You gotta hand it to 'em. KitchenAid's got guts . . .

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The stand mixers are the only KA small appliances left made in the USA. Everything else shifted to China a few years ago. What irks me though is the prices for these made in China blenders, toasters etc.. especially the so called PRO line models costing hundreds of dollars yet made in China. That just doesn't compute. And they're cagey about it too..the bottoms of the appliances have a very noticeable KA sticker.. KitchenAid,St.Jos Michigan or something which would lead you to believe that's where they're made.. but no.. look at the imprinting on the base plastic and it says made in China and it doesn't stand out.
I don't think there's any small small appliances made in the USA, Canada, at all anymore,,maybe VitaMix and for how long those KA stand mixers who knows.
 
The Almighty Profit!

Ugh. I can understand why they're doing it and I would hope that KA standards are, at least in theory, high enough that certain levels of quality are still met before the sticker is slapped on. What should give consumers pause is not just the quality of components and construction, but also HOW this product comes to be. How much damage was wrought on the environment making plastics and other integral parts? How are the laborer's working conditions, living conditions, pay scale? How much oil and subsequent carbon emissions did it take to get this product to the store shelf from Guangdong Province - did any of that oil come from Sudan, contributing to the genocide in Darfur that most people pretend doesn't exist? What is the REAL cost of this China-made crap? Just because the pocketbook isn't hit as hard, doesn't mean there wasn't a price that was paid. The more I read and learn about the "Made in China" phenomenon that is so pervasive into every facet of our consuming frenzy, the more I am disgusted by it all.
 
That's why

it is smart, as much as possible, to BUY VINTAGE/Resale!

My 5 cup KitchenAid processor, which I dearly love, is one of the last Made in France ones. Got it as a refurb from Amazon a few years back.

Lawrence/Maytagbear
 
There have been a few news and documentaries about what's going on over there and while I don't disparage the people for trying to make a living and bring up their standard of living the "worker" doesn't look to be benefitting all that much. Well actually they are "better off" than they were but having to work long hours usually 6 days a week and live in company "housing" ie dorms for pretty low wages. Those wages do go a lot further than they would here though.. What irks me like I said above,, they sell a Pro blender here for say $199, you know they paid less than $10 for it including packaging and more than likely shipping as well. Of course all the other junk,, the stuff that sells for a few bucks including those $8 Walmart toasters and mixers they probably buy for a couple of bucks but those sell by the millions.. the $200 ones not so much.
 
The other thing as well.. most people really have zero clue as to how big this really is because they don't see the enormity of how much stuff is actually coming off those boats from China. Saying things like there's a 5 billion dollar trade deficit doesn't put it into perspective in peoples mind. You really have to see it..when those gigantic container ships come in to all the west coast ports in the US and Canada..how many thousands of containers come off those boats each and every day. 20 years ago it was a huge week the first time we shipped 500 containers in one week...it was only a few years after that that we were shipping 500 to 1000 containers, mostly from China PER DAY and that's only 1 railroad, 1 port, then you have Seattle, Portland and gigantic LA... it really is mind-boggling how much stuff we're talking.
 
I have a KitchenAid hand mixer, which I got in the mid-1990s. The model number is KHM5T8, and it says Ultra Power Plus on it. It has five speeds. I remember seeing Debbi Fields use what looked like the same mixer on her baking show, Great American Desserts. It says St Joseph Michigan USA on it, but it does not specifically say Made in USA. Can I surmise that it was made in the United States? I don’t have occasion to use it frequently, but it works very well when I do. I guess I should hold onto it?

On a related note, I read that the new GE FL washers are made in China. :-( I also read that Frigidaire is outsourcing its FL washer production to Mexico by the end of the year. Double :-(
 
And of course we haven't even touched on the fact that all these jobs are leaving the United States once and for all!
Somebody should check KitchenAid's financials to see if the BOD gave themselves a big bonus for doing this.
 
It's possible your mixer was made in the USA it wasn't that long ago. I think the toasters and blenders were the first Chinese sourced then the mixers..look closely to see if it's engraved into the plastic somewhere hard to see.
 
