The History of Small Kitchen Appliances

Small appliances were, and still are, designed to make life easier when cooking, preparing, and eating food. Since the mid-1800s, people have been dreaming up innovative ways to store food, cook food, prepare food, and eat food. Many of these ideas were creative and useful enough to be used by a large number of people and are still in use today. Inventors are continually trying to make things easier by coming up with new products that do more things in a more efficient way. Here's a brief history of two inventions that have survived the test of time and are still used by millions of Americans to this day: Food Processor: The invention of the food processor is credited to Carl Sontheimer, an accomplished engineer whose "microwave direction finder" was used by NASA in a mission to the moon. In 1971, Sontheimer attended a cooking show in France where he discovered an elaborate industrial blender. His long-time love for cooking inspired him to adapt the machine for use on a smaller scale in his home kitchen. After a year of modifications, Sontheimer marketed his new device, the "Cuisinart," in 1973. It took two years for the public to realize the benefits of the Cuisinart food processor, but once they did, it revolutionized food preparation in kitchens around the world.

Blender:
In 1922, Stephen Poplawski invented the blender. Poplawski was the first to put a spinning blade at the bottom of a container, and he first used his small kitchen appliance to make soda fountain drinks. In 1935, with the help of Fred Waring, Fred Osius improved on Poplawski's idea and invented the famous Waring Blender.

Fred Waring, a one-time Penn State architectural and engineering student, was fascinated by gadgets. He first achieved fame fronting the big band "Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians," but it was the infamous blender that made Waring a household name.

Fred Waring was the financial and marketing force that thrust the Waring Blender into the marketplace, however, Fred Osius officially patented the famous blending machine in 1933. Fred Osius knew that Fred Waring had a fondness for new inventions, and Osius needed money to make improvements to his blender. Talking his way into Fred Waring's dressing room following a live radio broadcast in New York's Vanderbilt Theatre, Osius pitched his idea and received a promise from Waring to back further research.

Six months and $25,000 later, the blender still suffered technical difficulties. Undaunted, Waring dumped Fred Osius and had the blender redesigned once again. In 1937, the Waring-owned Miracle Mixer blender was introduced to the public at the National Restaurant Show in Chicago, and retailed for $29.75. In 1938, Fred Waring renamed his Miracle Mixer Corporation as the Waring Corporation, and the mixer's name was changed to the Waring Blender.

The Waring Blender became an important tool in hospitals for the implementation of specific diets, as well as a vital scientific research device. Dr. Jonas Salk used it while developing the vaccine for polio. In 1954, the millionth Waring Blender was sold, and it is still as popular today in kitchens around the globe.