Kelly's Korner - Small Appliances

Hey, All,

We all have small appliances in our homes - toasters, coffee makers, blenders, mixers, etc.  What happens when one of them quits working?

From the movie The Brave Little Toaster - my kids drove me nuts watching this!

We get a lot of calls here for parts for small appliances and with the exception of Kitchenaid products, we don't carry any parts.

So what do you do?  Your best bet is to contact the manufacturer of the product.  Your small appliance should have the name of the manufacturer and the same model/serial tag that your large appliances have and sometimes even a phone number to contact the company.

If you have no contact info on the machine, jump on the internet and search for the company.  Contact them; they can either direct you to someone in your area that repairs small appliances or they may be able to help you right then and send you the part you need.

But, as with all repairs, look at the cost of the repair vs replacing it.  Why buy a replacement coffee carafe for $15 when you can replace the whole thing for $9.99?  (and if you can't function in the morning without coffee then you are stopping at the store to replace it anyway, right?)  And let's face it - we are in a throw away society and many of the small appliances are not meant to be repaired or replaced.  I've seen microwaves and small refrigerators that way.

Also, please be conscience of the environmental impact of the appliance you are discarding and contact your waste management company for the best way to dispose of it.

And as with anything, follow the manufacturer's recommendations for operations and cleaning to have your appliances, whether large or small, keep working correctly.  Now I'm going to get another cup of coffee and you all....

Have a wonderful week!

Kelly's Korner - KitchenAid Mixers

Hey, All,

The other day my sister posted a picture of her new orange KitchenAid mixer that her husband and daughter bought her for her birthday.  She is loving it.  The one I have my dad bought my mom back in the late 60's early 70's and it is olive green.  Still works like a champ.  Mom used to do cakes semi-professionally and our friends would come from miles around when they found out she was making a cake as they LOVED her frosting - in fact, one girlfriend of mine just got a bowl of icing for her birthday - no cake - as the frosting was her favorite.

Why am I talking about a small appliance today instead of a major appliance?  KitchenAid is a Whirlpool brand, and while W L May does not carry small appliance parts, we do carry parts for the KitchenAid mixers.  In fact, the name KitchenAid came from one of the wives of the executives of Whirlpool when she declared,  “I don’t care what you call it, but I know it’s the best kitchen aid I’ve ever had!”

The first KitchenAid stand mixer came out in 1919 and were sold door-to-door by women.  Because of the high cost most stores would not sell them.  They went through many design changes but since the 1930's the look hasn't changed much.  They come in a wide variety of colours to please everyone. But the best thing about this mixer that it is a workhorse.  I don't think mine has ever had any parts replaced in the 35+ years we've had it.

This mixer is so versatile - not only can you whip up your favorite cake or cookies but you can mix and knead bread dough.  And you can buy attachments for it for juicing, grinding meat, stuffing sausages, making pasta, food processing and many more.  While the attachments are a bit pricey, if you use them alot, it is a lot cheaper in the long run than buying  separate appliances and saves a lot of space on your counter and well worth it.

KitchenAid mixers are the single, most registered item ever and a definate must-have in your kitchen if you do a lot of cooking.  I wouldn't trade mine for the world.  Not only for the sentimental valve because of all the memories of Mom making cakes and helping her with that, but because if I only had one small appliance, this is it.

So if you would like one for Christmas, get it on your list now - post pictures and ads all over the house so your loved ones get the hint!

Have a great week!