My KitchenAid Ice Maker's Rake Is Stuck

Stuck in Ice

• If the ice rake gets left in the ice in the bucket, instead of being returned to its compartment, the ice in the bucket may freeze around the rake. This doesn’t generally happen though unless the ice in the bucket melts and then refreezes, which can be caused by a freezer that is set at too low of a temperature for keeping the ice consistently cold. You can use a fork or butter knife to chip away at the ice around the rake if it gets stuck and then change the dial in the freezer to a colder temperature.

Stuck in Compartment

• Like any area of the freezer, the scooper compartment in KitchenAid ice maker may develop a layer of ice. If this happens, the scooper may stick to the ice in its compartment when you attempt to take it out for use. You should never just attempt to pull the scooper free from the compartment if it is stuck, because the scooper may bend or break from the pressure. Instead, defrost the compartment to make it usable again.

Defrosting the Rake Compartment

• To loosen a rake stuck in the rake compartment of a KitchenAid ice maker, slowly pour warm water over the rake until it comes loose and remove the rake from the unit. Once the rake has been removed, use a cloth wet with warm water to go over the inside of the compartment to break up and remove the built-up ice. You may have to rewet the rag numerous times to complete this task. If the entire freezer has built-up ice, you should defrost the entire freezer instead, according to the directions provided with your refrigerator.

Preventing Future Sticking

• You can prevent the build-up of ice inside the scooper compartment or ice bucket of a KitchenAid ice maker through regular cleaning. Once every month to two months, take the scooper out of the scooper compartment and unscrew the screws that hold the compartment in place to take it out as well. Wash both components with soap and water. Take the ice out of the ice bucket, chipping built-up ice apart with a fork if necessary and dump the ice, and then wash the inside of the ice bucket with soap and water and rinse well.