''The stand mixers are the only KA small appliances

I was watching an "Unwrapped" episode about mixers on Food Network and they included footage of the KitchenAid stand mixer factory in St. Joseph. I couldn't help thinking, "But will it be true a year from now?" just as I wondered when they showed the Waring blender factory where a few commercial and pro-style models are made.

Pity we'll never again see Corning Ware Pyroceram being made, especially with the 50th anniversary right around the corner.
 
Actually, the standard of living for the workers living in the company dorms isn't a whole lot better than when they were eeking out a subsistence life in the rural areas. Many times, the family of the worker borrowed money from the local loan shark to send their son/daughter to the city for the promise of a better life for themselves as the child will be expected to send most of the money they make back home to re-pay the loan shark in the village and raise the standard of living for the whole family. The ones who don't find work or only very low-paying jobs cannot afford to send money home after paying their own living expenses back to the company ("I owe my soul to the company store...") and very often the families back home are subjected to violence and other horrors much worse than a sternly worded collection letter. It is also estimated that China has a transient working population, existing outside of census data collection of approximately 200-300,000,000! China claims to have a population of about 1,300,000,000, but it's probably closer to 1.5 billion. That's a lot of mouths to feed!

hsi yi ji

7-20-2007-20-07-52--gansky1.jpg.gif
 
(opening myself up for a lot here, but.....)

... and I don't know if the KA units were made in a union shop, but.......

if the US union workers didn't get paid so much for sitting on their a**es more than actually working, things wouldn't cost so much to produce here! I'm generalizing, but......

Chuck
 
Chuck

There is some truth in what youve said. Sure it had some effect on old Maytag and The Hoover Co's fate.
 
Parlez-vous KA?

When I had to move my Mom out of her apartment into a rest home, I "inherited" her blue KA 5 cup food processor. Since I already have a 1980's Cuisinart Classic (USA made), I've never used the KA 5 cup, and I came real close to donating it to Goodwill. But for some reason I've hung onto it. And yes, it's Made in France. Since I have two kitchens, I suppose I could set up the KA in one and the Cuisinart in the other.

I've seen the KA "Pro" line at Costco - they had a very nice toaster and an equally nice coffee grinder. Lots of cast metal housing, nice matt silver and chrome styling, but pricey. The coffee grinder is probably a good one, but I didn't like the thin walled glass container, it looked very breakable and not easily replaced by something else (although a jam jar of right height would probably do just as well). Not sure if the grinding burrs on the KA Pro are any better than the run-of-the mill burrs on my $20 Melitta burr grinder.

I would hate to see the KA Stand mixers go to China, but it seems like just about everything is made there now. I guess companies feel they must outsource mfg to China because all their competitors are doing it. I have read (was it here?) that Chinese workers make an average of $.57/day. That won't even get you a cup of coffee these days.

Interestingly, I now work in manufacturing. I run a CNC mill and make parts for local high tech companies. Some of it is prototype stuff, some of it is custom, some of it is relatively small runs that wouldn't make economic sense to ship all the way to China for.

I have to admit, though, that most manufacturing factory jobs are probably deadly tedium, and I don't mind when someone else is picked to run a bunch of the same thing over the weekend, while I enjoy my garden ;). The fun part is taking a new drawing, interpreting it, writing a program to make it, and setting up the machine and making sure the first few parts are right and made as efficiently as possible. Making the same part day in, day out, for years, would probably not be my idea of a good job.
 
I also have a USA-made KA hand-held 3 speed mixer. It's a Model KHM3WH-1, labled "Ultra Power". It was my second mixer; the previous one was an older cheapie (which I can't locate at the moment) that didn't work all that well. Although the KA is only about 70 watts, it worked well enough for cake mixes and pancake batters, etc.

By way of comparison, the Sunbeam Mixmaster Model 9 I recently acquired is listed at 120 watts. Also have a "Merit Mercury" hand mixer that claims 130 watts, and a very old GE hand mixer at 100 watts.
 
true KA devotee...

I haven't used a "real" hand-mixer since I bought my KA stand mixer in 1992. I've seen several of the KA hand-mixers at sales but have never picked one up. I have a couple of chrome Sunbeam Juniors, but have never used them for real mixing.

Terry and I bought a whole box full of food processors and parts for $5, sorted it all out and had a lovely Sears model and a Cuisinart, made in France KitchenAid that works beautifully - and in mint condition! I burned out a similar B&D cheapie in two years slicing apples but this KA seems/is much more powerful so it will probably be the last one I ever need.
 
