I’ve seen a lot of misinformation around the lead in KitchenAid Mixer Attachments, and wanted to put all this information together for you.
There is no recall from KitchenAid. In their public statements they are denying there is any issue. The reports of lead in the attachments all stem from independent testing by Tamara Rubin aka @LeadSafeMama. These findings are not recent. I’ve seen posts on her website dating back to 2014. The info has blown up on social media the last couple months, so that is why many are just hearing of this now.
KitchenAid is not willingly replacing all attachments anymore as many posts are saying. Some people had luck before it blew up on social media, but even then some did not.
If you call them, talk to a person, and demand a replacement, it is not a simple 5 minutes. Best case scenario your wait is only 30 minutes, but it could likely be 2 hours and some never get through. Even after waiting, they may only give you a 20% off coupon or at best just one of the attachments for free.
I wanted to share some key points that have not been highlighted in social media posts.
• The big concern with the white paddle and dough hooks are if the coating is chipped/damaged, exposing the cast aluminum underneath that is contaminated with lead.
• The metal whisk is not without concern – depending on the age, some whisks are completely made of a burnished metal of lead contaminated cast aluminum. More recent whisks are stainless steel wires and the top where it attaches to the bowl is the only part that is the burnished – lead contaminated aluminum.
• It was also found by Tamara Rubin there are levels of lead in the power cord, so her recommendation is either leave it plugged in or wash hands with warm, soapy water after touching.
• Tamara has also found lead on the outside colored paint of the mixer of older models. Her best guess as to when they changed to lead free paint is around 1994.
If you have the time, try calling KitchenAid at 1-800-541-6390 or 866-698-2538, which may be a special number setup just for this issue. Depending which representative you receive and how determined you are, you may receive one of the attachments free. They may also offer you 20% off. I’m not sure if they’re offering the whisk, or if it’s just the white nylon coated attachments.
I don’t want to discourage you to call KitchenAid, as the overwhelming calls into their call center and this blowing up on social media is probably what will be the push for getting this to change, but I want you to have a realistic idea of what to expect.
If you’d rather just replace the items yourself, there are many stainless steel options of individual attachments available on Amazon. Personally, I’d would rather not give more money to KitchenAid, but if I’m going to be spending money on all 3 attachments, I want to ensure they are indeed completely clear of heavy metals. I can’t test off brands myself and this set of 3 (for the Artisan/tilt head series is the only one Tamara has tested that has come back clear. https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/kitchenaid-stainless-steel-mixing-tools-set-of-3/?pkey=s~kitchenaid%20set%20of%203~2&sbkey=default It is currently backordered. It is also normally available through KitchenAid’s website, but it is currently out of stock, as are many of their individual stainless steel options.
If you only use one item or only on occasion, you may be comfortable getting a different option, so then search for an ALL stainless steel option. Do the best that you can do. It should be dishwasher safe. If it is hand wash only, it likely has an aluminum component to it. *If buying the whisk, be sure it is completely stainless steel and the top piece that attaches to the mixer is not cast aluminum or burnished metal. Although KitchenAid is no longer selling the all burnished metal attachments on their site, they are still available on Amazon. The burnished metal should be listed and once used, it becomes dull. It will be hand wash only. KitchenAid also sells ones where only the top attachment piece is burnished, but you can tell it’s a different metal than the wire balloon. See the picture. They also list those as hand wash only. Again, if it’s an all stainless steel item, it will be dishwasher safe.
Unfortunately if you have a Pro Series with the bowl lift, KitchenAid has not made an all stainless steel set as of yet. I haven’t found a stainless steel paddle yet, so if your white paddle is free of any damage, then your best best is to continue using that. If you have an uncoated or damaged coated one, then your best bet is to replace with a KitchenAid white coated paddle. Off brands may use an unsafe material to coat their paddle. I’ll link a whisk and dough hook I found that say they are dishwasher safe & completely stainless steel, but since these haven’t been tested, I cannot confirm they are lead free, but in general true stainless steel is lead free. Please verify any attachment you buy does indeed fit your model (located underneath unit) as there are many different models.
Whisk: https://a.co/d/1qRdrl9
Spiral Dough Hook: https://a.co/d/h2tup3k
If you’re not able to get free replacements and can’t afford to buy new attachments yet, here are my suggestions:
⁃ If your white coated paddle & dough hook are not showing signs of wear, the coating is intact and you only use them occasionally, Tamara Rubin herself says she is not too concerned. But the coating will wear eventually, so keep an eye on that.
⁃ If you have an all burnished whisk STOP USING IMMEDIATELY. It will be dull and you may have noticed its left black streaks in your batter before. If I had an all burnished whisk and still needed to use it, I would opt to buy an off brand. I would confirm it was entirely made of stainless steel and not any other metal/finish. Any ALL stainless steel whisk should be free from lead and be a better option than the aluminum. They range from $16-$25.
⁃ If you have a stainless steel whisk but the top connector piece looks dull or different than the wire whisks, the issue is only that top part. You could continue to use it, but with great care if you cannot find a good replacement yet. Be sure to not let batter or ingredients get up on the connector piece, wash it carefully so that it doesn’t sit in a sink or dishwasher and possibly contaminate other items; try not to touch the top connector and do not let children touch it; wash hands with warm soapy water if you do touch it.
I’ll reiterate – the best option is the 3 piece set from KitchenAid as it has been tested by Tamara Rubin to be lead free. Otherwise, look for ALL stainless steel attachments and confirm they are indeed completely stainless steel. They should be dishwasher safe and state entirely stainless steel. Those are more widely available.
There is a possibility KitchenAid will put out an actual recall at some point and replace all attachments, but for some that may not be a quick enough resolution.
For more info, Tamara Rubin has outlined a lot of FAQs in this article and has a script you can say/email when contacting KitchenAid at the very bottom. There are also links to many of her other posts on this topic. https://tamararubin.com/2022/12/a-point-by-point-response-to-kitchenaids-public-statements-regarding-lead-safe-mama-llcs-findings-of-lead-contamination-in-their-standard-mixer-attachments/
