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I recently bought a KitchenAid mixer and it has a 2 ft cord, which is pretty short, especially for someone with a big kitchen.

The instructions for the mixer say not to use an extension cord. They say in the instructions that if the cord does not reach to "install an outlet". Right. Like I am going to rip up entire walls, cabinets and tear out incredibly expensive tile in a kitchen to try to install an outlet so I can position the mixer in an appropriate place. It's a completely impractical suggestion.

Is this warning just some kind of crazy nanny-ism that assumes the buyer is a complete idiot and does not know how to buy a heavy gauge 3-prong extension cord, or is there some legitimate reason for the warning? The instructions do not give the rationale for the warning.

Tyler Durden
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    The problem in the US is that you can easily buy extension cords that are under rated for the current that such a device consumes. So the manufacturer wants to cover their #ss by simply stating "no extension cords!". So if something melts, it will not be the manufacturer's fault. Also see this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_q-xnYRugQ I would say that **if** you use a **properly rated there should be no issue. – Bimpelrekkie Jul 20 '21 at 12:18
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    @Bimpelrekkie you were faster than me! I was thinking on that specific video too ! – Blup1980 Jul 20 '21 at 12:24
  • @Blup1980 It's a funny video for who, like me, lives on the other side of the pond where the issue does not exist (at least not to the extent as it does in de US). *I would say that if you use a properly rated there should be no issue* I obviously meant to write: I would say that if you use a **properly** rated extension cord then there should be no issue. So look at the rating plate on the mixer and use a cord of the same or higher rating. – Bimpelrekkie Jul 20 '21 at 12:26
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    @Bimpelrekkie I agree. I live in Switzerland and here you can't even buy an extension cord that has a wire gauge smaller than what you are expected to have in your wall: problem solved.... – Blup1980 Jul 20 '21 at 12:29
  • Some kitchen mixers can use a serious amount of power, and if you're in 110 V land that's a lot of amps. – Neil_UK Jul 20 '21 at 12:45
  • Yes, typical kitchen user may not be, and is not required to be aware of various wire ratings or electrical safety issues. This is a generic placeholder for all extension cord safety issues when using any electrical equipment in the environment of kitchens. If you do use an extension cord, well, the manual says you are not allowed to, so nobody can sue the manufacturer about not warning about potential safety issues. Also, this is product usage question? – Justme Jul 20 '21 at 12:54
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    The manual says that it draws 325 watts max, which is ~3A. Even 18 gauge wire should be able to handle that amount of current no problem. My guess would be a legal CYA on not having some 20 foot cord in your kitchen getting wrapped around the mixer paddle, bumping pots off the stove, or falling into the sink. – vir Jul 20 '21 at 15:49
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    This is more of a rant than a question, honestly. You're giving the answer yourself, you just try to present it negatively: the manufacturer takes safety precautions so that the *majority* of people, who might be arbitrarily smart but have never heard of wire gauges, are safe. Stop being publicly upset because someone does something sensible that doesn't sit well with you! – Marcus Müller Jul 20 '21 at 16:33
  • Is your kitchen new or recently (15 or so years) renovated? Current code requires outlets serving counter space in the kitchen be no more than 48" apart (at maximum, you are allowed to have them closer together if you want) and no more than 20" above the countertop. So a 2' cord from a countertop appliance should reach an outlet from almost anywhere on the countertop. – brhans Jul 20 '21 at 16:57
  • @Vir 325W is the operating power reflecting a current of nearly 1.5A (230V land) or 3A (110V land). Startup current and stall current if you add too much dough is many times higher and a wimpy extension cord can let the motor bog down and stall when it would work connected properly. –  Jul 21 '21 at 14:55

3 Answers3

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Besides the issue of current handling...

In a kitchen the electrical sockets are usually placed a safe distance above the countertop to be safe from water splashing into them.

This is not the case for an extension cord, so I guess they're safe from someone suing them because they got electrocuted after dropping a pot full of water on the the wrong end of the extension cord.

There's also the issue with american sockets that you can pull the male out of the female slightly, and expose metal at mains voltage (EU stuff is a lot safer).

It's a bummer the mixer doesn't have an IEC socket...

If you want to leave the extension cord behind some stuff on your counter and forget about it, still worth considering waterproofing the junction and/or taping everything together to make sure it doesn't pull out.

bobflux
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  • While true, I hardly think they are far enough to make it impossible to use the mixer close to a sink. OTOH latest code requires a GFCI socket on all countertop outlets, and using an extension cord may be an issue with these; see my [question about a 12W AC-powered trimmer tripping my bathroom GFCI socket when an extension is used](https://electronics.stackexchange.com/q/603711/213546). – Thomas Guyot-Sionnest Jan 10 '22 at 07:25
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The only thing I can come up with to impose this limitation to the user is safety.

I expect that the KitchenAid is drawing a lot of current. And the current makes the wire heat up according to its gauge.

No problem with the wires into the wall. If a too high current flows, the breaker in your electrical cabinet will trigger.

No problem with the attached cord of the KitchenAid. It has been sized taking into account the consumption of the device.

The problem with extension cord is that you can buy all sort of extension cords. Relying on the customer to ensure they are using one with a large enough wire gauge is not safe enough. Of course you can use the right extension cord and there would be no problem at all.

But relying only on the fact that the lamba users read the user manual, understand the risk, and use a correct extension cord as the only safety to avoid a fire is not acceptable.

Blup1980
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I would say that there is a legitimate reason to tell the manufacture that the appliance design is inadequate. In the USA, a kitchen that is wired in accordance with electrical code will have outlets located so that no point along the wall above a counter will be more than two feet from an outlet measured horizontally. Outlets can be as much as 18 inches above the counter. That would require a 30 inch cord for an appliance located a t the maximum distance. To plug it in and not have it stretched tight, the cord might need to be 3 or 3.5 feet long.

You can buy a 3-foot appliance extension cord like this one. You could also buy a replacement cord that is about 3 feet long, but it may be difficult to replace, particularly if the original cord has a molded strain relief that is permanently attached to the cord.