What Kind Of Grease Is Used For A KitchenAid Stand Mixer
KitchenAid stand mixers are some of the most amazing appliances to have in your kitchen.
However, to create the results that they do it requires some strong moving parts that end up running at very hot and very fast speeds.
Over time the grease that was originally put in the mixer becomes old, gets dirty, and overall becomes less effective at minimizing friction for the internal components.
When this happens the components can become impacted with each other and possibly dislodge an internal component or worse yet damage the motor itself.
This is why many KitchenAid enthusiasts suggest replacing your mixer grease at least once a year.
Giving you the opportunity to also fully clean the gears and add some fresh grease into the internal parts.
It is a good maintenance habit along with deep cleaning to get into if you want to always get the best performance from your mixer and keep it running forever.
Now to answer the question of what kind of grease should you be using in your KitchenAid stand mixer.
What Kind Of Grease Is Used For A KitchenAid Stand Mixer
The KitchenAid Mixer uses an NSF H-1 Registered Food-Grade Grease. The reason this is used is that it will provide you with the safest and most effective grease possible.
This does not mean you can not use other types of grease you could throw things like vaseline in there and it will work for a little while...
However, a little while is not what you are likely looking to take care of your mixer and keep it running smoothly, and to do that you need the right grease for it.
What Is Food-Grade Grease?
Food-Grade Grease is a specific category of greases that have been designed specifically for use in situations where food contact is possible or likely to occur.
These types of greases are rated in accordance with the NSF ratings that I referred to early in this article. There are three main ratings that are used by the NSF standards to describe the type of grease.
The NSF ratings are as follows:
- H-1 Rated: Lubricants with Incidental Food Contact (Food-Grade Lubricants)
- H-2 Rated: Lubricants with No Food Contact
- H-3 Rated: Release Agents or Direct Food Contact
NSF H-1 Rated (Food-Grade Grease):
A product that is rated NSF H-1 is usually intended for the internal components of food processing equipment where there is a possibility of incidental food contact such as a KitchenAid Mixer.
These compounds can serve a multitude of purposes such as providing anti-rust protection, acting as a release agent on gaskets or seals of tank closures, and as a lubricant for machine parts and equipment where they operate in conditions where the lubricant could potentially expose itself to food.
To qualify for this rating the grease must cause no harm when consumed or affect the food's taste or odor when there are small amounts of contamination.
NSF H-2 Rated:
These types of lubricants are intended for use on equipment that is not being used in or around food.
There is no special list for this type of rating as it makes up a bulk of greases that are not considered food-grade.
NSF H-3 Rated (Direct Food Contact Lubricants):
Finally, you have the H-3 rating which is your grease and lubricants that are used to on loaf pans, grills, etc to keep foods from adhering to a hard surface.
These types of lubricants you are probably pretty familiar with.
Why Should You Use Food-Grade Grease For Your KitchenAid Mixer?
If it is not obvious already as to why you need to be using a good food-grade grease for you KitchenAid Stand Mixer I will run you through a quick scenario that you may have seen yourself.
Remember how I said that there were a lot of moving parts in your mixer?
Well, these moving parts mainly the worm gear and motor are stored in the planetary head portion of the mixer. Which just so happens to be right above where you place your bowl.
Now you may be wondering why the location of these parts happens to be of any importance.
It is because as the grease gets older and is not used as often the solid portions and the liquid portions will separate. When this happens you may notice a liquid leaking out of your KitchenAid Mixer which by the way means you need to replace the grease ASAP.
And that liquid can easily drip into your food and contaminate it. Which if you choose to be an NSF H-2 rated grease in your mixer you would likely become sick if you were to consume the contaminated food.
While on the other hand using a food-grade grease would help you to avoid such an unfortunate scenario.
Where Can You Find Food-Grade Grease?
If you have decided that you want to replace the grease in your KitchenAid Mixer it is certainly worth making sure you buy the right kind.
Fortunately, food-grade grease is not hard to come by and is not super pricey the amount you need for your KitchenAid mixer can usually be bought for around $10.
The only caveat when buying the food-grade grease is making sure it is intended for use in a KitchenAid mixer as not all food-grade greases are able to handle the higher operating temperatures that they run at.
Furthermore, greases come in many different types of consistencies which will also play a role in how effectively your machine runs.
Putting a grease that is too thick into your mixer would cause significant strain on the motor. While, on the other hand, a grease that is not thick enough will easily fling off of the gears and not protect your mixer at all.
Now to save you the trouble on trying to figure out which grease to buy I would simply suggest using this Food Grade KitchenAid Mixer Grease.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are many types of greases available for purchases on the open market today.
Thanks to eCommerce and the growing amount of internet sellers I am not sure what type of grease you can not get your hands on today.
However, your KitchenAid Mixer is a special machine and requires a grease that will meet or exceed its expectations to keep it running optimally.
A grease that meets these needs would be able to, first of all, handle the high operating temperatures of the KitchenAid Mixer.
Secondly, be able to stay attached to the gears inside of the machine by being the right consistency.
Finally, the grease should be an NSF H-1 rated food-grade grease to ensure that you are using grease that is absolutely safe for these operating circumstances.
To purchase a grease that meets these needs you can follow the link below:
Additional
If you are interested in getting more out of your mixer I would highly suggest checking out this article on the Best KitchenAid Mixer Attachments.
Or if you are looking to repaint or touch up one of your mixers check out this other article on How To Paint Your KitchenAid Mixer.