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Minipimer Multiquick 7

the evolution of industrial design

By Brian Gallagher 17.09.13

Sometimes an electro-domestic product transcends its functionality to become a truly cherished piece of design that works equally on an aesthetic and function level. This could be the case with the Minipimer / Multiquick 7 recently launched in Barcelona at MACBA marked with an exhibition of some of the iconic pieces manufactured by Braun, the celebrated German company over the years. Barcelona was chosen in order to celebrate the inventor of the first Minipimer, Gabriel Lluelles Rabadà who was a Barcelona native and first devised the appliance in 1959 when working for Pimer (Pequeñas Industrias Mecánico Eléctricas Reunidas), later acquired by Braun.

  • Braun Minipimer Multiquick 7, 2013

  • Gabriel Lluelles Rabadà, the inventor of the first Minipimer

    Llueles (who died in December 2012) is an important designer, he worked on an eclectic range of industrial design products throughout his career including irons, juicers, vacuum cleaners, coffee grinders etc.. He won numerous awards and has been exhibited in international design museums including Barcelona’s Decorative Arts Museum. The revolutionary mini-food processor together with a number of similar domestic appliances can truly be said to have changed contemporary life in the most fundamental of ways, by freeing up valuable time and in doing so influencing the course of modern history.

    Braun with its instantly recognisable logo which it has maintained since the 1950s (when it first appeared) is an interesting manufacturer on many levels, firstly as a pioneer of avant-garde appliances but also because many of its products have been recognised as design classics, MoMA (New York) includes several pieces within its permanent collection. Typical of many enduring German companies their success is based on innovation, reliable engineering and good industrial relations with its work force. Eschewing the built-in-obsolescence characteristic of so many contemporary manufacturers and the fleeting design trends these products have a longevity that is remarkable from a contemporary perspective.
    Dieter Rams one of the mid 20th Century’s most important designers is recognised by Steve Jobs as an important influence and in fact the iPod and both the Mac Pro processor and Apple IMac monitor make direct references to Braun products.

  • KM 3 food processor, Gerd Alfred Muller 1957. Below, other Braun's iconic kitchen appliances exhibited

  • General view of the Braun products exhibition event at Macba

    The Multiquick 7 is basically a very elegant handheld mixer that comes with a series of accessories that in reality make it a compact food processor ideal for storage. The noteworthy innovation is the speed function that can be regulated by the thumb and allows an ergonomic and intuitive control over the various accessories that are required for the preparation of whatever dishes/ingredients are at hand. Its sleek elongated design, in black with stainless steel elements as well as its uncomplicated family of attachments set this piece of design apart from its competitors.

    Time will tell whether the Multiquick 7 works its way into our affections in the same way as their Citromatic juicer (Dieter Rams, 1972), or the KF-40 coffee filter (Hartwig Kahlcke, 1984), SK 5 Music System (Dieter Rams, 1958), KM 3 food processor (Gerd Alfred Muller 1957) or the many other anonymous artefacts that can be found in kitchens around the globe.

  • Braun Minipimer Multiquick 7. 79€, with the full range of accessories; 149 €

  • More information:
  • www.braun.com