How To Adjust The Beater Height On Your KitchenAid Stand Mixer

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! :-)

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.

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.