How to Find the Model Number on Any KitchenAid Appliance — Location Guide for All 7 Types

Why You Need Your KitchenAid Model Number Right Now

KitchenAid has issued dozens of appliance recall notices over the past decade — affecting refrigerators, dishwashers, ranges, and stand mixers. In every case, the CPSC recall bulletin identifies affected units by specific model number ranges and serial number windows. The brand name alone — KitchenAid — is never sufficient to determine whether your specific unit is covered. Only an exact model number match against the recall notice tells you whether to take action.

The same specificity applies to every downstream decision: parts orders, warranty verification, wiring diagrams, owner's manual downloads, and inspection documentation. A KitchenAid KRFC300ESS counter-depth French-door refrigerator and a KRFF577KPS standard-depth French-door refrigerator are both "KitchenAid French-door refrigerators" — but they carry different compressors, different ice maker assemblies, and different parts catalogs. Ordering against the wrong model sends you the wrong part and a two-week delay.

The practical problem: KitchenAid places its model number label inside or behind the appliance, never on the exterior. There is no sticker on the front panel, no label on the control surface, and no tag visible from the front without opening something. This guide gives you the verified label location for each of KitchenAid's seven major appliance categories so you can find it in under a minute.

All 7 Types at a Glance

KitchenAid Refrigerators

KitchenAid produces French-door, side-by-side, and built-in refrigerator configurations — each with distinct label placement conventions. Knowing which configuration you have eliminates most of the searching.

French-door models (KRFC, KRFF, KRMF series)

Open the left-hand door of a French-door KitchenAid refrigerator. On the upper-left interior wall of the fresh food compartment — the wall directly visible when the door swings open, just below the top shelf bracket — you will find a white or silver adhesive rating plate. This placement is consistent across KRFC300, KRFC704, KRFF507, KRFF577, and KRMF706 series.

On counter-depth models (KRFC prefix), the interior walls are narrower and the label sometimes migrates to the ceiling of the fresh food compartment. Open the left door and look straight up at the top interior surface, in the center or toward the front. If the upper-left wall is blank, check there before looking elsewhere.

Four-door Quad-Door models (KRMF) treat the upper compartment as their fresh food section. The label is on the upper-left interior wall of that upper section, same logic as a two-door French-door model. The lower drawer sections do not carry labels.

Side-by-side models (KRSF, KRSN, KBFS series)

Open the refrigerator door (left side, fresh food section). On KitchenAid side-by-side units, the label is typically on the right interior wall near the top of the fresh food section — the tall wall on the right as you look into the compartment, at approximately eye level near the top. This applies to KRSF505, KRSF707, and KRSN608 series.

If the right interior wall is blank or degraded, pull both crisper drawers fully out and check the floor of the fresh food compartment. On older KRSF models, the label sits flat on the floor under the drawers — a frequently missed location. A third backup is the door jamb on the left (hinge) side, visible when the door is fully open.

Built-in column models (KBBR, KBBL, KBFN series)

KitchenAid built-in refrigerator and freezer columns have a slightly different label location because of their flush-install cabinetry. Open the door and look at the upper interior wall on the right or left side near the top, or at the ceiling of the interior compartment just inside the opening. On some KBFN panel-ready models, the label is on the exterior top panel above the door hinge, accessible by opening the door fully — look at the top surface of the unit near the rear hinge.

KitchenAid Dishwashers

KitchenAid dishwashers consistently place the model number label on the interior tub wall — not on the door itself. This placement is shared with GE and differs from Whirlpool and Maytag, which typically use the inner door panel edge.

Open the dishwasher door completely (pull it down to fully horizontal). Look at the left side wall of the tub interior — the tall vertical surface on the left as you look into the open dishwasher compartment. The rating plate is affixed here at approximately mid-height on KDFE204, KDFE304, KDTM404, KDTM704, KDPE204, KDPM604, and KDTE204 series dishwashers. KitchenAid's own parts site confirms this left-tub-wall placement for all current dishwasher series.

If the left tub wall label is absent or unreadable (mineral buildup and steam degrade dishwasher labels faster than any other appliance type), check the top inner edge of the door panel — the narrow horizontal strip running across the top of the door's interior face, visible when the door is pulled fully down. A third location exists on some older KitchenAid dishwashers (pre-2010): the right tub wall at approximately mid-height mirrors the left wall placement and may carry a secondary label.

