Commerical Mixer Maintenance Ensures Longevity, Efficiency

Last updated on June 30th, 2022 at 01:13 pm

If you’ve invested thousands of dollars in a commercial mixer, chances are you rely heavily on this piece of equipment for your daily operations. The last thing you want is for it to break down and interrupt your sales. A well-maintained mixer will last many years regardless of how often or rigorous its use. For that reason, it is important that you understand how to maintain your mixer to maximize its longevity.

Read the manual and refer to it when you need advice: If you have any questions about your mixer or do not fully understand how to properly use it, refer to your Instruction Manual

A clean mixer Improves its longevity: The reasons to clean your mixer are pretty obvious. Besides contamination, a poorly cleaned mixing bowl could cause discoloration of the mixed product. Before you begin to clean your mixer turn it off and disconnect or unplug it from the electrical source.

• Dilute detergent per supplier’s instruction.
• DO NOT hose down or pressure wash any part of the Mixer.
• NEVER use a scrubber pad, steel wool, or abrasive material to clean the Mixer.
• NEVER use bleach (sodium hypochlorite) or bleach based cleaner.
• ALWAYS remove the agitator after each batch. If not, the agitator can become stuck on the shaft and become difficult to remove.

Generally, hand washing the Mixers components with mild soap and water, drying and sanitizing is the proper way to clean your equipment.

The recommended cleaning frequency for the bowl cradle, exterior and hub interior is daily. After each use, clean the agitators, bowl, safety guard, rear splash guard, and planetary shift

Lubrication for maximum performance:  A mixer is only as strong as its weakest link, so keep your mixer well oiled to maximize its performance. For example, a mixer that is not regularly lubricated will cause the safety guard to seize up (not move freely) or cause the agitator to not go onto the planetary shaft easily. Another problem that can occur is that the mixing bowl will stick or stop operating entirely. Mineral oil or food quality grease is generally recommended for lubrication.

NEVER Overload: Prior to purchasing a mixer, determine how much product you’ll be mixing in each batch. Remember to leave yourself extra space in the bowl so the mixture can be properly mixed. Don’t forget, once you combine dry ingredients with liquid ingredients, your mixture will expand (also known as Absorption Ration or AR%). For an easy way to calculate this, refer to the mixer’s capacity chart, located in the instruction manual.  An overloaded mixer will be noisy, cause whip wires to break or lead to a broken dough hook.

Repairing a mixer can be a costly, and a poorly maintained Mixer will void the manufacturer’s warranty. Contact Burkett Customer Service to discuss options to troubleshoot your issue and get you back up and mixing.