The History of KitchenAid Mixers

In the early 1900s, an Ohio engineer was watching a baker mix bread dough using a heavy iron spoon and set out to find a better way to do the task. The result of his efforts? The KitchenAid stand mixer. It was originally released as a commercial model called the Hobart. Notably, it served on U.S. Navy battleships during World War I. The story goes that when a home model was introduced, one of the salesmen’s wives was testing it out and remarked, “I don't care what you call it, it's the best kitchen aid I've ever had.”  — and apparently, the name stuck! In 1919, the KitchenAid mixer was registered with the U.S. Patent Office and units were sold door-to-door by a mostly female sales force. (It’s worth noting that these early units weighed a whopping 65 lbs. each!) The silhouette that is still used today was introduced back in the 1930s and was created by an industrial designer named Egmont Arens. A variety of attachments with specialized purposes such as spiralizing or grinding have been released over the years. Impressively, they’re compatible with older models since the design of the mixer hasn’t changed. Colors were introduced in 1955 and the mixer is now available in more than 40 options, including Sunny Yellow, Petal Pink, and Passion Red. Today, the KitchenAid mixer is both a workhorse and an icon that’s often proudly displayed on kitchen counters.