Sunbeam Mixmasters

[fan-of-fans]

Lately I've been interested in the Sunbeam Mixmasters. I've always liked the design of the big speed control. I've been thinking of getting one off of ebay as I cannot find any anywhere here. I'm not sure what kind to get. I like the design of the early white and black ones. I also like the newer ones I think are called plastic masters.

I have some questions. When did the avocado and harvest gold colors come out? When did the handle and knob change from black to brown and the logo from silver to woodgrain? When did the dough hooks come out? I am guessing the ones with dough hooks must be more powerful than those without.

I see lots on ebay but they often seem to have mixmatched (lol) parts so it's hard to tell what came with what. I've seen some with clear glass, white glass and metal bowls but I think most were clear glass? And I think some have dough hooks that originally didn't come with any.

Also what year was the power port replaced with an eject button? Was the plastic models always all plastic, or were just the top plastic until later on when the whole body was plastic?

 

[suckolux]

Those colors were later 60s I should think. I had my first one in 80?? Almond color, it had dough hooks, 230 watts I want to say.Gave to a friend, who gave to a friend and I think still going. It was $99 back then at monkey wards

 

[human]

Great mixers!

I've had four of them. My favorites are the chrome ones. They're just timeless and fit with any kitchen decor. One of mine is chrome with a chrome base and the other is chrome with a brown base and has a built-in work light. I like the chrome base better because it's metal. Both mixers have brown control knobs and turntables. The one with the work light also came with dough hooks.

Glass bowls were standard on Mixmasters from the beginning. The earliest ones were either white or mint green. The clear ones showed up in the '60s and stainless steel bowls, which came with Tupperware type lids, were an upgrade option beginning in the '70s. Both of my Mixmasters have glass bowls but they aren't original to the machines. I had to scavenge them from thrift stores and eBay. Thrift stores will often sell the bowls separate from the mixers but if you're lucky you'll be able to find the bowls much cheaper at thrift stores. You really need the genuine Mixmaster bowls that are optimized for those mixers. Their sides are contoured to match the more slender of the two beaters and their bases have a lip that snugs into grooves on the turntable for better stability.

If you buy one off of eBay, make sure the seller disassembles the mixer before packing (i.e., take both the power head and the turntable off of the base); otherwise, it WILL get damaged in shipping. Both of the mixmasters I've bought off of eBay arrived with damage. The first one the seller packed fully assembled and it arrived with the latch on the base broken and a few pieces broken off of the turntable. The seller refunded my money and let me keep the mixer, which I still have. I bought the second one primarily for the base and it arrived with worse damage to the turntable than the first one. I glued the first turntable back together and still use it. It doesn't look bad and I've just been too cheap so far to replace it.

Regarding the colors, avacado was one of what I like to refer to as the "kitchen colors from hell (burnt orange, avacado, harvest gold, chocolate brown)" that were popular back in the late '60s through mid '70s. About 10 or 12 years ago, I dated a lady whose house was built in 1967 and still had the original Frigidaire stove, which was avacado. My parents used to have a house built in 1972 that had a harvest gold stove and dishwasher, with a hideously coordinating vinyl floor. Almond, also sometimes referred to is 'bisque', came as a more pleasant alternative in the late '70s and was popular into the early '90s when everything went stainless. I still like almond and wish it would come back. It has a nice warmth and doesn't show dirt as bad as white does.

 

[fan-of-fans]

Thank you for the information.

Great advice on disassembling the unit before shipping, I will keep that in mind if I do buy on ebay.

I too am guessing the harvest gold and avocado came in late 60s. I have seen them in yellow, pink and blue as well which I would guess were what was available as soon as the plastic version came out. But must not have been for long.

Funny you mention the colors. My parents house was built in 1976 and the kitchen had orange colored formica counter tops and the cabinets had brown, orange and avocado colors in the wood grain pattern. The vinyl flooring was a gold and orange pattern. Surprisingly the bathroom was all neutral - white with gray tiles and walnut pattern cabinets. The carpeting had brown and orange shag fibers.

