Fascinating
facts about the invention
of the
Standing Mixer by Herbert Johnson in
1908. |
MIXER |
AT A GLANCE:
In 1908 Herbert Johnson, an
engineer for the Hobart Manufacturing Company, invents an electric standing mixer.
His inspiration came from observing a baker mixing bread dough with a
metal spoon; soon he was toying with a mechanical counterpart. By 1915,
his 80-quart mixer was standard equipment for most large bakeries. In
1919 Hobart introduced the KitchenAid Food Preparer (stand mixer)
for the home |
THE
STORY
RELATED INFO
BOOKS
VIDEOS
WEB SITES
WHERE TO FIND
QUOTATIONS
HOW IT WORKS
DID YOU KNOW? |
|
Invention: |
mixer,
standing in 1908 |
|
|
Definition: |
noun / mix·er
|
|
Function: |
A mixer is
a kitchen appliance intended for mixing, folding, beating, and
whipping food ingredients. Mixers come in two major variations, hand
mixers and stand mixers. |
|
| Inventor: |
Herbert Johnson |
|
|
Criteria: |
First practical.
Entrepreneur. |
|
Milestones:
1908 Herbert Johnson, an
engineer, invents a standing mixer for mixing bread dough
1915 Hobart Mfg. Co, of Troy, Ohio begins selling 80 quart mixers to
professional bakers
1919 Hobart, now called KitchenAid sells a "food preparer" (stand mixer)
for the home
1930 Sunbeam
MixMaster introduced selling at a fraction of the KitchenAid's price
1936 designer Egmont Ahrens trimmed the KitchenAid mixer down to a more
convenient weight
1952 Sunbeam put out its first hand-held MixMaster
1954 you can now buy a KitchenAid mixer in a color other than white
mixer, electric mixer, mixmaster, standing mixer, hand held mixer,
herbert johnson, hobart manufacturing company, sunbeam,
invention, history,
inventor of, history of, who invented, invention of, fascinating
facts. |
|
The Story:
Like many home appliances, the standing mixer
has industrial antecedents. In the 1908, engineer Herbert Johnson was
observing a baker mixing bread dough with a metal spoon; soon he was toying
with a mechanical counterpart. By 1915, his 80-quart Hobart mixer was
standard equipment on all U.S. Navy vessels, as well as in many commercial
bakeries.
World War I intervened before Hobart could jump into the
residential market, but by 1918, company executives were testing models in
their homes. "I don't care what you call it," legend has one of the
executives' spouses espousing, "all I know is it's the best kitchen aid I've
ever had."
The name stuck. The first 5-quart countertop KitchenAid mixers were not
cheap:$189.50, or about $2,000 in 2002 dollars. Weighing in at 65 pounds,
they weren't convenient, either. But that all changed in 1936, when
pioneering industrial designer Egmont Ahrens trimmed the mixer down and
chopped the price to $55. The iconic Streamline shape has changed so little
that Ahrens' bullet silhouette is patented.
In the early years, retailers were slow to take
on the KitchenAid mixer. To counter their reluctance, Hobart established a
direct sales force made up primarily of women who went door to door offering
demonstrations of the new food preparation tool. With the creation of citrus
juicer and food grinder attachments in 1919, KitchenAid mixers were on the
road to becoming the versatile "food preparation tools", as they were
subsequently styled. Today's KitchenAid stand mixers can be converted to
anything from a pasta maker to a sausage stuffer or grain mill with the
addition of optional attachments.
The mixer's mechanics remain virtually unaltered, too. An attachment made in
1919 -- the pea shucker, for instance -- will fit on today's model. Tens of
millions of KitchenAid mixers have been manufactured at the same Greenville,
Ohio, factory that produced the first one in 1919.
KitchenAid may have been first, but the widespread acceptance of the
electric standing mixer actually belongs to a more populist-priced
appliance, the Sunbeam MixMaster invented by Ivar Jepson's. Sold at a
fraction of the KitchenAid's price (in the early 1930s, it retailed for
$18.25, about $240 in 2002 dollars), the MixMaster caught on like wildfire.
Within six years of its 1930 introduction -- and at the height of the
Depression -- the company was selling 300,000 MixMasters a year.
Sunbeam put out its first hand-held MixMaster in 1952. Although the
KitchenAid standing mixer is the current market leader, the Sunbeam
MixMaster remains a viable rival. |
TO
LEARN MORE
RELATED INFORMATION:
Invention of the Blender from The Great Idea Finder
History of Household Items from The Great Idea Finder
ON THE BOOKSHELF:
The Eggbeater Chronicles (Limited Availability.)
by Don Thornton / Paperback: 350 pages / Thornton House; 2nd ed edition
(1999)
The expanded and updated work unscrambles
the history behind one of America's greatest gadgets. Generously
supplemented by an unbeatable group of photos, trademarks, illustrations of
vintage catalogs and advertisements, patent drawings and recipes, the book
is required reading for the kitchen collector
Mix It Up! Great Recipes to Make the Most of Your Stand Mixer (Limited
Availability.)
by Jamee Ruth, Maren Caruso / Paperback: 132 pages / Chronicle Books
(October, 2002)
"Everyone who has a kitchen longs for an electric stand mixer," writes Jamee
Ruth in Mix It Up!. "It is a sought-after icon—a trophy that says, 'I'm a
cook.'" But like a lot of icons, it's often more awesome than user-friendly.
