History Of The Blender

Have you ever wondered who came up with the blender, when they did and why? Normally, we get used to inventions and their functions to the point that we never bother about their origin. Well, today, I will blow your mind and take you through the chronological events that pushed mankind to invent the kitchen blender.

But before walking the history lane, I would love to challenge you. Maybe you are a food processing enthusiast, a diet professional, a health and fitness fan, or just a regular household chef. What would be different for you in a world without the blender? As for me and my love for smoothies, I would be devasted.

Here Is Everything You Need To Know About The History Of The Blender

Until now, those who are still wondering what a blender allow me to enlighten you. The blender is a kitchen device or even laboratory equipment used to crush and mix different food substances. For instance, in the modern kitchen, it is majorly used to make smoothies and pastes.

Stephen Poplawski – 1920s

With that said, let’s get right to it. Somewhere in the United States, Poplawski, an American with Polish background, a chemist, and the owner of Stevens Electric company, found interest in making food mixers. 

Reportedly, by the year 1919, he had already achieved his goals by inventing the first recorded blender. But it was until the year 1922 that he officially patented his first industrial-grade food mixer.

Following his success, the blender grew popular across northern America. This device slowly became a necessity in the American household kitchen. Initially, this food mixer was intended to make milkshakes.

You May Read Our Popular Best Hand Blenders Reviews & Best Oster Blenders Reviews

Hamilton Beach Company – 1930s 

A decade later, still in the Americas, a company founded by Hamilton and Chester Beach also produced a food mixer. The kind of blender they invented was faced with a lot of challenges and had several flaws. That’s when Fred Osius chipped in and made the improvements that saw this invention become a hit. 

Fred later approached a famous musician named Fred Waring to promote and help finance the production of these blenders. These food mixers were then patented and named ‘Waring Blendors’, after which ‘the blendor’ went through a couple of changes.

Among these changes, the most notable one is when the founder of Vitamix, W. G. Barnard, replaced the glass jar from the Warings product with a stainless-steel jar and came up with the popular name ‘The Blender’.

Europe – 1940s

After the blender's invention in North America, the Waring Blendor was further modified by the Europeans. In the year 1943, Traugott Oertli generated a more sophisticated blender and named it Turmix Standmixer.

South America

Years later, the blender revolution hit Southern America. In 1944, a Brazilian named Waldemar Clemente used the Turmix idea to create another type of food mixer. He called it Walita Neutron blender. 

There are so much more modifications that followed after that led to the modern-day blender. Feel free to do more research if you want to keep learning on this topic.

Frequently Asked Questions About History Of The Blender

Q: Who invented the blender, and when?

A: Well, as I mentioned above earlier, the invention of the blender was a process that took a lot of years and involved a lot of people. However, we can give the initial credits to Stephen Poplawski, who came up with the earliest functioning food mixer in 1919.

Q: When was the first blender invented?

A: You have seen a lot of contradicting answers to this question all over. Probably because the name ‘blender’ came around much later. If you don’t mind, allow me to remind you. The first food mixer was invented in 1919, but it was until 1922 that it was patented. Then later in 1930s, this product went through a lot of improvements. 

In 1937, Fred Waring redesigned Poplawski’s food mixer and named it ‘Waring Blendor’. But it was in the same year that the name ‘blender’ came up, when W. G. Barnard decided to further modify the Waring Blendor by replacing its glass jar with a stainless-steel jar.

Q: Why is a blender called the blender?

A: Initially, the first inventor of the food mixer called it the ‘blendor’. Later in the year 1937, W.G. Barnard modified its functionality and changed its name to ‘blender’.

Conclusion

Ever since the blender's invention, the appliance has gone several other changes and improvements for the past century. Today, blenders are more efficient, and their functions have greatly improved.

Sometimes knowing the origin of your belongings helps you appreciate them even more. Knowing why humans saw the need for a food mixer explains why you need to own one. For sure, having a blender in your kitchen isn’t a luxury. It makes your work much easier and expands your kitchen activities and food processing scope. 

With the blender, you can crush, grind and mix different fruit and food smoothies and other types of cocktails. Well, now that you know how and where the blender originated from, I hope you will gain a lot more from using it.