Sunbeam Mixmasters

[fan-of-fans]

Here are some photos:

A nice avocado with black handle and knob, silver logo, probably late 60s-early 70s. This would not have dough hooks.

Brown/Almond from 1980s with dough hooks and 235 watt motor. Later the attachment port would be removed for an ejector button. Also has the smaller base without the bowl selector lever, you just placed the turntable into the proper hole for the bowl size.

60th Anniversary Special Edition, from 1990. With dough hooks. Note the attachment port is replaced by ejector button instead of turning handle to the side to eject. This was later sold with "An American Classic since 1930" badging through the 90s, and a gray/white version that just said Sunbeam. These were the last of the classic style Mixmasters around 2000.

There was also a deluxe version of this with chrome upper housing and worklight.

Harvest gold from mid-late 70s with brown handle and knob and woodgrain logo. This would have the more powerful motor and dough hooks.

 

[human]

I had a Mixmaster like the one in photo #3. Its beaters and dough hooks weren't compatible with the earlier models and it didn't have a power take-off so I gave it to a friend who needed a mixer. She was thrilled with it.

 

[suckolux]

I had #2, still going I am pretty sure, handed down a few times

 

[fan-of-fans]

Well I found a Mixmaster finally! I went to one thrift store this morning and found a few mixers but passed. Then the second one I went to I saw a Mixmaster but it was missing the beaters. So I thought maybe I should pass but decided to grab it. As I was going to pay a lady stopped me and said she may have the beaters for it in another department, so we looked and they fit it. She said they just got separated so I could have them with it.

Anyway it's in good shape aside from a few small scratches on the base. And it doesn't have the small bowl but maybe another will work as I have plenty of bowls.

One thing I found the bottom of the motor is indeed metal. I think the later ones were all plastic.

 

[human]

Congratulations on your Mixmaster. You'll probably want to keep your eye out for the small bowl. The Mixmaster bowls have a lip on the bottom that snugs into a groove on the turntable for better stability. I've found a couple of small bowls at thrift shops in the past for very little. Some say "Sunbeam" on the bottom and some say "Fire King". Some newer ones don't say anything at all.

That was certainly nice of the lady at the thrift shop to find you the beaters for free. Some thrift stores around here intentionally separate the pieces so they can nickel and dime you to death. I had to argue with a cashier at a thrift shop once when I was buying a CD rack that was in two pieces and she wanted to charge me $3 for each half because each half had a price tag on it, regardless of the fact that they obviously fit together to form one unit. The manager finally intervened on my behalf and I paid $3 for the whole thing.

 

[kenkart]

I think

Ihave almost every model Mixmaster made up into the 80s My favorites are the 10, 11 and 12, But I have a 3, 4 ,5,7 and 8 as well as some of the later ones, one of my favorites is the 1937 model that is a creamy yellow with green bowls and juicer, I think its a model 3 or 4, I cant remember without looking.

 

[fan-of-fans]

Hmm, I went to clean my new mixer and something seems wrong. The beaters look like the ones in the photos above, one oval shape and one square and the ends look correct, they have four notches in them. But they don't really seem to lock in place at all???

 

[human]

The first thing that comes to mind is the handle on the powerhead should be in the upright position when you're installing the beaters. Are you sure you're putting the beaters in on the proper sides? As you're looking at the mixer from the front, the squarish beater goes on the right and the tapered one goes on the left (the side where the power takeoff is). This allows the tapered beater to snug up against the side of the bowl and places the squarish one near the center. They can be a little fiddly going in. If it doesn't snap in at first, try rotating it slightly while applying gentle pressure. Once it's lined up properly, it'll just snap into place.

 

[fan-of-fans]

Yeah, the handle is all the way up and clicked in place, and I have them inserted per the symbols on the bottom. But when I push them all the way up nothing. I tried twisting them hard but still nothing. Sometimes it feels like they get a little tight and will click in, but they don't. It does feel like a faint click when they go all the way in, but they fall out.

 

[human]

Hmmm...... Maybe there's gunk up in the beater sockets. The only other thing I can think of, assuming you've never had the beaters installed on the mixer, is you've got the wrong beaters for the machine.