With 13 attachments available, many cooks confine themselves to mixing up
cookie batters with the flat beater and calling it a day
The Big Book of Kitchen Appliance Recipes
by Katona; German; White; Simmons / Hardcover: 360 pages / Bristol
Publishing Enterprises (2003)
This great compendium contains hundreds of recipes for the slow cooker,
convection oven, blender, pasta machine, juicer, ice cream maker, steamer,
deep fryer, indoor grill, rice cooker, waffle maker and sandwich maker.
ON THE SCREEN:
Digi-tech
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / Less than $25.00
See how the computing capacity of World-War II era room-sized computers
is now surpassed by hand-held devices; visit Zenith to see a
side-by-side comparison of regular television and HDTV; discover how a
Cold War era NASA program is transforming personal photography, and get
the inside story about MP3s.
Household Wonders
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / History Channel / Less than $25.00
HOUSEHOLD WONDERS tells the story of seven taken-for-granted inventions
that make modern life comfy, fast and clean: the stove, sewing machine,
refrigerator, air conditioner, washing machine, vacuum cleaner, toaster
and mixer.
ON THE WEB:
KitchenAid History
KitchenAid has spent decades creating innovative products for the
well-equipped kitchen. From commercial grade cooktops and wine cellars to
stand mixers and an impressive assortment of cookware, bakeware and
accessories
(URL: www.kitchenaid.com/custserv/about.jsp)
Standing mixer: From Navy to home kitchen
Tens of millions of KitchenAid mixers have been manufactured at the same
Greenville, Ohio, factory that produced the first one in 1919. Article by
Rick Nelson for the Star Tribune.
(URL: archives.openflows.org/electronetwork-l/msg00294.html)
KitchenAid Mixers
Before KitchenAid manufactured its famous stand mixer, or even existed, it
was known as the Hobart Company. Article by Valerie Conners fot the Travel
Channel.
(URL: travel.discovery.com/fansites/jrmia/goods/kitchenaid.html)
Inventor
of the Week-Ivar Jepson
It is proof of Ivar Jepson's talent that the 60th Anniversary Edition of
"the mixer America grew up with," released by Sunbeam in 1990, differed very
little from Jepson's first model.
(URL: web.mit.edu/invent/iow/jepson.html)
Early Mixer
The first patent that can claim to be for an electric mixer was issued on
November 17, 1885 to Rufus M. Eastman. Actually, his patent is simply for a
powered mixer, and he allowed that electric, water or mechanical power could
be used.
(URL: my.core.com/%7Edthomp/HISTORY.HTM)
Sunbeam History
Sunbeam Products, Inc. is a leading global consumer products company that
designs, manufactures, and markets, nationally and internationally, a
diverse portfolio of consumer products under such world-class brands as
Sunbeam®, Oster®, Mr. Coffee®, and Health o
meter®.
(URL: www.sunbeam.com/datapage.aspx?NLId=48)
The Mixer America Grew Up With
Rufus W. Eastman received the
first known patent for an electric mixer in 1885--an intriguing machine
designed to run on either electric or water power. Another early electric
mixer was designed and patented by psychologist/ergonomist Lillian Gilbreth.
COOKIES and POP-UP ADS.
(URL: www.angelfire.com/home/flexibleshaft/Sunbeam2.html)
Antique Electric
Mixers
Probably no kitchen appliance in history has more innovation behind it then
the hand-cranked egg beater. Beginning in 1856, more than 1000 patents have
been granted to this seemingly simple device
(URL: my.core.com/%7Edthomp)
WHERE TO FIND:
KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Mixer
Kitchen / by KitchenAid / ASIN: B00007IT2P / Model # KSM150PSMC / Less than
$250.00
The Artisan mixer's strong 325-watt motor delivers the power to handle the
heaviest mixtures, and mix large batches easily. The 5-quart polished
stainless steel bowl with ergonomic handle is big enough to handle large
batches of heavy mixtures. Its ergonomically designed handle is contoured to
fit the hand and makes lifting the bowl more comfortable.
Sunbeam 2366 Mixmaster Stand Mixer 4-qt.
Kitchen / by Sunbeam Products, Inc. / ASIN: B0002L34J6 / Model # 2366 / Less
than $100.00
Use this updated kitchen
favorite to create some new family favorites. This stand mixer offers 275
watts of power and 12 speeds. It also has a burst of power for a little
added oomph when mixing firm batters and stiff doughs. Chrome beaters eject
for convenience. Includes two glass,
HOW IT WORKS:
Mixers should not be confused with blenders.
Blenders contain sharp blades and typically operate at higher speeds that
chop, liquefy, or otherwise break down larger food items. A mixer is a much
slower device without blades.
DID YOU KNOW?:
- Tens of millions of KitchenAid mixers have been manufactured at the same
Greenville, Ohio, factory that produced the first one in 1919.
- The White House pastry kitchen has three
mixers, one each in
red, white and blue;
- Julia Child's cobalt-blue KitchenAid mixer now rests in
the
Smithsonian.
- As a testament to their
popularity, the U.S. Postal Service portrayed them in a 1998 stamp series
that
highlighted the most memorable trends of each decade of the 20th century;
the
MixMaster was chosen as the definitive image of the 1930s' household
conveniences.
|
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Designated
trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners, |
| Reference
Sources in BOLD Type. |
This
page revised October, 2005. |
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