KitchenAid Mixer-A Kitchen Classic

One thing I find in most kitchens is a KitchenAid stand mixer. Sitting proudly on the counter or shoved in the back corner of a pantry, this classic has seen it all. The iconic stand mixer was introduced in 1919 and is the single most popular item on bridal registries today. In the early days, the wives of company executives were testing early mixers and one of the women exclaimed, “I don’t know what you call it, but this is the best kitchen aid I’ve ever had.” And the brand name KitchenAid was born. I recently had the opportunity to visit their showroom in Chicago and they have a beautiful display of all of the different model mixers they have ever made. 

The first mixers cost nearly $200 (almost $3,000 in today’s dollars) and weighed 65 pounds. In 1937, industrial designer Egmont Arens, the art editor for Vanity Fair, created the current streamlined bullet silhouette. The mixer now comes in more than 86 colors. Some of the newest finishes are matte Avocado Cream, Black Violet, Ink Blue and Milkshake.

In 2016, KitchenAid introduced a downsized version, the first time since 1962. The new mixer is 3.5 qt, 20% smaller and 25% lighter than standard models. It is large enough for dough of 5 dozen cookies versus the 8-12 dozen cookie dough capacity of the larger mixer.  The mixer can have many attachments including vegetable slicers, ice cream makers, grain mills and pasta rollers. Discontinued accessories such as the can opener, knife sharpener, pea sheller and silver polisher still work with today’s mixer. If you find one of these at a yard sale or Grandma’s attic, you’ve found a treasure.

Is your mixer tucked in a deep dark corner of the pantry? Pull it out, polish it up and proudly display your national treasure. Maybe then you will have the opportunity to use it more often. Do you have a KitchenAid mixer? What is your favorite thing about it? I’d love to hear. Email me at Jessica@webbercoleman.com