Kenwood Chef
Encyclopedia
Ken Wood (manufacturer)
Kenneth Wood was an entrepreneur and business man who is most famous for the development of the eponymous Kenwood Chef food mixer.- Life and career :Wood was born on 4 October 1916 in Lewisham London, England UK....
in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It is a single machine with a number of attachments that allow it to perform many functions. The Chef, based on the earlier A200, was introduced in 1950. Kenwood mixers, along with most other Kenwood products were originally manufactured in the UK by Kenwood Limited
Kenwood Limited
The Kenwood Manufacturing Co. Ltd. was founded by Kenneth Maynard Wood as the Dickson & Wood company in 1936 selling, installing and repairing radios and televisions. The company is famous for the food processor Kenwood Chef which was launched in 1950....
(not to be confused with the Japanese Kenwood Corporation which manufactures audio equipment
Audio equipment
A piece of audio equipment is any device designed principally to reproduce, record or process sound. This includes microphones, radio receivers, AV receivers, CD players, tape recorders, amplifiers, mixing consoles, effects units and loudspeakers....
). Through globalisation and changes of ownership, eventually production of all products but the Chef and Major mixers were transferred overseas; but even the mixers are all now made in China
Made in China
Made in China or Made in PRC is a country of origin label affixed to products manufactured in the mainland China, the People's Republic of China , excluding Hong Kong and Macau where all products made in those regions are labeled as "Made in Hong Kong" and "Made in Macau", respectively...
rather than in Havant
Havant
Havant is a town in south east Hampshire on the South coast of England, between Portsmouth and Chichester. It gives its name to the borough comprising the town and the surrounding area. The town has rapidly grown since the end of the Second World War.It has good railway connections to London,...
. The Chef Mixer was an instant success in the UK and is still Kenwood's top seller . Kenwood Ltd has been owned by the Italian company DeLonghi
DeLonghi
De'Longhi Group, or De'Longhi S.p.A, is a major European small appliance manufacturer based in Treviso, Italy.- History and trading :...
since 2001.
Overview
Since it was first introduced the basic Kenwood Chef design has changed little, with most changes being cosmetic. The A700 was the first model, superseded by the A700D with minor cosmetic differences and internal updates. In 1960 the Chef was redesigned by Kenneth Grange
Kenneth Grange
Kenneth Grange, CBE, MCSD, RDI, is a British industrial designer.Grange’s career began as a drafting assistant with the architect Jack Howe in the 1950s...
. During the 1960s the familiarly shaped A701 series was introduced in white with grey trim. Other standard and special versions of the A701 had different colours.
The A703C, of which few were made, was based on the A701 but looked similar to the later A901; it had electronic speed control instead of the centrifugal
Centrifugal force
Centrifugal force can generally be any force directed outward relative to some origin. More particularly, in classical mechanics, the centrifugal force is an outward force which arises when describing the motion of objects in a rotating reference frame...
controller used since the A700.
During the mid-1970s the A901 series replaced the A701. The shape was basically similar but with a slightly more streamlined
Streamline Moderne
Streamline Moderne, sometimes referred to by either name alone or as Art Moderne, was a late type of the Art Deco design style which emerged during the 1930s...
appearance. The design of the machine was entirely new. The original A901 had a redesigned centrifugal speed controller, replaced in the A901P (Chef Deluxe) by the new electronic speed control first seen on the A703C. The standard A901 was white with black trim, the "Super Chef" orange with brown trim, and the "Chef Deluxe" in beige with brown trim costing about £10 more. These more expensive models came with a stainless steel
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
bowl (also sold as an optional extra, specifically for pastry
Pastry
Pastry is the name given to various kinds of baked products made from ingredients such as flour, sugar, milk, butter, shortening, baking powder and/or eggs. Small cakes, tarts and other sweet baked products are called "pastries."...
making) instead of the standard plastic
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
bowl. In around 1983 a white with silver and maroon trim "Chef Excel" with slight changes in appearance was introduced. Later Excel models were white with light blue trim, and finally all white.
In 1997, a Special Edition KM500 SE was launched, to celebrate 50 years of Kenwood. The model, based on a KM200 but with an all-metal top arm, was finished in Aubergine with a special 'limited edition' plate with unique number, and a stainless steel mixing bowl. The packaging also contained a special booklet detailing the history of Kenwood.
In 2002 the redesigned KM001 series was introduced, different both mechanically and in appearance. Models in this series had an extra power outlet, which enabled them to use a wider range of over 20 attachments. Since this date, all models are of Chinese manufacture.
The 2006 range consisted of six different Chef models, differing mainly in power
Electric power
Electric power is the rate at which electric energy is transferred by an electric circuit. The SI unit of power is the watt.-Circuits:Electric power, like mechanical power, is represented by the letter P in electrical equations...
.
The Kenwood Major (sometimes incorrectly referred to as the "Chef Major"), a larger model of similar general appearance to the Chef models but with a 6-litre bowl of the same diameter but higher than the Chef's 4.6-litre bowl, has also been produced. The Kenwood Major has versions specially made for commercial use which include extra features as required by increased Health and Safety requirements, such as no-voltage dropout 'Start' and 'Stop' buttons in addition to the standard speed control/off dial, and a safety guard above the bowl.
Both the Chef and Major have four attachment points:
- High speed outlet (top rear) for liquidiser and soft foods mill.
- Medium speed outlet (top middle) for juiceJuiceJuice is the liquid that is naturally contained in fruit or vegetable tissue.Juice is prepared by mechanically squeezing or macerating fruit or vegetable flesh without the application of heat or solvents. For example, orange juice is the liquid extract of the fruit of the orange tree...
separator. - Low speed outlet (front) for mincerMincingMincing is a food preparation technique in which food ingredients are finely divided. The effect is to create a closely bonded mixture of ingredients and a soft or pasty texture. Flavoring ingredients such as garlic, ginger, and fresh herbs may be minced to distribute flavor more evenly in a mixture...
