Good luck on the splattering, the first time I used the KitchenAid was for buttercream frosting. I think there's still powdered sugar in places I haven't found it yet! Even with a shield the only way I've found to avoid the mess is to start on low, sometimes I even have to turn the machine on and off a few times.

How long to beat it? Truthfully, I cook and bake a lot by feel and by look, so I beat cookie dough until it looks right. Yeah, I know that's no help. Cakes and other batters I beat for the period of time called for in the recipe with no adjustments.

I hope this helps, enjoy your new "kitchen assistant".

Annie

Annie, does your KA have slow start? I use to have that problem with my old KA, but at some point they added a slow start feature where the mixer comes up to speed over a couple of seconds and it stopped most of the spattering. Even starting on low speed the old KA was pretty bad about tossing light dry ingredients such as powdered sugar around. Powdered sugar is the worst - even when it doesn't splatter visibly, I can taste the sugar dust sometimes - odd sensation.

(But there is something to be said for the old Hobart KA work horses. Ours lasted about 30 years. Our 5-6 year old KA mixer broke right before Passover and my son had to bring his over. The planetary (disk that the mixer blade attaches) dropped down - it's just a slip fit on the shaft. My DH found a fix on line which involved drilling and tapping a hole in the shaft and a hole in the planetary disk so that the planetary bolts onto the shaft instead of just friction holding it on. So I'm not very happy with Whirlpool KA at the moment.)

Kitykat, I don't think there is much to be done for splattering except starting on slow speed until the dry ingredients get wet down a bit (if that doesn't splatter), or putting a towel around the shield for the start of mixing, or using a few hand strokes to wet down the dry ingredients. The towel trick works pretty well - the shield keeps it away from the beaters so it doesn't get caught and it closes off the small openings that let stuff get past the shield.

I usually just go on how the batter or dough looks and recipe description (e.g. did the recipe say combine or beat until light) to judge the time.

For some of the mixers there is an adjustment of beater position that can get it close enough to avoid most of the need for scraping. I usually don't have to scrape the bottom of the bowl, but sometimes I have to at least scrape around the top of the sides because some stuff got thrown up there when it was wet enough to be sticky and isn't falling back down to mix in.

No, Cloud Swift, I have an older KA that Nancy (wizardnm) gave me. I love it, it's a great machine and I think it can last my lifetime and be handed down to Makayla, but it doesn't have a "slow start".

The first time I did that powdered sugar thing I looked like Frosty the Snowman.....um.....person. (grin) Poof, and there was powdered sugar EVERYWHERE!

Since I'm a slow learner, I promptly did it again....

Annie

Thanks, Annie and Cloud. OK, I will continue the 'slow' route. Actually, with the cake batter, the splattering happened when I turned the thing up to the BEAT setting, after getting everything moistened and folded in.

I had watched a product video, and of course, it looked so idyllic. The cooks smiled as the mixer whipped and beat with nary a drop escaping the bowl. That image... as my apron, countertop, windowsill and palms(attempting to cover the gap between shield and all else) became splattered with sweet, pale yellow droplets... did not compute!

Thanks again... today I'll attempt a batch of cookies. Hmmm, now where did I put that haz-mat suit...

I don't have a lot of experience with stand mixers but like any mixer, I don't go with time, I go with result. Mix until incorporated, beat to whatever type of peaks, etc. A lot of times you don't need to use top speed either and you'll avoid some splatter issues then.

The Kitchenaids of the last few decades are nothing like the Hobart design from years ago. The Kitchenaids I've used helped me decide quickly to not buy one.

If I think something I'm mixing will splatter, I drape a tea towel over the mixing arm to cover it and the bowl completely. Usually it only splatters until the ingredients are all incorporated.

I use the towel too. I like the big flour sack towels, so they cover a lot! And they don't get caught either. Mine has a stir setting, but still sometimes sends a POOF in the air. Then I just slowly go up a notch until I get the speed I want. I've never adjusted mixing times. I guess I never used them even when I had a hand mixer. Except for cake mixes from the store, then I just always used what the box said.