Historical information

A mixer is a kitchen utensil which uses a gear-driven mechanism to rotate a set of beaters in a bowl containing the food to be prepared. It automates the repetitive tasks of stirring, whisking or beating.
Mixers for the kitchen first came into use midway through the nineteenth century; the earliest were mechanical devices. The mixer with rotating parts was patented in 1856 by Ralph Collier a tinsmith in Baltimore, Maryland .This was followed by E.P. Griffith's whisk patented in England in 1857.

Physical description

A circular tin used for mixing batters. The 2 beaters are of wire, with metal gears, suspended from a metal strip that fits over the tin bowl. and is clamped into place by a metal screw . A crank handle with a wooden black knob attached by a screw is turned by hand to mix the batter in the base. This tin could be secured to a table by a clamp and screw.