Photograph the label with your phone and boost the contrast — dishwasher labels often become invisible to the naked eye but retain partial printing that a camera sensor can capture under enhanced contrast. Boosting shadows in your phone's photo editor frequently makes the model number legible again.

KitchenAid Ranges and Wall Ovens

KitchenAid produces four range configurations — freestanding gas, freestanding electric, slide-in gas, and slide-in electric — plus a line of built-in wall ovens. Label location varies significantly by configuration.

Freestanding gas and electric ranges (KFGG, KFED, KSGB, KCED series)

On freestanding KitchenAid ranges with a storage or warming drawer at the base, the primary label location is inside the storage drawer cavity. Pull the storage or warming drawer fully out (it slides out on rails or lifts out entirely). The model number label is on the frame visible inside the cavity — typically on the front metal face of the cavity, facing you when the drawer is removed. This applies to KFGG500, KFGG504, KFED500, KSGB900, and most KCED commercial-style units.

If the range has no storage drawer (some commercial-style KitchenAid ranges omit it), open the oven door and check the left or right trim strip of the oven door frame — the metal strips running along the sides of the oven cavity opening, visible when the door is fully open. This door-frame location is also common on KCED commercial-style ranges regardless of drawer configuration.

Slide-in ranges (KSGG, KSED, KCES, KCEG series)

Slide-in KitchenAid ranges do not have a storage drawer — they sit flush to cabinetry on both sides. The primary label location on slide-in models is the oven door frame: open the oven door fully and check the left or right trim strip inside the oven opening. On KSGG700, KSED900, and KCES900 series, the label is usually on the left trim strip.

A common secondary location on KitchenAid slide-in ranges is the left exterior side panel — the narrow side surface of the range that would face the adjacent cabinet. It may require sliding the range out slightly or using a phone camera to photograph it in place. On commercial-style slide-in models (KCEG, KCGS), this side panel is the most reliable backup location.

Wall ovens (KOCE, KOSE, KOED, KEMS, KODT series)

For KitchenAid built-in wall ovens, open the oven door fully. The label is on the front frame at the lower-left or lower-right edge of the oven cavity opening — the painted metal border at the bottom corners of the oven cavity, visible when the door swings down. On single wall oven units (KOSE500, KOSE900), crouch down and look at the lower corners of the oven opening frame.

On double wall oven models (KOED series), the label is on the lower oven's front frame at the lower-left corner, since the lower unit is more physically accessible. The upper oven carries a separate label in the same position, but the lower unit's label is more commonly cited in service documentation. On combination microwave-oven units (KOCE series), the rating plate is typically on the oven portion's front frame, not inside the microwave cavity.

KitchenAid Washers

KitchenAid produces front-load washers only in its current residential lineup — there are no KitchenAid top-load washer models in active production as of 2026. All current KitchenAid washers use front-load configuration with a horizontal drum.

Front-load washers (KHFW, KHWV series)

Open the washer door. The label is on the door frame ring — the circular border of rubber-trimmed metal that surrounds the drum opening inside the machine. Look at the inner face of this ring, particularly at the left side (approximately 8-to-10-o'clock position as you face the machine). On KHFW850, KHFW950, and KHWV850 series, this is the standard location as documented in KitchenAid's parts support system.

Because KitchenAid washers are Whirlpool-group products, the door ring label placement is identical to matching Whirlpool and Maytag front-load washers. If the door ring label is worn or absent — heat and moisture degrade adhesive faster in this location than anywhere else on a front-load washer — check the inner rim of the door itself: the edge of the door glass or door frame on the side closest to the hinge. A secondary label here survives longer because it is shielded from drum steam when the door is closed.

As a last resort, the exterior rear panel of the washer carries the rating plate, though accessing it requires pulling the unit away from the wall.

KitchenAid Dryers

KitchenAid dryers — both electric (KHEW, KHEV) and gas (KHGW, KHGV) — follow the same label convention. Open the dryer door and look inside the door frame.

The label is on the painted metal frame that surrounds the drum opening — typically on the left side of the door frame, the strip running along the left side of the opening as you face the machine. On KHEW850, KHEW950, KHGW850, and KHEV855 series, left-side door frame placement is standard. On some KHEV and KHGV models, the label is on the right side of the door frame instead; if you don't find it on the left, check the right before looking elsewhere.

A common secondary location is the inner rim of the dryer door itself — the edge running around the door's interior circumference. On older KitchenAid dryer models (pre-2010), the label sometimes appeared on the exterior back panel rather than inside the door frame.

