History of Mechanical Mixers

Early History of Mechanical Mixers

• The first large-scale promotion of French mechanical mixers was at the Universal Exposition of 1867 in Paris.
• These early mixers were steam-driven, but they didn't gain widespread acceptance due to their impracticality.

Advent of Electric Mixers

• By the early 1920s, electric power became widely available, leading to the adoption of electric mixers.
• These early electric mixers were not fast, but they saved manual labor and were convenient to use.

Two-Armed Mixers

• A popular type of early electric mixer was the two-armed mixer, which mixed gently and slowly, mimicking hand mixing.
• The resulting dough was similar in characteristics to hand-mixed dough, with a very wet formula designed for 4 or 5 sets of folds.

Short Mix Method

• The mixing technique associated with early electric mixers was later known as the short mix, slow mix, or traditional method.
• This method featured 12 to 15 minutes of mixing at low speed.
• The advantage of this method was that it saved the baker from an exhausting and tedious task, accomplishing most of the dough's incorporation of ingredients and some gluten development.