2022.02.09
The domestic assistant – a friend for life
Kitchen and household assistants have made kitchen work easier for over 80 years by stirring, whisking, kneading and grinding, yes, as the lovable appliance has been put to work! Statistics also indicate that it continues to be sought after in Swedish households. While your assistant kneads the bread dough, you can learn more about the history behind this beloved machine here!
According to APPLiA's industry statistics, sales of kitchen assistants increased by 30 percent in 2021, and of all household appliances sold, the kitchen assistant topped the list during the pandemic year. The reason? Yes, according to the compilation Eating habits in crisis developed by ICA Sweden and Richard Tellström, associate professor of food science, expert at SLU Future Food, it seems that several changes are seen in the eating habits of Swedes during the crisis. Among other things, the sale of baked goods increased sharply during the first three months of the crisis and that baking seems to have increased more than sweet baking. Number of recipe searches on Ica.se indicates that Swedes were cooking more food at home, while traffic to the "homemade" recipe category increased by 102 %.
Launched during another crisis
The household assistant for home use was launched in the early 1940s, in the midst of World War II, by Electrolux who had bought the rights to the machine a few years earlier, which due to its size had only been used in commercial kitchens. The smooth design by Alvar Lennig was appreciated and Assistant Original was well received in Swedish public homes. The machine also included a crisis cookbook so that all raw materials could be used during the food rationing that prevailed. The situation in the world also led to a shortage of materials, which caused a waiting time of several years for the popular helper. In 1969, Anchor room over production and currently the popular household appliance is manufactured by several of APPLiA's member companies in many different colors and designs!
Photo: Sorin Gheorghita/Unsplash
