7 ms·

KitchenAid’s Key Ingredient: Investing in Workers

contingencies 8y ago
NB. Taking it meta: investing in processes and methods for training workers (or robots) is better than investing in workers. Investing in managers who can do that for you is even better.
pmorici 8y ago
Ave on Youtube has a nice tear down video with commentary on the classic Kitchen Aid mixer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qKp-0h9P18 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qKp-0h9P18
preommr 8y ago
I firmly maintain that the KA stand mixer is pretty overrated. People praise it for being long lasting, but it's a mixer... just a motor and some gears. I've still got my grandmother's sewing machine, and electronic devices that are older than I am still in working condition. It's not like it's a particularly cheap product. It's pretty high up there, so quality should be somewhat expected. That said, it's not abuse proof either. I've got the pro, and there were a few times in the beginning when I was making stiff doughs that I could see it struggling with. I imagine with bigger batches that it could probably crap out. From what I've read online, there are definitely better quality mixers out there in the price range. The attachments aren't really worth it either. They're horribly expensive if you don't buy it on sale or as part of a bigger package and now you're locked in with your machine. For things like meat grinding, I would much rather get a dedicated all steel grinder.
- dragonwriter 8y ago
  > The attachments aren't really worth it either. They're horribly expensive if you don't buy it on sale or as part of a bigger package and now you're locked in with your machine. For things like meat grinding, I would much rather get a dedicated all steel grinder. Sure, dedicated tools are superior, however each of the attachments has significantly less marginal space cost they a dedicated powered tool that would replace it, because the motor is shared (as, often, are other parts between attachments, e.g., there are a number of attachments for the grinder attachment.) If you aren't doing heavy volume use on any one attachment, and you don't have a gargantuan kitchen (or even if you are, but you have a small kitchen), space efficiency can be quite compelling.
  - TeMPOraL 8y ago
    Until your motor unit craps out, and then it turns out that particular system isn't produced anymore, so you have to throw out all your attachments too.
    - austhrow743 8y ago
      KitchenAid has an all attachments fit all mixers guarantee. Combined with the company being pretty old and not looking like it's going anywhere, that's a huge part of the appeal of the brand. Being fairly confident the scenario you're proposing wont be an issue.
      - garyrichardson 8y ago
        Also the parts are pretty universal too. We got one as a wedding present. I use it at least once a week and my wife makes bread dough in it. After about 13 years of hard use we stripped a nylon gear (designed to protect the rest of the unit). The replacement gear was available on amazon for a few bucks. That was a few years ago.
droithomme 8y ago
The article isn't about KitchenAid Mixers. It's about KitchenAid/Whirlpool investing in its workers through programs such as paying for further education and training. Please stop talking about your personal opinions regarding the quality, utility, or value of their mixers and other kitchen appliances, and please stop upvoting these posts. That has nothing whatsoever to do with the point of the article and is noise. The article is about the value of a company financially investing in their employees.
- war1025 8y ago
  The point of HackerNews is to spark interesting conversation as much as anything. Often that involves going off on a tangent. At least that's why I come here, and I'd guess I'm not alone.
  - BoiledCabbage 8y ago
    I think it's more people who don't read the article, pattern match on a keyword in the title, and go off on a tangent on that keyword. Article comments should be relevant to the article posted, not any unrelated topic that simply mentions the word.
    - war1025 8y ago
      Well yes, I think that's how the tangents get started. If the article itself is sufficiently interesting or the tangent is particularly off-topic, those conversations get quashed pretty quickly. There were only a couple top-level comments about the mixers, it just happened that there weren't many comments about the article itself to counter-balance them.
- freddie_mercury 8y ago
  I sympathize but this happens on every thread. Articles about Google setting up a permanent Mars colony would have posts whining about Reader. Articles about an Apple credit default swap denominated in Renminbi will have comments complaining about how the latest refresh of the Macbook Pro wasn't really a "Pro". And so on.
MrTonyD 8y ago
Bought a KitchenAid stand mixer - the motor made a loud "aircraft landing" sound. When I called the number in the instructions they told me that their warranty doesn't cover sounds, and that they couldn't do anything for me. I tried to explain that I had worked with motors a lot, and this wasn't a normal sound, and asked to speak with a supervisor. The supervisor told me the same thing - no warranty for that type of problem. I haven't bought anything from KitchenAid since then.
woofie11 8y ago
Perhaps the other piece of the equation is making cheap junk and selling it at premium prices. At some point in the past few years, KitchenAid products replaced steel internals with plastic ones. You still have a big honkin' powerful-looking mixer or blender, but it breaks just around when the warranty expires. On the other hand, they still have a reputation for products which last forever, as their products did until a few years ago. That allows for obscene markups and short-term profits. I'm not sure when the change happened. You can see it in Amazon reviews, though (and my own products; I have a broken mixer and, stupidly, two broken blenders, both with powerful-looking steel or cast-iron externals).
- Bombthecat 8y ago
  The same thing happens everywhere. My kitchen was!fully Miele. So, after around 3,5 years or so. The dishwasher broke. So I thought: call a specialist, get repaired. It is is Miele at least! (you can get replacement parts even after years) so, guy came, saw the brand. Checked, said, something with the heater. Several models have that problem. And it is super expensive.. I should just buy a new one. Asked him what I should buy, you know what he said? It is not worth anymore.just buy 2 or 3 cheap dishwashers in 10 years then just one expensive, which brakes anyway after 3 to 5 years.... I have a 15 years old Miele washing machine I bought used. Still running like a champ...
neonate 8y ago
https://outline.com/kjXw4M https://outline.com/kjXw4M
- miguelmota 8y ago
  Saved me a click, thank you
iceninenines 8y ago
Temper the corpo wank with an AvE teardown of a KA mixer. https://youtu.be/0qKp-0h9P18 https://youtu.be/0qKp-0h9P18
zaptheimpaler 8y ago
Companies more likely to treat workers better during a talent shortage. Executives shocked to unearth a little-known ability called "learning", allowing untrained employees to gain skills persists well into adulthood. More breaking news soon.
- indigodaddy 8y ago
  You should write for n-gate
Krasnol 8y ago
I'd say their other key ingredient is the fact that this is a perfect product. It does what it should do perfectly and it will still do it in 50 years and more.
- war1025 8y ago
  We got one for our wedding 6 years ago and hardly ever use the thing. Growing up, my mom had a Sunbeam mixer where the bowl spins and the beaters stay in place. Maybe just bias because that's what I grew up with, but I liked the way that mixer incorporated ingredients a lot better. Unfortunately, Sunbeam only makes super cheap products now, so I don't know that you can even buy such a thing anymore.
  - bsr203 8y ago
    see the videos in one of the tabs. https://www.ankarsrumoriginalusa.com/store/pc/Ankarsrum-Original-Mixer-AKM-6230-2p53.htm https://www.ankarsrumoriginalusa.com/store/pc/Ankarsrum-Orig...
    - war1025 8y ago
      That thing looks really wild. Never seen one like that before. This is the kind my mom had: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxgSd59Z4Yo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxgSd59Z4Yo The lady in the video seems to not really understand how it works though, and is only making jello mix, which seems like a poor demonstration...
      - mongol 8y ago
        The other one is the latest generation of the original Electrolux Assistent, introduced in 1940.
        kwhitefoot 8y ago
        I have an Electrolux Assistant that I use principally for bread making. Much better than the Kenwood and Kitchen Aid style stand mixers. Mine looks like this: https://cbsethumb.blob.core.windows.net/534x389/69/97/90/electrolux-assistent-rattvik-6352757.jpg https://cbsethumb.blob.core.windows.net/534x389/69/97/90/ele...

