subject: Where Did the Amazing Blender Come From? A Short History Lesson [print this page] Where Did the Amazing Blender Come From? A Short History Lesson
We all have one. All of us use one on occasion- especially when we are craving our favorite frozen margarita recipe! What an easy machine it is; and yet, how complex. It's time rev up the blender!
Haven't you ever given even a second's thought as to how this wonderful machine originated? You would possibly just need to get to your frozen margarita recipe, or some other delectable frozen drink. But take a moment to appreciate this superb machine that transforms margarita mix and ice into the perfect "frozen concoction!"
While we do not know why anyone would wish to use a blender for anything else, the perfect blenders for frozen drinks didn't truly start out with that as their purpose at all.
History lesson - history lesson! In 1922 Stephen Poplawski, owner of the Stevens Electrical Firm in Racine, Wisconsin, thought up the rudimentary prototype of our modern day blender. His invention was made doable by way of the prior efforts of two engineers, also from Racine - Chester Beach and Frederick Osius, and an expert marketer, Louis Hamilton. (Are you putting the pieces side by side yet? Hamilton? Beach?) Sure, these men had been the founders of the Hamilton Beach Company.
Poplawski was the first person to place spinning blades at the bottom of a container to create the very first blender. He invented it to make malts and milkshakes, and he sold his invention to keen drug retailer owners for his or her soda fountain businesses. (Had there been tiki hut bars in those days, no doubt they would've seen this as the perfect blender for frozen drinks - however I digress.)
In 1932, persevering to make improvements, Poplawski obtained patents for a machine that would reduce vegetables and fruits as well. So you'll be able to see, the very best blenders at that time had been used for all types of situations, as they're today.
Remember Frederick Osius of the Hamilton Beach Company? In 1937, Osius improved on Poplawski's blender and named it the Miracle Mixer. With the financial backing of Fred Waring, a former engineering pupil and later an orchestra leader, Osius renamed the product the Waring Blender. Waring had always been fascinated by new inventions and devices; he was significantly inquisitive about funding the development of this machine so that he may use it to puree uncooked vegetables for his ulcer diet.
But citing technical issues with Osius six months later, Fred Waring dissolved their partnership and went solo with his personal firm, the Waring Corporation. He introduced the Waring Blender later that year in the National Restaurant Show in Chicago. With a retail price tag of $29.75, word spread quickly. Fred Waring continued to tour together with his band while at the same time pitching his blender to lodges, restaurants, bars, and high class malls along the way. The Waring brand gained national prominence by Fred's musical reputation; he performed for WWII troops and even produced his personal TV show on CBS for six years. During this time his Waring Blender was appearing in every single place, having quickly taken its place among the best blenders in the marketplace! Even hospitals adopted it for implementing complicated diets for special patients. Dr. Jonas Salk used it in developing the Polio vaccine. True to Fred Waring's words to a reporter, ".this mixer [was] going to revolutionize American drinks." And it did rather more than that. Sales of the Waring blender reached the a million mark by 1954.
While Fred Waring's blender was exceeding milestone after milestone, one other model, Oster, was also taking shape. In 1924 John Oster had begun advertising and marketing a hand-operated hair clipper. His company featured the most popular motor-driven clipper in the grooming industry. In 1946, John Oster decided to diversify from barber equipment to small house electrical equipment and purchased Stevens Electrical, Stephen Poplawski's firm that invented the original blender. Soon after, the very first Osterizer? blender was made available. It went on to compete favorably with Fred Waring's blender, appearing in lots of American brides' gift lists and kitchens. In 1960, the John Oster Manufacturing Firm was purchased by the Sunbeam Corporation.
Through the passing of years the very best blenders and mixers have been refined, restyled and marketed by corporations known for excellent small kitchen appliances: Hamilton Beach (including Proctor Silex), Waring, KitchenAid, Cuisinart, Breville, Braun, etc. Who knew that Stephen Poplawski's blender would turn into an indispensable product in today's cocktail bars, pubs, restaurants, and everyday kitchens?
So now you know. We all owe Poplawski a debt of gratitude, as the world's most popular drink -- the margarita -- might not even be around today had he not had his second of inspiration!
