The Benefits of Using the Amazing KitchenAid Soft Start Feature

Have you ever turned your hand mixer or stand mixer on and all your ingredients flew out of the bowl and all over your kitchen? Or maybe your buttercream splattered everywhere and made a mess. Either way, it’s annoying, it’s frustrating, you have a tonne of cleaning to do, and you never want to use your mixer again. Not ideal. 

Thankfully, there is a solution – the soft start feature. This handy little innovation makes sure that your ingredients stay in the bowl every time you turn on your mixer, adding an extra level of precision and control while baking and mixing. 

If you have a KitchenAid mixer or are looking to buy one, you’ll be happy to know that they come with this feature. 

So what exactly does the soft start do? How does it work? And why is the KitchenAid soft start important for creating delicious baked goods and treats? 

Let’s find out!

What is a KitchenAid Soft Start Feature?

The soft start feature works by slowly increasing the power of the motor when you first turn on your hand or stand mixer. This helps prevent splattering and flying ingredients, giving you more control over how much power goes into each mix and helping you achieve the perfect consistency. Whether you’re a beginner baker or an experienced cook, the soft start feature is one of those little details that can make all the difference in your baking and cooking experience.

But why is it called a “soft” start? What’s wrong with just turning your mixer on full speed right away? Well, as it turns out, there are many reasons why a slow start is much better for your mixing. Let me walk you through some of these reasons.

First, by starting the mixer slowly and gaining power gradually, you avoid any sudden changes in power that can create unwanted splatter or mess. When you turn your mixer on at full speed right away, the sudden movement can cause ingredients to fly out of your bowl and all over your kitchen. 

Second, a slow start also adds precision and control to your mixing process. Since you have more time to slowly increase power, you can better monitor the consistency of your ingredients and make sure they are perfectly mixed every time. This means that even if you’re new to baking or cooking, you’ll be able to get professional-level results with ease! 

Finally, it is so much better for your motor health and durability. When you turn your mixer on at full speed right away, it puts more strain and stress on the motor – which can lead to shorter lifespan and frequent breakdowns. But if you start slowly, you prevent all this extra wear and tear on the motor, helping your mixer last longer. 

Do All KitchenAid Mixers Have a Soft Start?

Unfortunately no, not all mixers have a KitchenAid soft start feature. It depends on which model you have.

For instance, if you have the KitchenAid Artisan 5 stand mixer, there is no soft start feature available. However, if you have a Pro Line or the Mini, then you will have this handy little function built right into your appliance. 

Same goes for the hand mixers. Only the 7 Speed, 9 Speed and Cordless hand mixers have a soft start feature.

How To Tell If There Is A KitchenAid Soft Start Feature

Surprisingly, it is not very obvious and there is a lot of contradicting information out there on which models have the soft start feature. If you do want to know if your mixer has a soft start, there are a few ways to find out. 

Check the model specs/manual

All KitchenAid mixers come with detailed manuals that have a full list of features and specs for each model. So take the time to look carefully through these documents and see if your mixer is listed as having a soft start or not. Don’t rely solely on the manual though, as I have found KitchenAid contradict themselves quite a lot, so definitely check other sources as well. 

Check online reviews

You could also try checking some online reviews from people with the same mixer model as you to see if other users mention the soft start or not. This can be helpful, but keep in mind that not everyone will know about this feature or even bother mentioning it in their review – so you might need to do some more digging! 

Check the speed settings on your mixer

All the stand mixers will show the speed settings 1-10 on the side of the mixer. Some mixers have a 1/2 speed setting or a ‘stir’, as well as speed settings going from 1 to 10. If your mixer has a 1/2 or ‘stir’ setting, before the 1-10 speed settings, then your mixer has a soft start. But, not all mixers that have a ‘stir’ setting means they have a soft start, so always consult the manual and check what other people are saying about it too.

Just turn your mixer on!

There is only one real way to find out if your mixer has a soft start feature: just simply turn it on. If there is a soft start feature, then you will hear the motor kick in gently and the attachment will feel like it’s rotating very slowly. 

Does The Soft Start Really Work?

On the mixers that have this soft start feature, KitchenAid claims that every speed has a soft start. So, with that being said, if you were to turn your mixer straight on to speed 10 it should start off slow, right? Not quite. 

Even though KitchenAid says that all speeds come up gradually, you’ll see that that’s not the case at all. Even if your mixer has a soft start feature, you’ll still need to go through all the speeds before you get to the desired speed to avoid any splattering. If you were to turn your mixer on straight to speed setting 10, you’ll be spending a lot of time cleaning up your kitchen.

I would recommend just starting from the lowest speed, and building up speeds gradually yourself rather than relying on the soft start. 

Check this ‘soft start’ feature on the Mini! Not really soft, right?

If you do want a mixer with a soft start that actually works, the KitchenAid hand mixers (the cordless, 7 and 9 speed) get a lot of raving reviews about their soft start. Owner seem to absolutely love the soft start feature and they say that it actually does start the setting up slowly.

Is the soft start even worth it?

If you are someone who enjoys baking or cooking with their KitchenAid hand mixer or stand mixer, then you might think you need one with a soft start feature.

Honestly, having a Kitchenaid soft start feature is not the be all and end all. I wouldn’t base your decision on which KitchenAid to buy on whether there is a soft start feature. You’ll be able to bring up the mixer gradually to the desired speed manually, without the need of a soft start.

I also recommend doing your research and checking other sources and retailers, like Amazon. KitchenAid has been known to present contradicting information from time to time, so if you really want to know whether your mixer has a soft start, I would compare KitchenAid’s specs with other retailers and see what people are saying about it.