If I had any reservation about the 5 cup KA fp it would be that small size of the container, and the limited blade selection (thin slice or grate, that's it). I suppose there might be other blades available, never checked. This one does have the mini bowl and blade extra, which I would imagine would be handy for chopping up small amounts of herbs.

I don't think my Mom ever used it. She probably preferred to use one of her dull knives... lol... It's still in the original box, with original warranty card. Not sure if the owner's manual is around any more, though.
 
Hey Greg, we sure did have fun putting those together. You are correct that Kitchen Aid is the only process you will ever need, it will last a lifetime!! They were truly a quallity machine.
 
i have a two newer KitchenAids and one older one

I have a New Food processor I bought on everyones' recamondation, thank you!!Made in France, i have a 1997 Made in St Joeseph, Michigan,USA the label reads. KitchenAid handmixer five speed with the little lever, not the cheap eletronics that the newer models have on them.They work wonderfully!! Now my newer Stand Mixer just says assembled in USA, with pride in Ohio the box says. It always made me wonder where the parts came from, maybe like a Hines 57(outsourced )although, it is kind of made here, right? .It works good, louder than the old one.I have been happy with it., they have Fabulous service for the Stand mixers, it is their flagship product. When i was at the Seattle kitchen supply, they tried to tell me not to discount the new things coming out of China, and to give them a chance. take it home and see how well I like it , that I would be supprised. I declined. I really read labels on everything very carefully now, on everything, and have for the last ten years. You would be shocked where everything really comes from. Alot of manufactures, one of them being Sears, can get away with Hoffman States Il, at Least on the big appliances.
 
Most of the garlic sold in the US comes from China. The food section in either the Post or the NYT showed that garlic with all of the roots cut clean so the bottom of the bulb is concave is from China. Looking at garlic in stores seems to bear that out. If it has some short roots, it is probably from California. I got tired of looking so I bought some elephant garlic which apparently won't grow in China so it is safe to buy, but I still look for point of origin. I really don't want to be consuming stuff grown in polluted soil and air and watered with polluted water or subjected to heaven only knows what kind of dangerous insecticides, herbicides or agricultural treatments for plant diseases.

I was reading this week that because of inspectors at the large west coast ports, the major center for imported seafood from China is Las Vegas so it can be more easily imported without having to deal with the inspectors. Also, 5 years ago a law was signed mandating that all imported foods had to have a country of origin label, but it has yet to go into effect because of the big food interests. Right now it is in a 60 day "comment period" which is just another way of holding up implementation. I often can find competitive prices for organic produce at the My Organic Market stores and unless I know where food comes from at the grocery stores, I will be buying more from the organic market. The big food companies think that they have us over a barrel, but a lot of people who do not buy a lot of convenience or highly processed foods, will be leaving the big grocery stores for places where they are not afraid to put the names and locations of the farms or producers on the food they sell. It is insanity or treason to buy products from a nation that is not a friend and is seeking to cut us down economically and militarily (just look at China's treaties with other non-friendly nations) and to let those products, especially the agricultural products, into our food stream without rigorous inspection. Our government responds to increasing food imports from China et al by cutting food inspectors to record low levels.
 
Wasn't it a few weeks or so ago that Chinese Food products and toothpaste were recalled because they DIDN'T MEET USA food safety standards?Same thing with Chinese made pet food additives-that caused the death of many pets several months ago.
I also have a French made KA food processor.Nice machine.compared to the Chinese made KA ones-the Chinese ones are pretty lame.After all the food processor was invented in France-Robot Coupe.That company still exists-and they proudly build the machines both in France and in the US-factory is In Misisippi.Robot Coupe markets to commercial users.I have one of their machines-its pretty nice.Bought it used from a Restuarant equipment supplier here in town.they sell used and new equipment.They are a RC dealer.I have a newer and older KA mixers-like the OLDER one better.the motor is quieter and actually has more torque-and the COATED beater blades.The newer one has the uncoated bare metal blades.These make me nervus.
 
BOYCOTT CHINA!