KitchenAid laundry pairs (matched washer-dryer sets) share a design language but carry independent labels at their respective standard locations — the washer's label is on the door frame ring, and the dryer's label is on the door frame strip. Do not assume matched appliances will have the same label placement.

KitchenAid Microwaves

KitchenAid microwave label location depends on whether the unit is an over-the-range installation or a countertop unit.

Over-the-range microwaves (KMHS, KMBS, KMBD series)

Open the microwave door. The label is on the left interior cavity wall — the left side surface inside the microwave compartment, visible when the door is open and you look to the left. On KMHS120, KMBS104, and KMBD104 series over-range units, this left cavity wall placement is the standard location. The label is typically positioned at approximately mid-height on the interior left wall.

If the left cavity wall label is absent or unreadable, the secondary location is the rear exterior panel of the microwave — accessible only by unmounting the unit. Because unmounting is a significant effort, try photographing the left cavity wall first with enhanced contrast before concluding the label is missing.

Countertop microwaves (KMCC, KCMS series)

Countertop KitchenAid microwaves carry the label on the rear panel — the back surface facing the wall. To read it without moving the unit, hold your phone camera behind the microwave and photograph the rear panel, then zoom in on the image. On smaller countertop models, a secondary label sometimes appears on the underside of the unit near the front-left corner — tilt the unit slightly to check.

Reading the KitchenAid Model Number

KitchenAid model numbers are structured codes that reveal the appliance type, configuration, capacity tier, design generation, and finish — not random strings. Once you have it, you can extract useful information without any lookup tool.

The trailing finish code at the end of KitchenAid model numbers is one of the most practically useful segments for parts orders: SS = Stainless Steel, WH or WHT = White, BLK or BS = Black/Black Stainless, PS = PrintShield Stainless, OB = Oil-Rubbed Bronze, MS = Milkshake (white matte), V = Volcanic (black matte). Different finish variants of the same model (e.g., KHFW850HV vs KHFW850HSS) share all internal mechanical components — only exterior panels and handles differ by finish code.

The design generation letter immediately before the finish code (E, G, H, J, K, L, M in recent years) is often overlooked but matters for parts: a KDTM404EPS and a KDTM404KPS may have different door latch assemblies, control boards, or pump configurations even though they are the same series dishwasher. Always include the full model number — including the generation letter — when ordering parts.

The serial number is on the same label. KitchenAid major appliances follow the Whirlpool-group serial format: the first character is a manufacturing plant code, the second character encodes the production year on a repeating letter cycle, and the third and fourth characters encode the production week (01–52). For the complete KitchenAid serial number date-decode method — including the full year-letter chart, the 10-year cycle, and how to resolve decade ambiguity — see our KitchenAid Serial Number Decoder guide.

What to Do Once You Have the Model Number

With the model number confirmed, four actions are immediately possible:

• Check for open recalls: KitchenAid has had significant recall notices — including a 2022 recall covering certain KitchenAid, Whirlpool, Maytag, and Amana dishwashers for risk of electrical fire, and earlier notices covering refrigerator ice makers and range burners. Visit ApplianceIQ's recall check guide or search by model at CPSC.gov. Recall eligibility is always model-number-specific — a neighbor with an identical-looking KitchenAid unit may be affected while yours is not.
• Order the correct parts: Parts sites (KitchenAidParts.com, RepairClinic, PartSelect) route to the correct parts catalog based on the full model number, including the generation letter. Even a single character difference in a KitchenAid model number can map to a different door latch, control board revision, or spray arm geometry. One wrong character means the wrong part and a return cycle.
• Verify warranty coverage: KitchenAid major appliances carry a standard 1-year parts and labor warranty, with a 5-year limited warranty on sealed refrigeration systems and specific motor components, and a 10-year limited warranty on the dishwasher stainless steel tub and inner door liner on qualified models. Checking coverage at KitchenAid Owners Center requires both model and serial number.
• Document for inspections and claims: Home inspectors, real estate agents, and insurance adjusters need the model number for the appliance section of inspection reports. Photograph the label — most KitchenAid labels since 2018 include a barcode or QR code linking directly to the product support page. That code makes future lookups instant from a phone, even when the printed characters are not readable.

ApplianceIQ delivers 25 free lookups per month — enter your KitchenAid model and serial to get the manufacture date, recall status, estimated remaining lifespan, and linked manual in a single result. See pricing for team and bulk plans used by inspection firms, repair companies, and property managers.