NB. Taking it meta: investing in processes and methods for training workers (or robots) is better than investing in workers. Investing in managers who can do that for you is even better.

pmorici 8y ago

Ave on Youtube has a nice tear down video with commentary on the classic Kitchen Aid mixer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qKp-0h9P18 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qKp-0h9P18

preommr 8y ago

I firmly maintain that the KA stand mixer is pretty overrated. People praise it for being long lasting, but it's a mixer... just a motor and some gears. I've still got my grandmother's sewing machine, and electronic devices that are older than I am still in working condition. It's not like it's a particularly cheap product. It's pretty high up there, so quality should be somewhat expected. That said, it's not abuse proof either. I've got the pro, and there were a few times in the beginning when I was making stiff doughs that I could see it struggling with. I imagine with bigger batches that it could probably crap out. From what I've read online, there are definitely better quality mixers out there in the price range. The attachments aren't really worth it either. They're horribly expensive if you don't buy it on sale or as part of a bigger package and now you're locked in with your machine. For things like meat grinding, I would much rather get a dedicated all steel grinder.

dragonwriter 8y ago
> The attachments aren't really worth it either. They're horribly expensive if you don't buy it on sale or as part of a bigger package and now you're locked in with your machine. For things like meat grinding, I would much rather get a dedicated all steel grinder. Sure, dedicated tools are superior, however each of the attachments has significantly less marginal space cost they a dedicated powered tool that would replace it, because the motor is shared (as, often, are other parts between attachments, e.g., there are a number of attachments for the grinder attachment.) If you aren't doing heavy volume use on any one attachment, and you don't have a gargantuan kitchen (or even if you are, but you have a small kitchen), space efficiency can be quite compelling.
- TeMPOraL 8y ago
  Until your motor unit craps out, and then it turns out that particular system isn't produced anymore, so you have to throw out all your attachments too.
  - austhrow743 8y ago
    KitchenAid has an all attachments fit all mixers guarantee. Combined with the company being pretty old and not looking like it's going anywhere, that's a huge part of the appeal of the brand. Being fairly confident the scenario you're proposing wont be an issue.
    - garyrichardson 8y ago
      Also the parts are pretty universal too. We got one as a wedding present. I use it at least once a week and my wife makes bread dough in it. After about 13 years of hard use we stripped a nylon gear (designed to protect the rest of the unit). The replacement gear was available on amazon for a few bucks. That was a few years ago.