, hard foods millMill (grinding)A grinding mill is a unit operation designed to break a solid material into smaller pieces. There are many different types of grinding mills and many types of materials processed in them. Historically mills were powered by hand , working animal , wind or water...
s, pastaPastaPasta is a staple food of traditional Italian cuisine, now of worldwide renown. It takes the form of unleavened dough, made in Italy, mostly of durum wheat , water and sometimes eggs. Pasta comes in a variety of different shapes that serve for both decoration and to act as a carrier for the...
makers etc. - Orbital hub for beaters, potato peeler or ice cream maker.
The newer Classic Chef and Chef Premier do not have the medium speed outlet.
A much smaller model (which does not resemble the Chef or Major at all), the Kenwood Chefette, has also been produced. The Chefette is basically a hand-mixer on a stand, with a power-driven bowl. Liquidiser and coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
grinder attachments are available for it.
Compatibility
The auxiliary outlets are standard for all A700 machines, and were then updated for the A901. Some attachments for the A701 look very similar to those for the A901 but have a different fitting: they are not compatible and cannot be adapted. Older attachments for the A701 that may be found second-hand say on the box that they are for "All Chef and Major Models", true at the time but no longer so.There are three designs of shaft fitting into the orbital hub http://www.4kenwood.co.uk/cgi-bin/image.pl?b=5045174602693&s=480&t=z&i=2:
- Cross-cut slot at top (very old machines only). A700, A700D. A701.
- BayonetBayonet mountA bayonet mount or bayonet connector is a fastening mechanism consisting of a male side with one or more pins, and a female receptor with matching L slots and spring to keep the two parts locked together....
with circular springSpring (device)A spring is an elastic object used to store mechanical energy. Springs are usually made out of spring steel. Small springs can be wound from pre-hardened stock, while larger ones are made from annealed steel and hardened after fabrication...
("circlipCirclipA circlip , also known as a C-Clip, snap ring or Jesus clip, is a type of fastener consisting of a semi-flexible metal ring with open ends which can be snapped into place, into a machined groove on a dowel pin or other part to permit rotation but to prevent lateral movement...
beater"). A701A, A901A/E/P, KM200/300 series. - Bayonet without circular spring (recent machines). KM0** series.
Early A706 Major models had another fitting, whereby the tool slid into a groove on the socket on the planet hub, after which a metal sleeve would drop down over the socket ensuring the beater stayed in place.
A further complication is that, due to its extra height, any accessory fitted to the orbital hub of the Major must be longer than its Chef counterpart, so Major and Chef attachments for this hub are incompatible. This includes beaters, which need to reach to the bottom of the bowl, potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
peeler
Peeler
A peeler is a metal blade attached to a wooden, metal or plastic handle that is used to remove the outer skin or peel thus peeling certain vegetables, frequently potatoes, and fruits such as apples, pears, et cetera.There are three main varieties, the Lancashire design involving the blade as an...
, ice cream
Ice cream
Ice cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners...
maker and others.
Attachments
Many attachments (e.g. coffee grinder, slicer and shredder, cream maker, grain mill, liquidiser, tin opener, potato peeler etc.) are available.All models in the A700 and A900 series were supplied with the "K-Beater" (for standard mixing), dough hook
Kneading
Kneading is a process in the making of bread or pasta dough, used to mix together the ingredients and add strength to the final product. Its importance lies in the mixing of flour with water. When these two ingredients are combined and kneaded, the gliadin and glutenin proteins in the flour expand...
and whisk
Whisk
A whisk is a cooking utensil used in food preparation to blend ingredients smooth, or to incorporate air into a mixture, in a process known as whisking or whipping. Most whisks consist of a long, narrow handle with a series of wire loops joined at the end. The wires are usually metal, but some are...
as standard. Some models (particularly the "Super Chef" and "Chef Deluxe") included the liquidiser attachment (which in some models was made of glass and in others plastic). A much-needed splash-guard cover for the bowl was introduced for the Chef in the early 1980s; before this, there was a tendency for ingredients such as flour
Flour
Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, other seeds or roots . It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
to be thrown from the open-top bowl, especially if too high a speed was used before they were mixed in.
The new Kenwood Cooking Chef includes all the following attachments in its purchase price as standard: K-Beater, power whisk, spiral dough hook, stirring tool, flexi beater, food processor, steamer
Steaming
Steaming is a method of cooking using steam. Steaming is considered a healthy cooking technique and capable of cooking almost all kinds of food.-Method:...
basket and blender
Blender
A blender is a kitchen appliance for chopping or liquefying food.Blender may also refer to:Media:* Blender , a music-themed magazine* Blender , a free and open-source software program for 3D modeling, animation, and rendering...
.
Other Brands
The kitchen machine remains very popular across the UK and Europe, and is slowly working into the US market where the KitchenAidKitchenAid
KitchenAid is a home appliance brand owned by Whirlpool Corporation. The company was started in 1919 by The Hobart Corporation to give restaurants a countertop alternative to their industrial sized mixers. The first model weighed 69 lbs. Each unit is still assembled by hand in Greenville, Ohio...
, which is a similar kitchen tool, has a greater market share.
In North America, the DeLonghi
DeLonghi
De'Longhi Group, or De'Longhi S.p.A, is a major European small appliance manufacturer based in Treviso, Italy.- History and trading :...
DSM5 and DSM7, and the Kenmore Elite Kitchen Machine (re-badged DSM5), are the same appliance as the Kenwood Chef and accessories are interchangeable between them.