 

[fan-of-fans]

Thought I would show some of my newfound Mixmasters obtained in the last few weeks. These were all thrift finds for a few bucks each. All work great. The little 3 speed doesn't have its beaters. I was hoping its 12 speed brothers ones would fit, but no such luck.

I don't see any gunk in the stand mixer's beater sockets. I am guessing the beaters aren't correct, but they sure look the same. I notice mine have four notches at the end, some have two, maybe that is the problem, I need two notch ones? Not sure.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

How could you NOT love them all?

Well, I'm not too fond of the hand mixer with that 'knob', but the rest are great. And, they all still work just fine, no doubt.

 

[cajunvac]

Sunbeam Infinite Speed Hand Mixer

When this mixer debuted in the late 1960 it was considered one of the best. One of the most durable governor controlled hand held mixers created. Also one that was manufactured for almost 15 years. I included a picture of Sunbeam's first governor controlled hand mixer the model EML that Sunbeam sold from 1957 until 1967. The final version had a dial instead of a slide control and was sold in JC Penny stores.

 

[chan55]

Mixmasters

I have the last model of the infinite speed hand mixer, it was the same but added the burst of power feature. Great mixer, bought it on ebay, new in box,love it.Works way better then my new Kitchen Aid hand mixer.This model was also sold with a stand and a large bowl. This did not work so hot. Beaters were too small for the bowl and it did not rotate well, no button on bottom of beater to drive bowl.I sure wish Sunbeam made products the way they used to. I have a whole collection on their appliances from the 60's and 70's, and I am sure they will outlive me! I grew up with Sunbeam, and they will always have a special place in my heart.

 

[fan-of-fans]

I found another on eBay just like my stand mixer for $10 and it has the correct beaters for it as well as the dough hooks and original documentation. Seller said it was their mothers'. So now I can have a functioning unit. I did notice that it also sounds quieter than the one I have, so I may just end up using it instead and try to get rid of the other or keep it for parts.

But at least now I have a nearly complete, and at least usable unit. The issue with the beaters is the stems were too short on the ones I had, I was told they were for an older model. The ones I just got seem to be in a lot better condition, so that could be the case.

Also yesterday I found a harvest gold model H at the thrift shop just like my avocado that has the beaters, I passed as I felt $5 was a little too much but I might go back for it.

 

[seijun]

Here is my first Sunbeam! A model 7B. I took it apart, regreased and oiled everything. It works a charm. Just need to get a few missing parts. I am disappointed with the logo being so torn up, so at some point I might get one in better shape, but for now this one will do. It was only $6 so I couldn't say no. I love how it sounds a bit like a motorcylce on the lowest speed.

 

[luxkid1980]

Those older sunbeams were real work horses, even the ones made up through the 70s, though by that time, you can see they had cheapened some of the parts. The older ones seem more serviceable than the 70s models too. Into the 80s - 2000s, they became junk. Keep that one you have going!

 

[seijun]

On a related note, are there any silver/steel mixing bowls that will fit the 7?

 

[human]

I know they made stainless bowls for Mixmasters in the '70s and '80s and I believe the glass bowls from that era are the same as the ones for yours other than the color. The earlier ones were jadeware (pale green) or milk glass (opaque white) and the more recent ones are clear, so I'd say you're probably safe getting a set for your Mixmaster.

I find clear glass bowls occasionally at thrift stores but I've never spotted a stainless bowl. I have glass bowls for both of my Mixmasters, plus an additional small bowl with a spout ($2 thrift store find). I'd love to find a set of stainless ones, especially a set that still has its plastic Tupperware style lids, but I've never seen anything like that in a thrift shop and when they come up on eBay, they command a higher price than I'm willing to pay.

 

[human]

WACEM

I should have added that there is a Yahoo group called WACEM (We Actually Collect Electric Mixers) which is populated by a bunch of people who are as knowledgeable and passionate about electric mixers and other kitchen appliances as folks here are about vacuum cleaners. That group might be an excellent resource for you and others who are into mixers.