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n00b Kitchenaid spiral dough hook question

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zwaaa's picture

n00b Kitchenaid spiral dough hook question

I have a 5 qt Kitcchenaid "Professional HD" lift bowl (the one you get from Sam's Club, not the standard 5 qt lift mixer).

My wife ran the aluminum plated spiral dough hook through the washing machine before I could tell her that the instructions said not to do this. Of course all the silver plating is gone.

Is this bad? Is it "You need to get a new dough hook" bad? Is it "you should stop using that dough hook before you gradually get posioned and die" bad? Are there any aftermarket spiral dough hooks that I shoudl consider?


Also, as long as I follow the instrucions on flour amounts and run the mixer on "2" to knead dough, do I need to worry about the gearbox case splitting?


Thanks in advance!

flournwater's picture

I would replace the dough hook.  If the base material they use to make the dough hook was intended to contact food products they'd had left it unplated.  KA dough hooks and other similar parts are available at many kitchen shops.  You should also be able to find it on-line; start here:

Look under your KA where the power head meets the base to find the model number/serial number of your machine so you order the right part.  If in doubt you can call KA customer service (number is in your owner's manual) with your model number and they can tell you which part number you will need to order the item.

I think your machine uses this one:

but can't be sure of that.

I don't know where you got the information that running your KA mixer above #2 for kneading would "split" the gear box.  You're correct to the point that the kneading speed is routinely #2 but running it faster, which may overheat the machine and cause some leakage of the food grade lubricant, should not split the gearbox.  If I am processing a small amount of dough (1 pound or less) I often knead at a speed higher than #2 for a few minutes to increase the temperature of the dough.  I just wouldn't do that with a large amount of dough in the bowl.

zwaaa's picture

Awesome! Thanks!

dmaule's picture

Not being one to read instructions I tossed my burnished aluminum dough hook into the dishwasher and I could scarcely believe what came out. The thing is completely black, and leaves a sooty black residue on the hands when touched. I tried wiping it off with olive oil - no dice...I tried scrubbing it with a brush and dishwashing I did some research and now I see my error. Thing is, there is so much oxidization on the hook that it can't be used and I estimate the amount of work required to get it back in shape to be I may have to repeat that work on a regular basis. I can't live without that dough hook so I will pay the $15 and get myself one of the hooks with a ceramic coating. Live and learn I guess :(

dwcoleman's picture


I don't believe its a coating, we had the same thing happen with two ice cream scoops and finally the beater blade on my 6 quart pro.  I think its just the aluminum tarnishing, it was probably polished at the factory after it was casted.



From Wikipedia:

Tarnish is a thin layer of corrosion that forms over copper, brass, silver, aluminum, and other similar metals as their outermost layer undergoes a chemical reaction. Tarnish does not always result from the sole effects of oxygen in the air. For example, silver needs hydrogen sulfide to tarnish; it does not tarnish with only oxygen. It often appears as a dull, gray or black film or coating over metal. Tarnish is a surface phenomenon, that is self-limiting unlike rust. Only the top few layers of the metal react, and the layer of tarnish seals and protects the underlying layers from reacting.

Tarnish actually preserves the underlying metal in outdoor use and is called patina. The formation of patina is necessary in applications such as copper roofing, and outdoor copper, bronze, and brass statues and fittings.

It is the thin layer of aluminum oxide tarnish that protects aluminum in outdoor applications such as screen door frames. If the thin layer of aluminium oxide did not form, the aluminium would sizzle when placed in water.


Re: Aluminum Oxide 

I did a little research on my own, and discovered some interesting facts. It turns out that all metal pots give off some metal into your food. (Of course, this seems a bit obvious to me in retrospect.) Cast iron is soft and releases a lot of iron into food, but the added mineral is good for most people. Aluminum, especially older aluminum, is also quite soft and reactive. One source claimed that aluminum pots release between 45 and 200 micrograms per serving. 


(See more here:


Not to worry, as this study (PDF file) indicates: "Dietary intake of aluminum, estimated to be in the 0.10–0.12 mg Al/kg/day range in adults (Pennington and Schoen 1995), has not been of historical concern with regard to toxicity due to its presence in food and the generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status of aluminum-containing food additives by the FDA. Users of aluminum-containing medications that are healthy (i.e., have normal kidney function) can ingest much larger amounts of aluminum than in the diet, possibly as high as 12–71 mg Al/kg/day from antacid/antiulcer products and 2–10 mg Al/kg/day from buffered analgesics when taken at recommended dosages (Lione 1985b). " 


It seems that since aluminum is one of the most common elements in nature, the body has learned to handle relatively large quantities of it quite well. 


I have decided that the aluminum in my food is probably higher than average, perhaps even quite high. If I ate the apple butter in large quantities, then I'd probably be doing some damage. However, since I only ever eat about a teaspoon or two with an occasional meal, my overall consumption is probably low. Besides, taking antacids or other medication would put way, way more aluminum in my body. 


By the way, stainless steel appears to be the least reactive metal. I plan to buy a stainless steel kettle for making acidic food like apple butter and tomato sauce in the future. Live and learn.


flournwater's picture

I suppose there will be a lot of opinions but, inasmuch as the manufacturer's description of the part reads "KitchenAid KNS256CDH - Coated PowerKnead Spiral Dough Hook" I'm gonna vote for the greater probability that it's coated.

roamingwidgeteer's picture

I put mine through the machine once by accident and it came out oxidized. Definitelly not a coating. I've polished enough tarnished metals on boats to know the difference :-)

There's really no point in buying a new one, just give the oxidized one a good polish with the dishcloth.

dwcoleman's picture

He mentioned "silver coating" so I'm pretty certain that he doesn't have the ceramic coated dough hook.  He probably has the burnished one, KNS256BDH.  I looked up burnished as well and it means "to polish".

As per the below, I'll try a citrus cleaner myself to try and remove the oxidization.


More info from Kitchenaid.

Dear Ms. Shumway, 


Thank you for visiting the KitchenAid website. 

The Burnished Aluminum Beaters are not dishwasher safe, as per the use and care manual. Placing them in the dishwasher causes them to oxidize. You may wish to try using a citrus cleaner to try and remove the oxidization. 

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact our KitchenAid Customer Satisfaction Center at 800-541-6390. Our hours are 8am to 8pm Monday-Friday and 10am to 5pm(ET) on Saturday. 

Thank you, 



All fine and dandy, but the issues with the paddle started on a few times after using the paddle, and it had never been in the dishwasher..... I have put it in the dishwasher once or twice in the last 6 months, but for the first 4-5 times I used it, I just handwashed it-- the oxidizing issues started well before it ever went in the dishwasher.


noonesperfect's picture

From what I remember of discussions on the KitchenAid forums, it's something in the detergent that causes oxidation.  That means that even handwashing can cause the probelm if the detergent is too harsh.

Bartender's Friend and Bon Ami were suggested as other products you could use to restore the beater to its original condition.

I have the burnished accessories for my KitchenAid, and I have never had a problem - I may just be lucky, but it's possible you received a lemon.  I hope you find a satisfactory solution.




Jo_Jo_'s picture

They do make one that is dishwasher safe.  It lists the models it works with later in the description.