KitchenAid Flat Beater Replacement Guide: Which One Fits Your Mixer
KitchenAid mixers come in two main classes, and their paddles aren't interchangeable. Here's how to ID yours in 10 seconds — and which replacement actually fits.
- Tilt-head: motor head hinges back to expose the bowl. Smaller, 4.5–5 qt.
- Bowl-lift: bowl raises up on arms to a fixed motor head. Bigger, 5–7 qt.
- The Karoxy Stainless Steel Flat Beater fits tilt-head 4.5 & 5.0 qt only.
This page settles the question that has to come first: which flat beater fits your mixer. The five guides below handle everything after that — fitting it, using it, and fixing it when something goes wrong.
- Start here: what a KitchenAid flat beater is used for — which attachment to reach for, and what the flat beater is genuinely best at.
- KitchenAid flat beater part numbers: K45B, K5THCB & K5AB — what each code means, and which ones belong to a different mixer family.
- How to replace a KitchenAid flat beater — the step-by-step removal and install, including the tug test that confirms the new paddle is seated.
- Is your beater coating flaking into food? — four checks that tell you whether the coating is actually shedding, and what to do about it.
- Beater not reaching the bottom of the bowl? — how to set the beater-to-bowl clearance using the dime test.
How to tell them apart
Karoxy fit guide
KitchenAid builds beaters by machine family, not by model number. Every tilt-head mixer in the K45 family — whether it is 4.5 or 5 qt — uses the same K45B beater shaft. That means the models below are examples, not a closed list: if the head tilts and the bowl is 4.5 or 5 qt, you have a K45-family mixer and this beater fits, even when your exact code isn't printed here.
- K45 — Classic, early production
- K45SS — Classic Series
- KSM75
- KSM90
- KSM95 — Ultra Power
- KSM100
- KSM103
- KSM110 — Ultra Power
- KSM120 — Custom
- KSM150 / KSM150PS — Artisan, 5 qt
- KSM152 / KSM152PS — Custom Metallic, 5 qt
- KSM180 — 5 qt
- KSM50PK / KSM50PKVX — Artisan Plus, 5 qt, released around 2025
- KN15 — Accolade 400 (the beater fits; its bowl is not interchangeable with other tilt-heads)
- Older bowl-lift, 4.5–5 qt: K5SS, K5-A, KSM5, KSM50P / KSM50PWH (Professional 5), KP50, KPM50, KSM450, KSM500, KSM500PS, K4SS, KSMC50S — these use the K5AB beater
- Newer bowl-lift: KSM55 (5.5 qt), KSM60 (6 qt), KSM70 (7 qt), KP26M1X (Professional 600, 6 qt), KSM7581 (Pro Line, 7 qt) — these use the KSMBLSF-type beater
- KSM3311X / KSM3316X — Artisan Mini, 3.5 qt — uses the smaller KSM35CFB beater
- KSM50PK / KSM50PKVX — Artisan Plus, tilt-head, 5 qt, released around 2025 → fits
- KSM50P / KSM50PWH — Professional 5, bowl-lift, 5 qt, from the 1990s → does not fit (it takes the K5AB beater)
Pre-purchase checklist
- Confirm the mixer is tilt-head and the bowl is 4.5 or 5.0 qt — that alone settles most cases.
- Find your full model number (under the base or on the back) — the whole code, including trailing letters.
- Cross-check it against the fit guide above. The list is illustrative, not exhaustive: a tilt-head 4.5 or 5 qt mixer is a K45-family machine and takes this beater even if its code isn't shown.
- Bowl-Lift, Pro Line, Artisan Mini 3.5 qt? Different paddle, not this one.
If your model isn't listed
"Not listed" doesn't mean it doesn't fit. Because the beater goes by family rather than by code, the two questions above — does the head tilt, and is the bowl bigger than 3.5 qt — resolve nearly every mixer. Where it stays genuinely ambiguous, a wrong-fit order is the #1 failure for replacement parts, so the safe call is:
- Go by the mechanism and capacity, not by brand name or product photos
- Give us the complete model number — a truncated code can point at two opposite machines
- Still unsure? Contact us before ordering and we'll confirm it for you
What changes with aftermarket?
An aftermarket paddle is a third-party replacement, not an OEM KitchenAid part. The practical upside is a published, explicit fit rule — you know before you order whether it fits, instead of after.
What we confirm for the Karoxy beater: material (304 food-grade stainless), construction (one-piece), dishwasher safe, 4-step DIY install, and the K45-type tilt-head mixers it fits.
Once you have confirmed fit, the five guides at the top of this page cover part numbers, install, height adjustment, coating wear and everyday use.
Browse the full catalog of Karoxy appliance replacement parts.
Frequently asked questions
Does it fit a bowl-lift KitchenAid®?
No. Bowl-lift mixers use a different beater — K5AB on the older 4.5–5 qt models, and a KSMBLSF-type beater on the 5.5, 6 and 7 qt models. This one is for tilt-head K45-family mixers only, 4.5 and 5 qt: K45SS, KSM75, KSM90, KSM95, KSM100, KSM103, KSM110, KSM120, KSM150 / KSM150PS, KSM152, KSM180, KSM50PKVX, KN15 and their siblings.
Does it fit the 3.5 qt Artisan Mini?
No. The Mini (KSM3311X / KSM3316X) has its own shaft and takes the smaller KSM35CFB beater.
Does it fit the KSM150?
Yes. The KSM150 / KSM150PS Artisan is a 5 qt tilt-head in the K45 family, so it takes this beater.
Does it fit a KSM50? There are two different mixers with that number
It depends which one you have. KSM50PK / KSM50PKVX is the Artisan Plus — a tilt-head 5 qt released around 2025 — and this beater fits it. KSM50P / KSM50PWH is the Professional 5, a bowl-lift from the 1990s, and it does not fit; that one takes the K5AB beater. The tell is the letter K after 50P: with a K it's the tilt-head Artisan Plus, without it it's the bowl-lift.
Is it dishwasher safe?
Yes. One-piece 304 food-grade stainless steel, fully dishwasher safe.
Is Karoxy an OEM KitchenAid® brand?
No. Karoxy is an aftermarket replacement brand, not affiliated with KitchenAid or Whirlpool.
Disclaimer: KitchenAid® is a registered trademark of Whirlpool Corporation. Karoxy is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by KitchenAid or Whirlpool. All brand names and model numbers are used solely for compatibility reference.