THE PERFECT WEDDING GIFT….THE VERSATILE KITCHENAID STAND MIXER….

Though the traditional bridal registry has been around for years, the needs of modern brides have evolved beyond just the standard formal, fine china….the iconic KitchenAid stand mixer that comes with attachments for every imaginable task including  pasta making, cheese shredding, sausage stuffing etc. it is the ultimate kitchen tool available in eight exciting colours in India and is the hottest new wedding gift as one wants to fill one’s home with pieces that are an expression of their own style, just like building one’s own wardrobe…..

DID YOU KNOW?

The KitchenAid Stand Mixer is expertly hand assembled in Greenville, Ohio, home of KitchenAid since 1919.

A NOSTALGIC CONNECT

Brides to be lust after and look forward to get past the wedding so they can spend more time with the love of their life: a shiny, colour of their choice KitchenAid stand mixer. Like many brides of generations past and present, most brides put the iconic mixer atop their gift registry abroad.

For girls who grew up watching their grandmothers or mothers make homemade meringue and bread, the KitchenAid mixer is just as much a symbol of nostalgia as it is a kitchen tool to be passed down through the generations. These brides say the best thing about getting married; besides falling in love is finally being able to satisfy their thirst for nostalgia and adorn their countertops with this wedding present. Sample this, the mixer enthusiast’s devotion runs so much so from naming the appliance and working it into divorce agreements, to getting a tattoo and taking it with her to the grave. Today, many to be married couples are mixing different styles; incorporating both casual and formal elements to create an environment that they love to come home to and Wedding registry gifts a timeless trend is catching up in India as well as what could be a better way  for your loved ones to honour a milestone in their life. Simply put, this is the greatest indispensable appliance of all time and it will last forever like a good marriage one hopes for!

TIP

For a more creative and personal touch a good idea is to include some family recipes with the stand mixer gift.

  

WHAT MAKES IT TICK?

The mixer has had a long time following and continues to be a coveted wedding gift, according to wedding industry experts. Owing to the fact that not only is it a very useful tool to have, but it comes in fun colours. Even people who don’t cook all that much want the KitchenAid to stand proudly on their counter and accessorize their kitchen. In India KitchenAid offers the mixer in colours such as Tangerine, Raspberry Ice, Candy Apple, Onyx Black etc. The most popular colour for newly married couples, however, is the Empire Red. One of the newest improvements to the KitchenAid stand mixer is their sturdiest wire whip yet. Unlike the dough hook and paddle attachments, the whip have several different parts affixed together, making it the part that takes the most abuse literally. When the couple already has the mixer, the pasta roller attachment is phenomenal for making fresh pasta a regular event rather than a special chore. Other attachments include the ice cream maker, a meat grinder, and a citrus juicer. Known as the workhorse and the ‘John Deere of the kitchen’, the appliance is valued by most users because it makes cooking easy and fun. It saves the hands so much time to continue prepping other ingredients as one need not stand and watch as things mix together. Basically this decadently versatile stand mixer is a smaller version of commercial-size models; and is designed with enough power and capacity to prepare large batches of cake batter or cookie dough without compromising one the kitchen counter space. ‘Food should be fun’ as Thomas Keller once said and the KitchenAid Stand mixer just does that…. as the KitchenAid mixer can turn any novice to a bonafide chef. Happy Cooking on that note!

FUN FACT

The KitchenAid mixer company got its name when the founder of KitchenAid Herbert Johnson gave the wives of the executives at his company a prototype model and one of the exclaimed, ‘I don’t care what you call it, but I know it’s the best kitchen aid I’ve ever had!’

THE CHEMISTRY

Retro styled and easy to use, the KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer is the perfect kitchen companion. Employing a unique tilting head to facilitate bowl and content removal, this mixer is undeniably handy

THE BIOLOGY

The Planetary action allows attachments to spin independently while making continual rotations around the bowl for thorough mixing. Ten speeds range from very slow stirring to very high beating. Head tilts for easy removal of work bowl and beaters. Has a Power hub for use with optional attachments. 5-qt. stainless-steel bowl locks to base and Includes flat beater, dough hook, wire whip and pouring shield.

  

INTERNATIONAL HOME & HOUSEWARES SHOW CHICAGO

Industry Equivalent to the Fashion week where Companies both large and small showcased their products in three huge halls at McCormick Place in Chicago, was absolutely stunning and I felt like a kid in a candy store with no cash…

FOODIES PARADISE

The trade show was filled with colour and so many gorgeous new products that made me want to experiment more in the kitchen. Sample this, the Aero Garden available in multiple sizes lets you start and grow your own herbs and spices right inside your home, no matter what the weather is outside. The Sous Vide (pronounced ‘suu-veed’) technique involves cooking food in vacuum-sealed pouches submerged in a water bath held at a precisely-controlled temperature. This fool proof method eliminates guesswork and lets anyone cook foods with incomparable taste and texture. I was equally mesmerised by the popcorn and Hot Dog machines for home use.

95 YEAR LEGACY

The star of the show for me was the KitchenAid booth. Since the introduction of its legendary stand mixer in 1919 and first dishwasher in 1949, KitchenAid has built on the legacy of these icons to create a complete line of products designed for cooks. Today, the KitchenAid brand offers virtually every essential for the well-equipped kitchen with a collection that includes everything from countertop appliances to cookware, ranges to refrigerators, and whisks to wine cellars. To mark its 95-year legacy of making high performance kitchen essentials beloved by both home and professional cooks, the iconic brand’s debut was an interactive digital culinary timeline at the show. It was a first for me to experience the timeline on a 55-inch LED commercial touch screen.

THE ICONIC STAND MIXER

I also happened to bump into Dave Elliott, General Manger KitchenAid Appliances at Whirlpool Corporation who took me through the various colours of the stand mixer. And I finally convinced myself I must save up my money for my dream kitchen accessory – a KitchenAid stand mixer. I always thought it was a lazy person’s tool, but now I’m obsessed with them. I keep on checking online for vintage ones, while the new Bordeaux, Sea Glass and Ice colours keep trying to reign me in. ‘As kitchen designs are evolving, so are the colour options for accompanying countertop appliances,’ says Beth Robinson, senior manager of brand experience for KitchenAid. ‘Appliances can help enrich a kitchen space by adding a pop of contrasting colour or enhancing an existing colour palette.’ she further added.

FAST FACTS

The International Home + Housewares Show offers you the opportunity to see first-hand consumer lifestyle and product trends for all areas of the home, both inside and out, under one roof every year in March.

Published in Statesman