droithomme 8y ago

The article isn't about KitchenAid Mixers. It's about KitchenAid/Whirlpool investing in its workers through programs such as paying for further education and training. Please stop talking about your personal opinions regarding the quality, utility, or value of their mixers and other kitchen appliances, and please stop upvoting these posts. That has nothing whatsoever to do with the point of the article and is noise. The article is about the value of a company financially investing in their employees.

war1025 8y ago
The point of HackerNews is to spark interesting conversation as much as anything. Often that involves going off on a tangent. At least that's why I come here, and I'd guess I'm not alone.
- BoiledCabbage 8y ago
  I think it's more people who don't read the article, pattern match on a keyword in the title, and go off on a tangent on that keyword. Article comments should be relevant to the article posted, not any unrelated topic that simply mentions the word.
  - war1025 8y ago
    Well yes, I think that's how the tangents get started. If the article itself is sufficiently interesting or the tangent is particularly off-topic, those conversations get quashed pretty quickly. There were only a couple top-level comments about the mixers, it just happened that there weren't many comments about the article itself to counter-balance them.
freddie_mercury 8y ago
I sympathize but this happens on every thread. Articles about Google setting up a permanent Mars colony would have posts whining about Reader. Articles about an Apple credit default swap denominated in Renminbi will have comments complaining about how the latest refresh of the Macbook Pro wasn't really a "Pro". And so on.

MrTonyD 8y ago

Bought a KitchenAid stand mixer - the motor made a loud "aircraft landing" sound. When I called the number in the instructions they told me that their warranty doesn't cover sounds, and that they couldn't do anything for me. I tried to explain that I had worked with motors a lot, and this wasn't a normal sound, and asked to speak with a supervisor. The supervisor told me the same thing - no warranty for that type of problem. I haven't bought anything from KitchenAid since then.

woofie11 8y ago

Perhaps the other piece of the equation is making cheap junk and selling it at premium prices. At some point in the past few years, KitchenAid products replaced steel internals with plastic ones. You still have a big honkin' powerful-looking mixer or blender, but it breaks just around when the warranty expires. On the other hand, they still have a reputation for products which last forever, as their products did until a few years ago. That allows for obscene markups and short-term profits. I'm not sure when the change happened. You can see it in Amazon reviews, though (and my own products; I have a broken mixer and, stupidly, two broken blenders, both with powerful-looking steel or cast-iron externals).

Bombthecat 8y ago
The same thing happens everywhere. My kitchen was!fully Miele. So, after around 3,5 years or so. The dishwasher broke. So I thought: call a specialist, get repaired. It is is Miele at least! (you can get replacement parts even after years) so, guy came, saw the brand. Checked, said, something with the heater. Several models have that problem. And it is super expensive.. I should just buy a new one. Asked him what I should buy, you know what he said? It is not worth anymore.just buy 2 or 3 cheap dishwashers in 10 years then just one expensive, which brakes anyway after 3 to 5 years.... I have a 15 years old Miele washing machine I bought used. Still running like a champ...

neonate 8y ago

https://outline.com/kjXw4M https://outline.com/kjXw4M

miguelmota 8y ago
Saved me a click, thank you

iceninenines 8y ago

Temper the corpo wank with an AvE teardown of a KA mixer. https://youtu.be/0qKp-0h9P18 https://youtu.be/0qKp-0h9P18

zaptheimpaler 8y ago

Companies more likely to treat workers better during a talent shortage. Executives shocked to unearth a little-known ability called "learning", allowing untrained employees to gain skills persists well into adulthood. More breaking news soon.

indigodaddy 8y ago
You should write for n-gate

Krasnol 8y ago

I'd say their other key ingredient is the fact that this is a perfect product. It does what it should do perfectly and it will still do it in 50 years and more.

war1025 8y ago
We got one for our wedding 6 years ago and hardly ever use the thing. Growing up, my mom had a Sunbeam mixer where the bowl spins and the beaters stay in place. Maybe just bias because that's what I grew up with, but I liked the way that mixer incorporated ingredients a lot better. Unfortunately, Sunbeam only makes super cheap products now, so I don't know that you can even buy such a thing anymore.
- bsr203 8y ago
  see the videos in one of the tabs. https://www.ankarsrumoriginalusa.com/store/pc/Ankarsrum-Original-Mixer-AKM-6230-2p53.htm https://www.ankarsrumoriginalusa.com/store/pc/Ankarsrum-Orig...
  - war1025 8y ago
    That thing looks really wild. Never seen one like that before. This is the kind my mom had: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxgSd59Z4Yo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxgSd59Z4Yo The lady in the video seems to not really understand how it works though, and is only making jello mix, which seems like a poor demonstration...
    - mongol 8y ago
      The other one is the latest generation of the original Electrolux Assistent, introduced in 1940.
      - kwhitefoot 8y ago
        I have an Electrolux Assistant that I use principally for bread making. Much better than the Kenwood and Kitchen Aid style stand mixers. Mine looks like this: https://cbsethumb.blob.core.windows.net/534x389/69/97/90/electrolux-assistent-rattvik-6352757.jpg https://cbsethumb.blob.core.windows.net/534x389/69/97/90/ele...