Sunbeam

 

Ideally we would like people to not put their appliances away – if they could – they'd be proud to have a Sunbeam product on their bench.
- Nick Edmonds, Project Director, Sunbeam


Mixmaster Professional, designed
by Sunbeam Australia, 2003.
Courtesy Sunbeam Australia.

Founded in America, Sunbeam has been operating in Australia for about 90 years and became Australian-owned in 1987. The first Sunbeam appliance to be made in Australia was the Mixmaster. This product was an American design that became famous in Australia and around the world.

In the 1970s Sunbeam began to design products in Australia. The company now designs about 25 new products a year in its Botany studio. These designs are made by Chinese manufacturers and sold by Sunbeam and other companies around the world.

 


Video interview - Nick Edmonds, Project Director, Sunbeam Australia talks about the Mixmaster Professional. Requires Quicktime 7 plugin
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Sunbeam Mixmaster: refreshed by design

Sunbeam decided to redesign the Mixmaster because we hadn't had a new design of a die-cast Mixmaster for at least 20 years.
- Nick Edmonds, Project Director, Sunbeam


Hand made timber concept model
of the Mixmaster Professional.
Courtesy Sunbeam Australia.

The first Sunbeam appliance to be
made in Australia was the
Mixmaster 9B, in 1948.
Courtesy Sunbeam Australia.

It is often the task of a designer to update or 'refresh' a product from the past. This might be to keep up with changes in technology or fashion trends.

Sunbeam recently redesigned the classic Mixmaster. This product has been through a number of redesigns since it was introduced to Australia in 1948. The first major change to the design occurred in 1981 when local Sunbeam designers created the Mixmaster MX001. In this case the aim was to reduce the cost of manufacture, but the designer also gave the Mixmaster a completely new look.

In 2003 the product was again redesigned. This time it featured improved three-way mixing technology and a removable head. The new mixing technology was combined with the look of the '40s to create the Mixmaster Professional for the premium market.

We even had our designers looking at things like jet engines for inspiration and you can see that in the form of the product.
- Nick Edmonds, Project Director, Sunbeam

 

 

Links

 Sunbeam

A history of the Sunbeam Mixmaster (USA )

 Mixmaster Professional Australian Design Awards entry

Mixmaster Compact Australian Design Awards entry