Bread Maker’s Paddle Stuck? Follow These 4 Steps

You’ve been heaving and pulling all morning, but your bread maker’s paddle is adamant that it’s not going to budge. What can you do to release the stuck part? Take a look at the 4 steps in this article that will help you free it at last.

If your bread maker’s paddle is stuck, do this:

1. Hold on to the back and twist the paddle in opposite directions
2. Half fill the bread pan with hot water
3. Heat the paddle with a hairdryer
4. Wrap a shoelace around the paddle

Don’t throw your back out trying to free your bread maker’s paddle. Take a look at these steps in more detail below that will help you to release it quickly and easily.

4 Ways to Free a Stuck Bread Maker Paddle

You’ve been battling with the bread maker’s paddle for a while now, so much so that your hands are red raw. Giving the bread pan a thorough clean seemed like a good idea. That, of course, was before you realized that the paddle was as good as welded into place. What can you do to free it?

Launching the bread pan across the kitchen into a wall is one way of fixing it, but it might not be the most effective. That’s why coming up next, you’ll find 4 surefire ways to fix this problem. Take a look.

Method #1 Twist the Paddle in Opposite Directions

To free your bread maker’s paddle, we’ll start by giving it a good twist. Twisting it should free up the paddle and enable you to pull it out with ease. Here’s what you’ll need to do:

1. Before attempting to twist the paddle, use a toothpick to remove any bread from around it
2. Hold onto the winged coupling on the base of the pan with one hand
3. Use the other hand to tease the paddle back and forth. Try to twist the paddle in opposite directions. Do this until it loosens enough for you to pull it out.
4. Fish any leftover bread out with a toothpick

Method #2 Half Fill the Bread Pan With Hot Water

This next method will help if you suspect there is a chunk of bread around the paddle that is stopping it from moving. If you have tried teasing the bread out with a toothpick but weren’t successful, here’s what you can do:

1. Squeeze some detergent into the base of the bread pan around the paddle
2. Half fill the bread pan with boiling water. Leave the water and detergent to sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
3. Empty the water from the bread pan
4. Turn the bread pan over
5. Hold onto the winged coupling on the base of the pan with one hand
6. Use the other hand to tease the paddle back and forth. Try to twist the paddle in opposite directions. Do this until it loosens enough for you to pull it out.
7. Fish any leftover bread out with a toothpick

Method #3 Heat the Paddle With a Hairdryer

Have you had your bread maker for a while? Then it’s possible that some of the parts are beginning to oxidize. This method uses the same idea of heating the paddle mechanism to help you to free it. But this step will help you if your paddle is rusted onto the bread pan.

For this method, you will need to use a *hairdryer. The heat from it should break the rust bonds and help you to coax the paddle out. Here are the instructions you’ll need:

1. Turn the hairdryer on
2. Direct the heat at the paddle for a few minutes
3. Handle the bread pan with care. Use an oven glove to hold onto the winged coupling on the base of the pan. Twist the paddle back and forth with some wooden prongs.  Do this until it loosens enough for you to pull it out.

*NOTE: You should only use this method if you suspect that the bread maker’s paddle is stuck because of a rust problem. You should not use it if you think that there is bread trapping the paddle.

Cleaning the rust off of a bread maker is hard work. So ideally, we want to nip rust in the bud before it gets a chance to take over your appliances. How can you prevent a buildup of rust in the future? Here are a couple of things you can do to help keep your bread maker rust-free:

• Clean the bread maker well after each use
• Dry the parts of the bread maker thoroughly before storing them
• Cover the bread maker while it is in storage. This will prevent dust buildup which could lead to corrosion.
• Always store the bread maker in a cool, dry place

Method #4 Wrap a Shoelace Around the Paddle

Not had much success so far with your bread maker’s paddle? You’ve tried twisting it, submerging it in hot water, even heating it with a hairdryer. Don’t despair, all is not lost. I still have one more method up my sleeve for you to try.

This last method should help you to pull a stubborn paddle from your bread pan. You will only need a shoelace, a toothpick, and some good old-fashioned elbow grease to do it.

1. Use a toothpick to push out any bread from around the paddle
2. Wrap a shoelace around the paddle. Tie it to the paddle firmly so it will not come away while you complete these steps.
3. Hold the bread pan down firmly on a table
4. Wrap the other end of the shoelace around your hand
5. Pull on the shoelace. Try pulling at different angles to tease the paddle out. Do this until the paddle frees.
6. Fish any leftover bread out with a toothpick

Conclusion

A bread maker’s paddle that is stuck in place is a nuisance. You’ve spent ages twisting and turning it but it still doesn’t budge. I’m sure this article has helped thanks to the 4 methods and detailed instructions listed in it. They have no doubt assisted you with wriggling your paddle to freedom.

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Have a great day!

– Craig