Who invented the electric kitchen blender?

Stephen J. Poplawski (8/14/1885 – 12/9/1956) was born in Poland. With his family, he emigrated to the United States at age 9. The Poplawski family settled in Racine, Wisconsin, the home of the company that produced Horlick Malted Milk.

In 1918, he started the Stephens Tool Company. A year later, he won a contract from the Arnold Electric Company to design automatic drink mixers. The commercial mixers were sold to restaurants and soda fountains to make Horlick malted milkshakes.

In 1922, Mr. Poplawski patented the drink mixer and Arnold Electric became a leading manufacturer of them. That same year, Mr. Poplawski introduced the "liquefier" blender. In 1926, Arnold Electric was sold to the Hamilton Beach Company, also of Racine. Mr. Poplawski joined Hamilton Beach.

In 1904, L. H. Hamilton and Chester Beach worked for U.S. Standard Electrical Works in Racine. The company made commercial products driven by electric motors. Then it expander to make similar products for home use. In 1910, Hamilton and Beach started the company that still bears their names.

In 1933, on his own time, Mr. Poplawski began working on an electric blender for household use. He formed Stephens Electric Company and, in 1940, patented a home-kitchen blender. In 1946, he sold Stephens Electric to the John Oster Manufacturing Company, which named the device the “Osterizer.” Mr. Poplawski retired that year.