I thought the colors were hideous and later they remodeled with neutral colors and light woods. The appliances were from the 80s and were almond, not sure what the original ones were.

But though I used to hate them, I am starting to like the 70s colors on small appliances at least, I think they are fun. But I wouldn't want a kitchen full of large appliances of those colors or for carpets, counter tops, fixtures, etc. But as small items I like them.

For large appliances I prefer white or black, but I think almond looks nice too if the kitchen has lighter wood cabinets and say light colored corian counter tops.

 

[compactone]

they are the best

The model 12 was the last classic Mixmaster made. 12 speeds. It came in white, chrome, yellow, pink and aqua. The colored ones are very hard to find now. There is a gentlemen in Michigan that totally rebuilds them to work and look like new. Facebook vintage mixers and more. Love my sunbeams. I have a model 10 in white and a model 11 and 12 in chrome in mint condition.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

My aunt bought a brnd new chrome one

circa 1973 to replace the old one from the '30s. She wanted the stainless steel bowls for my grandfather (had a bakery in the '40s)... those glass bowls were getting heavy for him. I remember her getting it in New York City for a walloping $70.00...that was a lot for a mixer in early 1970+. Of course, it still works perfectly, although it doesn't see nearly the use it did when my grandfather was alive.

 

[luxkid1980]

Several years back I was fortunate enough to find one of the chrome sunbeam mixmasters new in an unopened box from the early 70s. I use it fairly often and its a gem! It came with the large and small stainless steel bowls and dough hooks. The handle is brown as well as the power cord and platter. I love that the sunbeam beaters have that special nylon button that allows the bowl to spin on the platter. It really ensures thorough mixing. The mixer head and stand are nice and heavy.

I looked at a newer mixmaster recently but they just don't compare to the older ones as far as build quality is concerned.

 

[texaskirbyguy]

Great thread! Needs some pictures now...

I never even knew about these units until I found a gem of a 1-8B at a thrift store 3 years ago for $20. I loved the chrome and it goes well with my other slew of vintage chrome small appliances. It worked great when I got it home, but it probably should be torn down, inspected, and relubed. It came with the small bowl, beaters, and dough hooks and has a 225W motor. It weighs quite a bit also. It did not have the large bowl, so I ordered it online (for another $20!) Never knew about lids being available for them - seems like a good idea...

I got white/brown 1-9AU at another thrift store last year for $6 as I wanted it in case I needed parts. However its motor is 235W so not sure if anything will interchange.
I have never had an interest in food prep but I am itching to use that beast, as well as an old waffle iron I restored last year...

I would like to see other colors if pics are available, especially of the vintage models!

 

[gottahaveahoove]

That's the one!!

One of Sunbeam's best. Certainly more 'guts' than the brand new ones...will last a lifetime.

 

[luxkid1980]

That's the one I have as well. I was gifted a spare set of beaters for it last year, which are very handy to have.

Texaskirby, is your waffle iron Sunbeam as well? I got one a year or so ago and it's great! It makes 4 standard size waffles at a time, which I prefer over the Belgian version. Its chrome too and matches the mixmaster. Even has the original cloth cord. I believe it is from 1953.

 

[luxkid1980]

I see you have a vintage Toastmaster toaster. Those are nice! I have the Sunbeam T-20 toaster and it's my favorite Sunbeam appliance in my kitchen

 

[texaskirbyguy]

Vintage chrome small appliances...

Nothing could be better...
My waffle iron is a simple round Toastmaster 442a.
The toaster in the background is a 1956 Toastmaster 1B14, the 'standard' of the toasting machines. I also have a 1948 Westinghouse TO-72 toaster.
All of these were had from local thrift stores for under $6 apiece. I did tear them all down, completely clean and refurbish them so that they work like new and look the best they can. The 1B14 has seen daily use since I got it in 10-2014 and still works perfect.

