There's a very good reason our KitchenAid mixer is wearing a skirt.
Get this: We even turned it on and let it run with the skirt still hanging over the top of the bowl. It's a simple tip we picked up recently while making some cookies, and we can't wait to try it over and over again with other dishes.
See, we were making Dorie Greenspan's World Peace chocolate cookies (which we read about in this post from Faith and highly recommend), and the instructions called for draping a kitchen towel over the mixing bowl after adding the flour and cocoa powder before starting the mixer.
How many times have you started a mixer after adding flour and been met with a big cloud of flour dust? It's even worse with cocoa. But with these cookies, we dumped in the flour mixture, draped over the towel, and then pulsed the mixer a few times, until the flour and cocoa were incorporated enough that there would be no mess when we went full speed ahead.
We were worried that the towel would get in the way or fall into the bowl, but neither happened. The mixer blade rotated smoothly, and the towel stayed put. In fact, we were making mashed potatoes in our mixer the next day, and as we poured in some warm half and half and got splatters all over the countertop, we though, "Why didn't we put a kitchen towel over the bowl first?!"
Anyone else use this trick?
Related: Tip: Store Your Standing Mixer Attachments in the Bowl
(Image: Elizabeth Passarella)
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My kitchenaid came with a two-part plastic splatter guard that I assemble around the lip of the bowl after lowering the arm. That catches 90% of the splashes and dust, especially if I remember to start on "stir" to incorporate before I turn the speed up.
I just run the mixer on the lowest setting until the dry ingredients are mostly incorporated with the wet, then ratchet up the speed one setting at a time. I find this avoids the cloud effect almost all the time. In fact, I was making a chocolate cake last night with cocoa powder, and used it then, to great effect!
I use the plastic splatter guard...and a kitchen towel. I drape the towel over the machine and it hangs over the bowl, as opposed to right over the bowl.
Nice. I've always got a mess of splatters whenever I use my KitchenAid. I also start on the lowest setting, while this helps, the problem with splatters still exists. Don't know why I never thought of it. Can't wait to try it out! Thanks!
I use the especially when I am making either icing or whipped cream.
I don't have a KitchenAid or standing mixer--I use a hand mixer for all my baking and freqently have messy flour showers or batter splatters. Not sure the towel technique would work so well with a more erratically moving hand mixer...any tips or suggestions?
I also sometimes have this problem when I use an immersion blender to puree soups--sometimes I try to use a "shield" of aluminum foil, with varying degrees of success... I think I'm just a messy cook...
Great idea. I have my baking day scheduled for next Monday and I'll be sure and put this tip to use. Thanks!
I too think the plastic spatter guard that comes with the mixer is enough. Is it so messy that just wiping it up with said towel is too much effort?
Shopping tip:
Kitchenaid currently has a 20% rebate on attachment purchases for their stand mixers, good on purchases through December 31, makes that $180 pasta attachment $135 after rebate. I found the notice and form on the Williams Sonoma website.
I've been doing this for a while - it makes adding 3 lbs of 10x sugar to my buttercream recipe a really speedy process. I don't know if it really makes a difference, but I use a large damp towel can completely cover my mixer, rather than just the bowl. It seems less likely to get caught up in the paddle that way.
I have also discovered that if I add the dry ingredients in a little at a time (say, half a cup) and put it on the lowest speed, it doesn't go anywhere.
This sounds like a great idea.
Side note: is anybody else completely distracted because the towel appears to say "ass cloth" upside-down?
I know this may sound strange but I go to toy section of the pet store, find the flexible frisbees for dogs (nylon with a flexible metal rim) cut one side with wire cutter, burn the nylon fringy stuff with a match and pop that over the mixing bowl. Doesn't get caught in the paddle mechnism, but can be put in the dishwasher top rack to come out squeaky clean.
You tell me this now, just *after* I baked a slew of cookies? Sheesh.
@brittanykate: ha ha! I see it now!
Just to clarify that I don't own R-rated kitchen towels... It says "Glass Cloth." :) Whoops.
Oh yeah I've been doing this for years. I personally hate the pour shield. It just irritates me.
I work in a restaurant kitchen and always use plastic wrap around the KitchenAid. I attach it to the top of the mixer and wrap it around the bowl. It doesn't get in the way of the rotating paddle or whip, and it is easy to add ingredients or change speeds. The other benefit is you can see through the plastic wrap, especially good when whipping a quart of heavy cream for whipped cream, etc.
I just put the thing on slow until it's mixed enough that it doesn't make a mess, or add dry ingredients in batches. Never had a problem, and I'm just not the type to use a towel for this.
I have never used the splatter guard that came with my mixer...I always use a towel if I feel there is going to be a mess, but I drape the towel over the entire mixer, not just the bowl.
i have always used waxed paper for this purpose. tear off a large enough piece to cover bowl, poke the part of the beaters that attach to mixer through the paper, attach beaters and voila, mo mess. learned this from my mom, more than 50 years ago. no goopy towel to wash.