Have you ever wondered about the background of the everyday kitchen items we use? Today, let’s travel back in time to learn more about the fascinating history of one such essential appliance: the mixer.
The First Years of Combining
Our story begins in the mid-1800s, when inventors from all over the world started experimenting with ways to make the process of mixing ingredients easier and faster. In 1856, Ralph Collier, a tinner from Baltimore, was granted the patent for the first mixer having spinning pieces. Less than a year later, E.P. Griffith introduced the whisk, a revolutionary tool for blending ingredients. J.F. and E.P. Monroe also left their mark with their hand-turned rotary egg beater, which was patented in the United States in 1859.
Upon noticing these early prototypes, the Dover Stamping Company acquired the patent from the Monroe Brothers. The Dover egg beaters gained notoriety in the US and were dubbed the “Dover beater.” A great dessert recipe called “Hur-Mon Bavarian Cream” that was published in the Cedar Rapids, Iowa Gazette in February 1929 highlighted the legendary Dover beater, proving just how highly regarded these beaters were.
Greetings from the Electricity Age
It wasn’t until 1885 that the first electric mixer was made possible, thanks to the inventiveness of American inventor Rufus Eastman. However, the Hobart Manufacturing Company’s massive commercial mixers were what truly revolutionized the industry. In 1914, they introduced a ground-breaking new model that revolutionized the mixer industry.
In the early 20th century, consumers started to favor two well-known American brands: Hobart KitchenAid and Sunbeam Mixmaster. Nevertheless, residential electric mixers remained a rarity in most families until the 1920s, when they began to be widely adopted for domestic purposes.
The Stand Mixer: A New Development
In 1908, Hobart Manufacturing Company engineer Herbert Johnston had a revelation when he observed a baker stirring bread dough with a metal spoon. He decided there had to be a more straightforward approach and set out to create a mechanical substitute.
By 1915, Johnston’s 20-gallon mixer was standard equipment in most large bakeries. Just four years later, in 1919, the Hobart Manufacturing Company debuted the Kitchen Aid Food Preparer, which was later termed the stand mixer. This innovative design quickly became the norm for kitchens across the country.
From the hand-turned rotary beaters of the 19th century to the development of electric motors and the stand mixer, this essential kitchen tool has gone a long way. It has undergone numerous modifications to improve our quality of life in the kitchen.
Therefore, the next time you whip up some cookies or mix up a lovely cake batter, keep in mind the long history of your trusty mixer. It demonstrates human ingenuity and the desire to simplify everyday duties.
Other than the mixer, the meat grinder is a practical kitchen tool with a fascinating history. This tool is used to chop and combine raw or cooked meat, fish, vegetables, and other components. It is frequently referred to as a “meat mincer” in the UK.
The history of the meat grinder began in the nineteenth century when Karl Drais invented the first version of this incredible machine. Meat was ground by hand-cranked grinders that pushed the meat through a thinly pored metal plate to create long, thin strands of flesh.
As technology developed and electricity became more accessible, producers began to create meat grinders with electricity. These modern electric grinders make it feasible to process pounds of meat consistently and smoothly. The inclusion of attachments for jobs like juicing, kibbe, and sausage-making, which come with some models, has substantially enhanced the functionality of meat grinders.
Thus, the next time you’re cutting meat for a tasty dish or experimenting with handmade sausages, remember the adventure and imagination that led to the construction of your meat grinder. It’s proof of how kitchen appliances have advanced to enrich and ease our culinary adventures.
