KitchenAid
 | |
| Product type | Kitchenware |
|---|---|
| Owner | Whirlpool Corporation |
| Country | United States |
| Introduced | 1919 |
| Markets | International |
| Previous owners | Hobart Corporation |
| Tagline | For the way it's made. |
| Website | Official website |
KitchenAid is a home appliance brand owned by Whirlpool Corporation. The company was started in 1919 by The Hobart Corporation to produce stand mixers; the "H-5" was the first model introduced. The company faced stiff competition as rivals moved into this emerging market, and introduced its trademarked silhouette in the 1930s with the model "K", the work of designer Egmont Arens. The brand's stand mixers have changed little in design since, and attachments from the model "K" onwards are compatible with the modern machines. Dishwashers were the second product line to be introduced, in 1949. It was in the late '80s with a promotional campaign on the back of an expansion by retailer Williams-Sonoma that saw brand awareness double in three years.
History
The idea of a stand mixer was formulated by Herbert Johnson, an engineer working at the Hobart Corporation. He had been inspired after seeing a baker mix dough, and thought that there must be a better way of doing the task. Development began, in 1914, the model "H" mixer was launched for industrial work. The U.S. Navy ordered mixers for two new Tennessee class battleships, the California and the Tennessee, as well as the U.S. Navy's first dreadnought battleship, the South Carolina. In 1917, Hobart stand mixers became standard equipment on all U.S. Navy ships, prompting development to begin on the first home models.[1]
The first machine to carry the KitchenAid name was the 10 quart C-10 model, introduced in 1918 and built at Hobart's Troy Metal Products subsidiary in Springfield, OH.[2] Prototype models were given to the wives of factory executives, and the product was named when one stated "I don't care what you call it, but I know it's the best kitchen aid I've ever had!" They were initially marketed at the farmhouse kitchen and were available in hardware stores.[3] But owing to the difficulty in convincing retailers to take up the product, the company recruited a mostly female sales force, which sold the mixers door-to-door.[1] The C-10 machine was also marketed heavily towards soda fountains and small commercial kitchens, and was also sold under the FountainAid and BakersAid model names.[4]
In 1922, KitchenAid introduced the H-5 mixer as its new home-use offering. [5] The H-5 mixer was smaller and lighter than the C-10, and had a more manageable five quart bowl.
The model "G" mixer, about half the weight of the "H-5", was released in August of 1928.[6] In the 1920s several other companies introduced similar mixers, with the Sunbeam Mixmaster becoming the most popular among consumers until the 1950s.[7] KitchenAid mixers remained popular, with the factory selling out of products each Christmas in the late 1930s. Having shut down production for the duration of the Second World War, the factory started up again in 1946 with production moving to Greenville, Ohio, to expand capacity.[1] The product range expanded beyond stand mixers for the first time in 1949, with dishwashers being introduced.[3]
In 1955, the company purchased the Chambers Company to incorporate its range of cookers into the KitchenAid brand.[1] After being cleared by a Federal appeals court in January 1986, Whirlpool Corporation were cleared to purchase KitchenAid after initial complaints regarding competition from dishwasher manufacturers White Consolidated Industries and Magic Chef were dismissed.[8] Refrigerators were added to the product line later in 1986.[1] The company used the popularity of celebrity chefs during the late 1980s to seize the chance to expand its customer range. In 1988 as retailer Williams-Sonoma was opening new stores across the United States and released a cobalt blue stand mixer for the company. Although the retailer had been carrying KitchenAid products since 1959, the new stores introduced the mixers to a wider range of home cooks. This combined with a change in marketing strategy for KitchenAid, which resulted in a doubling of brand awareness over the course of the following three years.
KitchenAid began manufacturing blenders and other small appliances in the mid-1990s. The brand was further promoted by sponsoring the PBS show Home Cooking, and by introducing the mixers to television chefs such as Julia Child and Martha Stewart. Following the success with William-Sonoma, specific point of purchases were set up in department stores such as Kohl's and Macy's. Specific color mixers were released for specific retailers or to benefit charities, such as a pink mixer released to raise funds for breast cancer research. The ProLine range of appliances was launched in 2003 with an initial six month exclusivity agreement with William-Sonoma.[9]
Design and manufacturing
Egmont Arens was hired in the 1930s to design a low-cost series of mixers. This resulted in the production of the KitchenAid Model "K" which showed streamlined lines for the first time, and the KitchenAid standard design remains relatively unchanged since.[10] The silhouette has since been made a registered patent with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.[10] In 1997 the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art selected the KitchenAid stand mixer as an icon of American design. There is an attachment hub on the front of each mixer. Every KitchenAid mixer since the introduction of the Model "K" has allowed for cross-generational attachment compatibility, meaning that attachments from the 1930s can be used on modern mixers, and vice versa. Initially the mixers were only available in white; a range of four colors was introduced in 1955.[10]
Today, KitchenAid products are manufactured in Ohio, South Carolina, Mississippi, Indiana, Arkansas, Ontario, and Quebec, and its appliances are distributed throughout North America.[11] All KitchenAid stand mixers are made in its factory in Greenville, Ohio. The die-cast parts of the machines are hand worked to remove imperfections on the metal cases. A factory tour, known as the "KitchenAid Experience", is conducted by the assembly line workers.[12]
References
- ^ a b c d e "Ninety Years of Quality" (PDF). KitchenAid. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
- ^ Hobart Manufacturing Company. "The KitchenAid", The Hobartizer, Troy, OH, May 1918.
- ^ a b Danziger, Pamela N. (2005). Let Them Eat Cake. Chicago: Dearborn Trade Publishing. pp. 29–30. ISBN 978-0-7931-9307-3.
- ^ Hobart Manufacturing Company. The Hobartizer, Troy, OH, 1918-1922.
- ^ Hobart Manufacturing Company. "The New Electric KitchenAid", The Hobartizer, Troy, OH, May 1922.
- ^ Hobart Manufacturing Company. "KitchenAid- Electrical Food Preparer for the Home", The Hobartizer, Troy, OH, August 1928.
- ^ Cole, David J. (2003). Encyclopedia of Modern Everyday Inventions. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press. p. 171. ISBN 978-0-313-31345-5.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthor=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ "Whirlpool Cleared To Buy Kitchenaid". The New York Times. 30 January 1986. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
- ^ Vogel, Craig (2005). The Design of Things to Come: How Ordinary People Create Extraordinary Products. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Wharton School Publishers. p. 10. ISBN 978-0-13-186082-7.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthor=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c Lidwell, William (2009). Deconstructing Product Design. Beverly, Mass.: Rockport Publishers. p. 180. ISBN 978-1-59253-345-9.
- ^ "About KitchenAid". CHEFS Catalog.
- ^ Axelrod, Karen (2006). Watch it Made in the U.S.A. Emeryville, CA: Avalon Travel. p. 198. ISBN 978-1-59880-000-5.
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External links
