Beatrice Lang
The electric mixer has been a staple in kitchens for about a century now, but its journey to becoming a countertop appliance has been a long one. The earliest mixers were mechanical devices that came into use in the mid-19th century. The first mixer with an electric motor is believed to have been invented by Rufus Eastman in 1885, though the first handheld electric mixer patent was submitted by Sunbeam Corporation in 1953 and granted in 1961. The first stand mixer was invented in the early 1900s by Herbert Johnson of the Hobart Manufacturing Company, which initially created machines for the commercial food industry.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| First electric mixer with a motor | Invented by Rufus Eastman in 1885 |
| First electric standing mixer | Invented by Herbert Johnston in 1908 |
| First electric hand mixer patent | Submitted by Sunbeam Corporation in 1953 and granted in 1961 |
| Commercial use of electric mixers | Began in the 1920s |
| Home use of electric mixers | Became common in the 1930s |
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What You'll Learn
The first electric mixers were invented in the early 1900s
In 1908, Herbert Johnston (or Johnson), an engineer for the Hobart Manufacturing Company, created the first electric stand mixer. Inspired by observing a baker mixing dough with a metal spoon, Johnston developed a mixer that used planetary action, with the bowl rotating in one direction while the mixer rotated in the opposite direction. This mixer, called the Model H, had a capacity of 80 quarts (or gallons) and was used in commercial bakeries and on U.S. Navy vessels. However, it was too large and unsuitable for home kitchens.
The Hobart Manufacturing Company introduced another model in 1914, which played a key role in their mixer business. They also released the first KitchenAid Food Preparer (stand mixer) for home use in 1919. Other early US brands of electric mixers included the Sunbeam Mixmaster, first produced in 1910. Domestic electric mixers became more widely adopted in the 1920s, although they were still quite large and expensive, so only wealthy households could afford them. It wasn't until the 1930s that smaller and more affordable electric mixers were introduced for general home use.
Over time, electric mixers continued to evolve and become more accessible. In the 1950s, mixers with multiple speeds were introduced, giving users more control over the mixing process. By the 1960s, stand mixers had become more compact and affordable, making their way into more households. The 1970s saw the introduction of various attachments that transformed the stand mixer into a multi-purpose appliance, solidifying its place as an essential kitchen tool.
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The Hobart Manufacturing Company was an early producer of mixers
The electric mixer has been around for about a century, with the first handheld electric mixer patented in 1953 and granted in 1961. The road to the modern countertop small appliance was a long and interesting one.
The Hobart Manufacturing Company, founded in 1897, was an early producer of mixers. In 1908, Herbert Johnston (or Johnson), an engineer for the company, invented an electric standing mixer. The inspiration came from observing a baker mixing bread dough with a metal spoon. The baker was mixing so vigorously that he was dripping perspiration into the ingredients. Building on the electric eggbeater, Johnston developed a mixer that used planetary action, moving the bowl in a circular fashion one way while the mixer rotated the opposite way. This machine, called the Model H, had an 80-quart capacity and was used in commercial bakeries and on U.S. Navy vessels. However, Johnston had not yet developed a version suitable for the traditional household.
Rumours suggest that a wife of a Hobart company executive was using a test model in her kitchen and called it “the best kitchen aid I’ve ever had”. This led to the branding of the mixer as 'KitchenAid'. The first KitchenAid mixer, the H-5, was a heavy-duty machine weighing 65 pounds. In 1914, Hobart introduced the Model A-80, which became standard equipment for most large bakeries by 1915. The A-80 mixer played a key role in the mixer part of Hobart's business, and the company continued to innovate in this space, introducing the 4356 Mixer Grinder in 1965.
Hobart's early mixers were large commercial machines, but the company also played a role in the development of smaller mixers. The company's first sales convention was held in Troy, Ohio, in 1910, and the company is still headquartered there today. In 1913, the company reorganized as the Hobart Manufacturing Company, and sales that year exceeded $1 million for the first time. The company began doing business in Australia, South America, and South Africa.
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Electric mixers were initially large and expensive
The first stand mixer was invented in the early 1900s by Herbert Johnson, an engineer at the Hobart Manufacturing Company. Johnson designed the machine to mix bread dough more efficiently than the manual method, marking the birth of the first stand mixer. The first stand mixers were large and heavy, and they were only used in commercial kitchens. These early mixers were quite large and expensive, so only wealthy households could afford them.
