As much of a game-changer as my KitchenAid stand mixer has been for my baking, there’s one unfortunate trade-off that came with the convenience: the mess.
You know what I’m talking about — flour-covered countertops, powdered sugar on the walls, sticky dough flinging to the ceiling … The mess can quickly become overwhelming. And mess is exactly what I dealt with for the first year that I had my stand mixer. That is, until my mom taught me an ingenious trick that makes cleanup even easier. And all it takes is a piece of plastic wrap (or a towel!).
My Mom’s Secret to a Using a KitchenAid Stand Mixer Without the Mess
Whenever I visit home, I tackle as many baking projects as possible to take advantage of my parents’ big kitchen. Last summer, I was baking a cake for my dad’s birthday and got powdered sugar all over the kitchen counters. My mom had had enough of my mess, and told me to cover the stand mixer with plastic wrap to keep all of the powdered sugar and butter contained — and off the counter.
I was hesitant at first (it seemed, and I’ll be honest, a bit silly), but listened anyway and was amazed by how seamlessly it kept everything in. I removed the plastic wrap, and what was left was an incredibly creamy and smooth buttercream — without the mess!
I was elated — and a bit annoyed that it had taken my mom more than a decade to share this tip with me! But ever since, I’ve used my stand mixer almost daily, without splatters or countertop disasters. My favorite part? I can throw in the entire quantity of flour and powdered sugar all at once, instead of gradually adding it to avoid a mess, because this trick keeps absolutely everything contained.
How to Use My Mess-Free KitchenAid Stand Mixer Trick
If you’re whipping up a small amount of heavy cream or putting together a small batch of cookie dough, then you don’t need to worry as much about dough and cream flinging all over the place. This trick is useful for when you’re working with ingredients that tend to get everywhere — like powdered sugar. And luckily, it couldn’t be any easier.
Simply take your preferred brand of plastic wrap and wrap it from one side of the top of the mixer to the other. For example, I’d hold the plastic wrap on the right side of the mixer and then wrap it all the way around to the left until the bowl is completely covered. Power your mixer as usual for mess-free baking. When you’re done, just remove the wrap and discard!
This is a great way to reuse semiused plastic wrap that isn’t quite ready for the garbage bin, but if you’re concerned about plastic usage, we totally get it. Christine Gallery, The Kitchn’s food editor, has been using a similar trick for years, but with a towel to cover the mixer to keep residue from flying out. I have yet to try that tip, but I imagine it works virtually the same — and is totally reusable!