1930 - Food And Drink

Food And Drink

The Sunbeam Mixmaster introduced in May comes in ivory with Jadeite green glassware and can be ordered with a large aluminum bowl as well (see Sunbeam, 1910). Designed and patented by Swedish-born Chicago inventor Ivar Jepson, 27, the sleek electric appliance has two detachable beaters whose blades interlock. The motor that drives them is encased in a perpendicular, pivoting arm that extends out over the mixing bowl. Quieter and more stable than earlier machines, the Mixmaster takes America by storm with advertising that promises to spare homemakers the work of beating, blending, chopping, creaming, grinding, mashing, mixing, stirring, and whipping—"the only low-priced food mixer that does all these things." Within 6 years Sunbeam will be selling 300,000 Mixmasters per year, and by 1940 Jepson will have Mixmasters that cannot only grind coffee, make juice, peel fruit, shell peas, and press pasta but also open cans, sharpen knives, and polish silverware (see Waring Blendor, 1936).

The Toastmaster 1-A-2 automatic toaster introduced by McGraw Electric Co. of Elgin, Ill., has one lever and simplifies the toasting process but still toasts only one slice of bread at a time (see 1929; first automatic pop-up toaster, 1926). Sliced bread has increased consumption of toast at breakfast, and a new Toastmaster 1-B-2 can handle two slices, but the slightly less expensive single-slicer will remain in production into the 1950s.

Sliced bread is introduced under the Wonder Bread label by Continental Baking Co. (see 1927; Rohwedder, 1928).

Hostess Twinkies are introduced by Continental Baking Co. Bakery manager James A. Dewar, 33, at Chicago where the company has been turning out little sponge cakes for shoppers to use as the basis of strawberry shortcakes; when the strawberry season ends he hits on the idea of filling the cakes with sugary cream to keep his cake line in production year round. A St. Louis sign advertising "Twinkle Toes Shoes" inspires him to call the cakes Twinkies.

Jiffy brand biscuit mix is introduced by Chelsea Milling Co. of Chelsea, Mich. (see Bisquick, 1931).

Campbell Soup president John T. Dorrance dies of heart disease at his Pomona Farm in Cinnaminson, N.J., September 21 at age 56, leaving his wife and five children $128 million.

Hawaiian pineapple canners pack 4.5 million cases, up 40 percent over last year. Next year they will pack 4.8 million cases, but most of the canned fruit will go unsold and James D. Dole's Hawaiian Pineapple Co. will lose $3,875,000.

Mott's Apple Sauce is introduced by Duffy-Mott Co., which heretofore has produced almost nothing besides cider and vinegar.

Snickers candy bars are introduced by Mars, Inc., which obtains national distribution (see 1923). Frank Mars suspended his business at Minneapolis a few years ago and Schuler Candy Co. of Winona produced Milky Way until last year, when Mars was able to buy back the rights from Schuler for $8,000 and resume production, this time at Chicago. The new peanut-butter nougat and peanut bars, covered in milk chocolate, will grow to become the nation's largest-selling brand (see 1932).

The first true supermarket opens August 4 at Jamaica, Long Island, with advertising that says, "King Kullen, the world's greatest price wrecker—how does he do it?" Former Kroger Grocery and Baking Co. store manager Michael S. Cullen, 46, has written Kroger president William H. Albers suggesting a plan for "monstrous stores . . . away from the high-rent districts" that will attract customers with aggressive price cutting. "I could afford to sell a can of milk at cost if I could sell a can of peas and make two cents," Cullen has written, but another Kroger executive has intercepted his letter. His King Kullen Market in an abandoned garage meets with instant success (see 1923; Big Bear, 1932).