In 1908, Johnson created a mechanical mixer after noticing a baker laboriously mixing dough with a spoon. The machine, called the Model H, had an 80-quart capacity and was used in commercial bakeries and on US Navy vessels. Johnson's invention built upon the electric egg beater, using planetary action to rotate the bowl in one direction while the mixer turned in the opposite direction.
The Hobart Manufacturing Company played a pivotal role in the mixer's history. In 1914, the company introduced a new model that significantly contributed to its mixer business. The Hobart KitchenAid and Sunbeam Mixmaster, first produced in 1910, were two early US brands of electric mixers. However, domestic electric mixers were rarely used before the 1920s, when they gained wider adoption for home use.
It wasn't until the 1930s that the electric mixer was introduced as a smaller, lighter, and more user-friendly alternative to manual and stand mixers. The electric mixer quickly gained popularity among home cooks and remains a beloved kitchen accessory today. Over time, the stand mixer continued to evolve, with the introduction of multiple speeds in the 1950s, making it even more versatile and accessible to a broader range of users.
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Domestic electric mixers became popular in the 1920s
The history of the electric mixer can be traced back to the mid-19th century when the earliest mechanical devices were introduced. Initially, mixers were large and heavy, designed solely for commercial kitchens. The demand for large-scale uniform mixing in the baking industry drove the development of the electric stand mixer. The first mixer with an electric motor is believed to have been invented by Rufus Eastman in 1885, though it was not until the early 1900s that the first stand mixer was created.
In 1908, Herbert Johnston, an engineer for the Hobart Manufacturing Company, observed a baker struggling to mix dough with a spoon. Inspired to create a mechanical solution, he developed the Model H, an electric standing mixer with a planetary action that moved the bowl in one direction while the mixer rotated in the opposite direction. This mixer had an impressive 80-quart capacity and found success in commercial bakeries, even on US Navy vessels. However, it was not designed for home kitchens.
Over time, electric mixers continued to evolve, becoming more affordable and accessible to the general public. By the 1930s, the electric mixer was introduced as a countertop appliance, and in the 1950s, mixers with multiple speeds entered the market, giving users more control over the mixing process. The 1960s brought further advancements, with stand mixers becoming more compact and affordable, finding their way into even more homes.
Today, stand mixers have become a staple in kitchens worldwide, offering convenience and assistance with various culinary tasks. They have evolved from bulky commercial appliances to sleek, versatile tools found in homes everywhere, showcasing the remarkable journey of this innovative device.
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Electric mixers were inspired by manual mixing tools
The journey to the invention of the electric mixer began with manual mixing tools. Before the electric mixer was invented, people mixed ingredients by hand, using various tools such as spoons and whisks. The whisk, for example, is a handheld kitchen gadget with wires that circulate air within ingredients as one stirs. The process of manually mixing ingredients was often tedious and tiring.
In the mid-19th century, inventors began to create mechanical mixing devices. In 1856, Ralph Collier of Baltimore, Maryland, patented a mixer with a rotating part. This was followed by E.P. Griffith's "egg beater" in 1857, which could be positioned inside a pot rather than needing to be held by hand. In 1859, J.F. and E.P. Monroe patented a hand-turned rotary mixer, which was later sold to the Dover Stamping Company and became a major success. These early mechanical mixers were an important step towards the eventual invention of the electric mixer.
In the late 19th century, inventors began incorporating electrical components into mixers. The first mixer with an electric motor is believed to have been invented by Rufus Eastman in 1885. This was followed by improvements to the electric egg beater by Willis Johnson in 1894. These early electric mixers were precursors to the more advanced electric mixers that would be developed in the 20th century.
The development of the electric mixer was driven by the need to simplify the mixing process and make it more efficient. In the early 20th century, Herbert Johnston, an engineer for the Hobart Manufacturing Company, observed a baker mixing dough with a metal spoon and was inspired to create a mechanical mixer. This led to the invention of the first electric standing mixer in 1908, which had a large capacity of 20 gallons (80 litres) and was used in commercial bakeries. Over time, electric mixers became smaller, more affordable, and suitable for home use, gaining widespread popularity as an essential kitchen appliance.
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Frequently asked questions
The first electric mixer with a motor was invented by Rufus Eastman in 1885.
The first stand mixer was invented in the early 1900s by Herbert Johnson, an engineer at the Hobart Manufacturing Company.
Domestic electric mixers were rarely used before the 1920s, when they were adopted more widely for home use.
In the 1950s, the first kitchen mixers with multiple speeds were introduced. By the 1960s, stand mixers had become more compact and affordable, and in the 1970s, they began to be used for more than just mixing dough and batter with the inclusion of different attachments.
