Today, the one-handed Swiss kitchen aid is still grinding, stirring and blending away. The hand mixer, a world first according to the patent specification, is popular among amateur cooks and professional chefs alike. The patent would have afforded Roger Perrinjaquet exclusive use for 20 years. But he had other plans and sold the rights to ESGE KG in 1954.
The inventor had more than just the mixer up his sleeve. Over the course of his career, he created a racetrack for the toy manufacturer Mattel, an electric toothbrush and even a self-defence device.