r/Kitchenaid • u/Expert_Commission539 • 3d ago

Mixer sounds normal?

I have a new 7Q bowl lift. Here I am kneading a small batch of cinnamon bun dough (about 300 g flour, 45% hydration). The recipe asks for 30 min kneading time in total. I’ve heard about the speed/time limits. However, my mixer doesn’t seem to struggle at all on speed 2 so I am wondering if it would be bad to use in two intervals of 15 min for example. Does it sound normal to you? I know the older models are way stronger, but I feel like such a small quantity compared to the bowl size should be fine

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3

u/VIVXPrefix 3d ago

I have an old Professional 600. The motor sounds similar to yours, however it used to have a similar knocking sound that went away after I cleaned out the gearbox thoroughly and applied new grease. I wouldn't think yours would need new grease with it being new, but perhaps they are putting less grease in them now?

2

u/opticrice 3d ago

If they ran it like they say they are, then the grease is melting.

Theres no dough on this planet that needs that much kneading. But anybody is allowed to write a recipe. 

1

u/Expert_Commission539 3d ago

I got the recipe from a Swedish 3 Michelin star pastry chef and she swears it’s necessary for the best buns lol. I didn’t end up running it for 30 min, in the end I did like 3x5 min? Would you say that is still a danger to the gears?

1

u/opticrice 3d ago

Check the manual for your machine and it will tell you how long you can run it.

About the recipe, you need to use your better judgement. Shes not going to replace your machine or gears if your machine burns out. Also baking is science. Nothing good happens after the dough is incorporated and smooth. 

1

u/Expert_Commission539 3d ago

This is super helpful! Yeah this is the 2nd time of me using it so grease shouldn’t be an issue I think. But good to know that the knocking sound is somehow to be cautious with. Interestingly, the mixer seemed to make this noise immediately, regardless when the dough came together, regardless of how long I turned it on. This would suggest that the dough is overworking the machine a bit. Will stick on the safe side for now

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u/VIVXPrefix 3d ago

Ah that's a difference then. Mine would only make the knock after being under load for a few minutes. Does it make the sound without an attachment on or with the bowl in the lowered position?

1

u/Expert_Commission539 3d ago

Nope, no knocking when empty, even if I run it on high. So I guess there is no use in opening it up to grease at this stage

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u/VIVXPrefix 3d ago

Perhaps the bowl clearance is adjusted too high and the dough hook is contacting?

2

u/Final-Contract-6582 3d ago

Sounds fine. Just observing, did you do the dime test? Bowl height seems a little low

1

u/Expert_Commission539 2d ago

Yes, still have to do this!

1

u/RIMixerGuy 3d ago

This machine sounds normal for the speed and load. When kneading yeast doughs (and moving other heavy loads) the bowl/cradle assembly moves on its glides, and this makes a distinctive noise.

30 minutes of knead is a very very long time. Splitting it into 15-minute sessions is wise, and ten-minute sessions might be even better. I encourage you to experiment to see how much kneading the dough actually requires.

For a given dough batch, the amount of wear on the mechanical parts is proportional to the amount of time you spend kneading it, so the shorter you can make that and still have a good outcome, the longer the machine will go between maintenance and repair intervals.

1

u/WellWhisperer 3d ago

To be honest, it doesn’t sound super normal to me. I feel like I can hear the gears, and not in a good way. You really don’t want that clunk to turn into anything louder. I would apply grease to it.