 

[luxkid1980]

Awesome! Love the collection. I have variations of some of those same appliances: For a percolator, I have one of the older Farberware 12 cup makers with the glass top; for the electric frypan, I have a Farberware 10". They are just so handy and look nice on the counter tops. I don't use the percolator daily since I found a Bunn coffee maker at the thrift store for $4 that makes coffee faster in the morning. But on weekends I sometimes use the percolator.

Regarding the old chrome toasters, there is something about the toast that comes out of them that most of the modern versions can't replicate. I'm not sure what it is..maybe its the coils or how they are configured. But its usually toast perfection every time!

Does the bread also lower and rise automatically in the Toastmaster, like the Sunbeams do?

 

[texaskirbyguy]

REAL toast!

That is what today's modern toasters cannot replicate!
Most modern units (at least the cheaper ones) are much lower in wattage to help reduce chances of burns and fires. The bread has to stay in there much longer and the insides dry out before the outsides brown. The elements are much further spaced (and shorter in combined length) to cut costs and reduce wattages. This makes for uneven toasting.
Old high wattage toasters brown the outside, leaving the inside just moist enought to be tasty. You just have to use common sense around them as they are cooking appliances.

None of mine automatically lowers the bread. That was the prominent feature of Sunbeam's "Automatic beyond belief". I would like to get one of those some day...
However all of my units do have pneumatic cylinders to act as shock absorbers to keep the bread from ejecting form the toaster when it pops up.

 

[luxkid1980]

That's neat. I never knew they had cylinders to keep the toast from flying out, but that makes sense. Toasters and other appliances from that era were big investments and in the event they stopped working for some reason, they were made to be serviced. Quite unlike the items they try to pass off as kitchen appliances these days. They are made to be thrown in the trash and just replaced when they stop working. What really bugs me with appliances made in the last 10 years or so are the pathetically short power cords for safety.

 

[human]

Showin' off my Sunbeams

Since a few others were showing off their Sunbeams, I thought I'd parade mine also. The first one is my Mixmaster Vista model 7-01-10D. I love the work light but wish it had a switch to turn it on and off. I got it at a thrift shop for $5.75 with beaters and dough hooks. The bowls I had to buy separately. I also have a handy food processor attachment that slices and shreds. It's actually more powerful than my Hamilton Beach food processor. The two other Mixmasters I had lacked the power takeoff that runs accessories like this one.

The second all chrome Mixmaster model 1-8B is the one I got on eBay that arrived damaged. The broken stand has been replaced and the turntable has been glued back together. One of these days, I'll replace the turntable with one that's intact. I still don't understand why the Vista mixer came with a brown plastic stand instead of a chrome metal one when it's obviously a more deluxe model. And yes, I have considered swapping stands between the two machines. If I were to ever get rid of one, I would definitely play mix-and-match and keep the chrome stand and the better turntable.
Both machines run great.

 

[texaskirbyguy]

Love that food processor attachment!

Do those fit the older Mixmasters (like your 1-8B) or just the newer ones? I would sure like one if they fit the 1-8B...

 

[human]

Fully compatible

Yes, it fits the 1-8B just fine. That's actually why I got the 1-8B about five years ago. My girlfriend at the time accidentally broke the little tab off the lid of my Sunbeam TurboCone food processor leaving it unable to turn on anymore, and I was looking for a replacement. I spotted the mixmaster food processor attachment and was intrigued, especially since I didn't own a mixer at the time. The only thing it won't do that a regular food processor will is chop. I eventually found a Hamilton Beach food processor in great shape for a pittance at a thrift store, so I now have that function covered, but for slicing and chopping, the Mixmaster attachment is my go-to.

 

[fan-of-fans]

Nice mixers. I really like your early 90s Lady Kenmore range also.