Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Julz Post 2 - The History of the egg beater


Egg Beaters 

Beginning in 1856, more than 100 patents have been granted to this seemingly simply device.

The first patent that can claim to be for an electric mixer was issued on November 17, 1885 to 
Rufus M. Eastman.



  












Antique Wooden Handle Egg Beaters c. 1920's to 1930's. 
Photos Courtesy of The Old Community Antique Mall, Pass Christian, MS.












left - vintage wooden handled egg beater.
right -  high speed beater with yellow bakelite handles.

Photos Courtesy of Antiques & Things, Bay St. Louis, MS.






















Don Thornton's book above has many  photos and information of these early egg-beaters.















These earliest implements for beating were mainly made of metal with holes in them, the beating was done by hand and because this task was time consuming the much more effective hand beaters were invented and developed.


Later in the 1920's and 30's Electric Mixers were all the rage.  

A Gilbert Co, manufactured them and also made chemistry sets and the famous Erector Sets.


However , by the 1930's the glass- bottomed mixer, with the motor built into the lid, had appeared on the scene. Theses were the golden years for these mixers and no significant changes were made after this. By WWII these small mixers were being replaced by the style of mixers we are more familiar with today - a more powerful motor with tw
o gear-driven beaters. They were mounted on a stand, with a separate bowl beneath.

Companies such as Vidrio Products, Chicago Electric, and Knapp Monarch dominated the business and account for the majority of the mixers found today.



Industrial looking cast iron stand mixers, such as the 1911  patent Hanilton Beach, are historically  important.

The most prolific and innovative period for interesting designs came from that wonderful period of inventon in America's  History spanning froom approximately 1875 through 1910.

Eggbeater design was considered a science, promoted as such in the marketing strategy, and some  very important considerations went into their design and manufacture and the serious  collectors are now scouring flea markets, garage sales and estate sales in search of the elusive and rare beater.

Above is the link where this information has been accessed.


Kenwood - 
is the household name associated with the modern day mixers and is an international company with a well respected name for producing quality mixers or all kinds.







These mixers come with many attachments, that allow the machines to perform an extensive range of tasks, from grating to mincing, mixing and shakes. These attachments are often found for sale on E-bay and are sought after by many collectors of the earlier models.


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