SideSwipe works in a completely different way than a flat or flat wiping beater. A single flat wiper does clean off the bowl, but it doesn't improve mixing. In fact, the motion only "stirs" and drives the batter up the sides of the bowl to the top. SideSwipe's smaller fins are angled downward to push ingredients into the mixture in a sort of folding motion similar to hand mixing (but without all the effort). Those fins also allow chunky bits like chips and nuts to go through the beater without being crushed against the bowl. The frame is very sturdy, and doesn't have paint to peel and crack off it you wash it in the dishwasher. For more details, check out our models page.

The first four or six characters of the KitchenAid model number are all you need to match (and we may have missed a few). The remaining numbers and letters indicate other features like mixer color. To figure what size SideSwipe you need for your KA mixer, consult or Model Finder visual flow chart to match your beater shape and bowl size to choose the appropriate SideSwipe model.

Sorry, but you can't use SideSwipe on other mixer brands. They are designed to fit the exact bowl shape and height of each KitchenAid models we list.

We no longer have plans to offer SideSwipes for other mixer brands. At this time, we do not plan to make a SideSwipe for KitchenAid's Mini Artisan or 8 quart or larger mixers.

No. SideSwipe connects to your stand mixer the same way as your original beater, and the motor needs to work only a little bit harder because of increased friction on the bowl. In our tests with various batters, SideSwipe increased the work of the motor between 10 and 20 percent. The strain is three to four times less than when you make bread dough using the hook, and is far below the manufacturer’s total wattage rating. Mixing times are also reduced, resulting in less wear and tear on your mixer. KitchenAid's warranty does not say you cannot use other beaters or attachments or that it will void your warranty.

Yes. SideSwipe mixes more efficiently that a standard flat beater, so you should reduce your mixing time for many recipes. We recommend checking the consistency at each stage of your mixing (like creaming and adding dry ingredients) about halfway through the recipe's recommended time. For instance, if the recipe says to cream butter and sugar for 2 minutes, we recommend checking at 1 minute to see if it's achieved the "light and fluffy" result the recipe calls for. It's important to also reduce the mixing time once you add dry ingredients like flour. It's possible to overmix and get a tough baked result if you don't reduce your mix time by 30-50%.

We recommend that you mix at slower speeds than you may normally use. While it's seldom a good idea to use high mixer speeds with a flat beater, you may find that high speeds cause SideSwipe to toss dry or light ingredients out of the bowl at high speeds. SideSwipe is more efficient than your original flat beater, so you should rarely need to use a speed above medium-high to achieve your desired result. We recommend mixing in light ingredients like flour and powdered (confectioner's) sugar on your mixer's lowest speed.

Yes, it is. We do! You may notice that over time the aluminum core will get a grey film on it from the detergent. You can wipe this away with a cloth soaked in vinegar if it bothers you. But the core doesn't come into contact with the food, so you don't really need to worry about it (we're pretty lazy about it ourselves).

We sell the full line of SideSwipes on our website and a limited variety at Amazon.com. In addition to US shipping, we can now ship to Canada, many European countries and Australia and New Zealand. We do not offer SideSwipe for wholesale purchase or retail sales.

We offer shipping to Canada, many European countries and to Australia and New Zealand. Shipments to US Territories and some foreign military installations will need to pay for international postage. If you live elsewhere, please place an order at Amazon.com.

You have 30 days to return your SideSwipe for a refund of the product price only. The item must be unused and in its original, undamaged packaging for you to receive a full refund. You are responsible for paying for the cost of return shipping unless we have made an error. We will extend our return window for the holiday season. If you received the wrong model as a gift, please contact us so we can help you make an exchange.

Please contact Amazon with questions about order status, shipping issues or to make a free return. Amazon will not provide your email or other contact information to us and will not track an order at our request.