PSA: This Common Baking Ingredient Can Shorten Your Mixer's Lifespan

Besides being a kitchen workhorse, a stand mixer somehow seems to connote achieving true adulthood. I remember this clearly from its perennial place on wedding registries. No matter which top stand mixer is your dreamy kitchen centerpiece of choice, there is a certain stature to a kitchen that is anchored by a stand mixer. And, once you've acquired this coveted tool, you want to make sure that it works well for years to come. Ironically, one of the major ingredients that lands in any stand mixer is the one that can contribute to a protracted length of use, and that culprit is flour.

Obviously, you can't avoid using flour in your mixer. From batters to doughs, flour is one of the biggies that a stand mixer helps you incorporate. Part of the beauty of a stand mixer is the ease with which you can develop flour's gluten structure for airy, light, and consistently distributed results. But what you can do is make sure not to overload your mixer with more volume than the mixer can handle. Not only can this overburden the machine, but it could also cause flour to get into your machine's internal workings, shortening its lifespan. 

In addition to keeping the size of your batches in line with the capacity of your mixer, it is also helpful to be thoughtful about how you utilize the settings on your machine. A quality stand mixer should last at least a decade, but you can likely double that with thoughtful use. For example, only set the mixer at the speed necessary for your recipe and don't run it for too long without letting it cool down.

It is also helpful to store your mixer upright to keep the internal parts intact and greased. It goes without saying that you must clean the bowl and your attachments after each and every use, but it also helps extend the life of your mixer to clean the base at least after every three uses. The same flour that can clog up the works of the moving mechanisms of your mixer can also become entrenched in the stand. By cleaning it regularly, you are setting yourself up for a long love affair with your kitchen's showpiece.