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The internet came together to solve the mystery of this unusual kitchen tool, tracing its history back to the early days of culinary innovation.

The journey of the rotating mixer began in 1856 when Baltimore tinner Ralph Collier patented the first design. Soon after, in 1857, E.P. Griffith introduced a whisk in England, followed by J.F. and E.P. Monroe’s hand-turned rotary egg beater in 1859, which was patented in the U.S.

One of the earliest companies to popularize these beaters was the Dover Stamping Company, whose Dover egg beaters became a staple in American kitchens. By 1929, the term “Dover beater” was so common that newspapers like The Gazette in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, referenced it in recipes like “Hur-Mon Bavarian Cream,” a whipped dessert with gelatin, cream, banana, and ginger ale.

The Monroe design was also manufactured in England, but it was Turner Williams of Rhode Island who, in 1870, introduced a new version of the Dover egg beater. Further improvements came in 1884 from Willis Johnson of Cincinnati, Ohio.

The move toward electric mixers began in 1885 when American inventor Rufus Eastman created one of the first motorized models. Soon, large-scale manufacturers like the Hobart Manufacturing Company entered the scene, producing commercial mixers that revolutionized baking. By 1914, their new models had become essential for large bakeries.

Two of the earliest and most well-known brands of domestic electric mixers, KitchenAid and Sunbeam Mixmaster, emerged in the early 20th century. However, home-use electric mixers weren’t widely adopted until the 1920s.

One of the most significant breakthroughs came in 1908 when engineer Herbert Johnston of Hobart Manufacturing witnessed a baker struggling to mix dough with a metal spoon. This observation led him to develop an electric stand mixer. By 1915, his 20-gallon (80 L) mixer became standard in bakeries. In 1919, Hobart introduced the KitchenAid Food Preparer, marking the beginning of a new era for home cooking.

From hand-turned beaters to high-powered electric mixers, the evolution of this kitchen tool has transformed the way we prepare food.