KitchenAid serial numbers follow two distinct paths. Major appliances (refrigerators, dishwashers, ranges) use the standard Whirlpool 9-digit format, where the 2nd character is the manufacturing year. KitchenAid stand mixers, however, use a proprietary format starting with 'W', where a specific year letter (e.g., K=2000, L=2001) determines the age. If your mixer predates 1986, it likely uses the Hobart-era 5-digit dating scheme.
Major Appliance Decoding
Because KitchenAid was acquired by Whirlpool in 1986, all major appliances since then follow the Whirlpool serial convention.
Format: 9 characters (e.g., CY4212345)
- 2nd Character: Year code (Y=2009/2031, etc.)
- 3rd & 4th Character: Week of manufacture.
Stand Mixer Decoding
KitchenAid stand mixers produced in the Greenville, Ohio plant use a different format:
Format: W + Factory Letter + Year Letter + 2-digit Week + Sequence (e.g., WK2212345)
- Position 1: 'W' (Whirlpool era)
- Position 2: Factory code (often 'O' or '9' for Greenville)
- Position 3: Year letter (see chart below)
- Position 4-5: Week of manufacture (01-52)
Mixer Year Letter Chart
| Letter | Year | Letter | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| J | 1999 | P | 2005 |
| K | 2000 | R | 2006 |
| L | 2001 | S | 2007 |
| M | 2002 | T | 2008 |
| N | 2003 | U | 2009 |
The Hobart Era (Pre-1986)
Before the Whirlpool acquisition, KitchenAid was owned by Hobart. These vintage mixers are highly prized for their durability. Hobart-era mixers typically use a 5-digit "day-of-year" code followed by a 2-digit year, or they may simply have the year stamped inside the base housing.