I suspect it would have been okay had I just used a low speed. But that is one of the reasons I started making bread dough by hand. With KAs, anything smaller than an eight quart seems to be too small for all but the smallest recipes and the dough runs up over the hook even if the motor is okay.

[BakerAunt]

Thanks for the suggestions. The place Mike mentions seems to work exclusively on Kitchen Aid, although I will check. I'm not sure it will be possible to source parts for a mixer that has not been made for over ten years. A lot would also depend on the cost and whether it would be more cost effective just to go with a new mixer.

I agree with Aaron that I should have used a lower speed on the heavier dough. I will probably stick to doughs that are not quite as dense for my next few breads and see how it goes. I thought that the mixer would stop if overtaxed, but that did not happen.

[Mike Nolan]

I've always figured if our 50 year old Hobart-built KA 4.5 quart mixer ever dies (it keeps making grinding/clunking noises) and is judged unrepairable, I'd probably buy another 4.5 quart KA for egg whites, batters and the pasta attachments and something like the Ankarsrum for bread. Where I'd put both of them is a separate issue, might require a counter reorg that I've been putting off for too long anyway

If I got serious about setting up a subscription bread service, I might want a mixer capable of doing 10-12 pounds of bread dough at a time, and that might be something other than the Ankarsrum.

[BakerAunt]

I used my stand mixer twice today. The first time I mixed up dough for my crackers. The second time, I mixed and kneaded dough for two loaves of cinnamon swirl bread. I'm not sure, but I think the mixer sounds a little different, but it did fine with both projects and did not overheat. I am hoping that it has plenty of dough mixing in its future, although I will be cautious about heavy doughs, particularly large amounts of heavy dough.

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