KitchenAid phase-out

Welcome to the world of monopolies and mediocre products. GE:bounce:

Whirlpool makes Kitchenaid....

Hamilton Beach is now moving into the Professional cooking line in competition with Kitchen Aid. Actually, I don't think Kitchen Aid makes anything, Hobart makes their mixers, a Chinese firm makes their knives, Meyer mfg (Farberware) makes their cookware, Whirlpool makes their refrigerators...and on and on.

Sears fridges are built by Whirlpool, Franklin Stove, Amana and several others. Just like their newe line of Pro Tools kitchen appliances, built by Whrilpool, Northland and on and on.

Jim

I have a friend that reps for KA...I'll contact him and get the real skinny on what's going on. Back later.

Jim

I'm sure there is one big mother company, is it GE?

FR
Exactly!!
Is this not the same thing happening.
Gosh, between taxes,w2's etc. You have me thinking about this. College was decades ago, I'm detecting a little puff of smoke from the brain.
Have they abolished all those practices. That Mobil crap, with those incredible profits, had me thinking about Rate of Return Regulations! I thought anti-trust was so that this very thing like ex. The Hamilton Beach is superior over the Sunbeam even though GE owns the market share?
:crazy: Back to taxes
BTW I think we are being shown some phases of the moon by these monopolies, trusts, whatever you want to call them.
I almost want to use the word cartels

YES!!!
I would love to educate myself!!!! I would love to pick your brain.
We as small business only feel the hot or cold, we're to busy to feel the blanket being moved up or down.
pan
I probably would not be able to have an intellectual give and take for I am clueless except a few things burned in the ole brain.

When Kitchenaide came out with their beautiful skillets with the really cool looking stainless handles I just had to have some. I bought the 10" teflon skillet, the 8" teflon skillet and the 8" stainless skillet. They were expensive, the 10" I think I paid $118.00 for. Within a year I returned both the teflon skillets to my store which replaced them immediately, the non-stick was no longer non-stick. Within two years with the replacements I simply tossed them in the dumpster and put them down as a really lousy investment. Beyond the teflon issue I felt the handles were too heavy and when on my electric burners, tilted slightly causing one side of the pan to be hotter than the other. The 8" stainless, seems to have a slightly smaller flat bottom and frankly doesn't get used anymore.

About a year ago my local Fred Meyer started carry a cheaper line of Kitchenaide skillets, I would have passed over them but something made me try one out, and then I bought two more. They are much better to work with but I do notice my 12" is a tiny bit higher in the center, with a straight edge I can't see it but liquids tend to move from the center to the outer edge. Anyway, overall I'd say these are a much better pan, heat more evenly and sit level on my burners.

I am however using teflon less, opting for everything on stainless lined copper or simply stainless clad. I don't know if it's that my cooking has improved more or if I'm just not liking using teflon pans but anymore I seem to only use them for eggs and not much else. Pancakes and even fish which I used to have issues with them sticking to the pan, seem to work much better now on my stainless lined pans.

Bestest: Jannie

Anecdote about who makes what..

Years ago the development company I worked for was building a semi-luxury apartment building in Chicago. The equipment buyer visited the Hotpoint plant downstate- Peoria as I remember - and picked out a stove to be installed in all 680 units.

Couple days later, he got a call from Sears Commercial Sales department. The guy said he could get a Kenmore stove for $60 less. Our guy said "what's the difference?" and was told it was only the label that was applied at the end of the assembly line, since Sear's Kenmore unit was built by Hotpoint.

Kenmore was considered relatively downscale at the time, and my company nearly lost its mind trying to decide whether to spend more than 40 grand extra for a slightly more-prestigeous label on the stoves.

As I recall, they finally did. :suprise:

Mike