I have been on a mission for months boycotting Chinese products----and its HARD! Once you start looking at labels the shock of how much this country has been sold-out to the Chinese really hits home! As Tom pointed out it is really treasonous how "corporate" America has sold us out. Big surprise.
If enough American's would raise hell about it, there is always the possibility things might turn around. I'll remain guardedly optomistic.
BTW "Google" "Boycott China" and you will find all kinds of kool bumper-stickers,etc. Join the movement!

On the up-side China has just executed the head of their version of the F.D.A. For "corruption". So there IS some redeeming value to their government after all. Wouldn't it be wonderful if our woosie Congress and Senate passed laws requiring public execution for government corruption! Washington,D.C. would become a ghost-town in short order!!!!!!!! Oh, and don't forget the lobbyists----hang-'em-high!!!!!!

Tom, you are right about the organic food. Of course, the hidden hazard is shopping at the so-called Organic groceries. We have the "Whole Foods" chain (a.k.a. "Whole-Wallet") in Atlanta. They have unusually sneaky methods of marketing their products, so one has to be very careful not to get ripped-off when shopping there. Before I go in the door I always remind myself to buy ONLY organic items. They are very sneaky how they will place non-organic items right next to organic ones, label them "natural" to catch you off-guard and their "non-organic" stuff has rip-off pricing.ACH. Another shell game! I hate them, so am very careful when shopping there. I also make a run to the Farmers Market over in Forest Park whenever I can. Anything to avoid buying Chinese!!!!!
 
The Chinese are corrupt and greedy, and now that they have had a taste of capitalism, the want more! And guess who's supplying it? We are. I avoid MADE IN CHINA at all costs, I don't trust the quality, and I certainly don't trust food safety. All of that manufacturing capacity they have absorbed comes at a cost to their country - POLLUTION!! You really wanna eat the stuff they produce? There is limited enforcement of regulations.

Just think about how they have us over a barrel....they have taken over our manufacturing infrastructure to the point that we have lost so much manufacturing capacity in this country.

I say buy vintage! That's my motto. And I gladly pay more to buy MADE IN THE USA. I'm not sure yet about some of the products that are made in Korea, but at least South Korea seems to be a reasonably friendly country to us, and the make so damned many of the microwaves out there today. And there is always good old Japan, too. They turn out decent products and a decent price for the most part.

But if anyone needs a new microwave, and want American, then buy a DCS...made in good ole California!! When I needed a new vacuum, I went online and bought a vintage Electrolux Super J...it will probably outlive me. It was a whopping $60, and it's almost brand new...not a mark on it...like it was never used.

I used to be all for globalization, but since it seems to mean giving the house away, I'm not so sure anymore.
 
The garlic growers in Gilroy, CA would be shocked to hear that China outproduces them. Gilroy advertizees itself as "The Garlic Capitol of the World", and has a big Garlic Festival every August. I buy Christopher Ranch garlic from Costco once or twice a year, whole bulbs. Lasts a long time. Grown in Gilroy. Don't think I've ever seen any garlic from China, but I wouldn't put it past the big supermarkets (Safeway, Albertson's) to import cheaper Chinese garlic.

Ever tasted garlic brittle? I have. I just substituted garlic cloves for peanuts. People liked it. I probably should have patented it, lol. But I don't think it keeps very long. I should probably cook up a batch and bring it to Gilroy, LOL.
 
To be fair you can't soley blame the Chinese after all it is all the major manufacturers and not just US ones who are over there courting for a piece of the pie. Chrysler will be introducing the made in China, Chery model A1 to N.America next year I read in the paper the other day, it's expected to retail in Canada for $10,000. so it will obviously be a cheaper in the US.
GM manufacturs the popular Buick Century or whatever it's called now over in China for their burgeoning middle class but it doesn't have all the pollution control crap on it and catalytic converters and uses one of their much older version engines. All to make it affordable in China.
 
Chinese leather belts

I needed a new belt-the simple thing to hold up your trousers-bought threee from Pennies a few months ago-THEY BROKE already!Just as I thought-a bold label on the back--MADE IN CHINA!!Now I am back to using my old belt-was made in USA!!What do the Chinese use for leather?maybe I don't want to know.Its sure poor quality!Now I am going to have to buy some belts again-this time pay more attention to where they came from!
 

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