My stand mixer nearly caught fire while I was making cookie dough last night

I pushed it a bit too hard on a thick batch of sugar cookie dough and the motor started smoking, so I yanked the plug and finished mixing by hand, has anyone else had their mixer overheat like that with stiff dough?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_olivia1mo ago

You said "I pushed it a bit too hard on a thick batch" and honestly that's probably the real issue right there. Most people don't realize those mixers have a duty cycle like a vacuum cleaner. They're not meant to run on high speed for more than a few minutes at a time with stiff dough. I killed an old KitchenAid that way once making bagels. The heat builds up inside the motor housing and melts the plastic gears or burns out the windings. I'd check your owner's manual if you still have it, most brands actually tell you to let the mixer rest for 30 minutes after heavy use.

olivia_murphy1mo ago

100% agree, duty cycles are real.