It wasn’t until we were hosting a dinner party and had planned on serving a dessert with whipped cream that I realized I was lacking a mixer at the Dream House. Back at the city apartment I have The Mister’s mother’s old Sunbeam stand mixer but here at the house I’m mixer-less. I added a mixer to my list of things to try to find while thrifting and within a week I found this vintage Dormey mixer.
I have an affinity for vintage appliances. Unlike the cheap plastic mixers of today, this Dormeyer Model 7500 mixer features a metal body. At the risk of sounding like an old fuddy duddy, they just don’t make ’em like they used to!
When I got back home with my new (old) mixer, I started Googling around for information on my little Dormey. Over on Vacuumland I learned that Dormeyer was Sunbeam’s main competitor. As the label states, Dormeyer was based in Chicago. In addition to the Dormey hand mixer, Dormeyer also made a stand mixer, as well as house brands for various department stores. My Dormey probably dates back to the 1950’s or ’60’s. Apparently the company offered the 7500, with the enamel finish like mine, and the 7600, a chrome version. I also came across this adorable vintage ad for Dormeyer mixers on Vacuumland:
There are two things that amaze me about this old mixer. First of all, it’s absolutely incredible that a 50+ year old mixer is still in working condition. Can you imagine one of those cheap plastic mixers of today still working in 2064?! Umm, no, probably not.
And then there’s the history of this mixer. I can only imagine the many cake batters and cookies dough that were made with this mixer. I imagine a lady with a classic name like Betty or Mildred receiving this mixer as a wedding gift back in the 50’s. It probably sat in a drawer in her kitchen, always ready for whipping up a quick recipe for her husband and, later, their kids. Through the years her family were say she should upgrade to something more modern, maybe a Kitchenaid stand mixer, but Betty was adamant about keeping her well worn Dormey. It was more than mixer to Betty, you see. It was a part of the family.
Betty probably passed away and her kids finally saw their chance to donate the dirty old mixer to the thrift store. And of course that’s where I come into the picture. Now, I’ll use Betty’s old mixer to prepare food for my family. It took some scrubbing to clean this old Dormey of the years of greasy fingerprints and thrift store dust, but it’s now ready to use.
As I placed the mixer on the check out counter at the thrift store, the cashier said, “Are you going to bake a cake?”
“Yes, I hope so,” I replied.
“I hope you bring us some,” she said.
“Well then I guess I better make cupcakes!”
We shared a chuckle, I handed over my $3.50 and came home with my beloved vintage appliance.
— J. Blandings
Images: Mr. and Mr. Blandings and Vacuumland
28 Comments
I own the very same model and it’s working beautifully. Just made a cake with it this evening! Enjoy!
After my parents past, I kept the Dormey 7500 my mom used since the 50’s and have made several cakes for my 3 girls on their birthdays. Today I used Dormey once again. It truly is a wonderful piece of history that will and has out worked many newer types of hand mixers. I have stripped mine down and gave it a full cleaning inside and out, other than usage marks it is just like new. Love it!
Mine is still going strong!
I have one too, I bought it for my Mother in 1956 sent it off to the UK but she returned it as the power is different, I have used it since made my own wedding cake and many many carrot cakes for birthdays, I still prefer it to my Kitchenmaid large mixer, Pat Vancouver BC
I have one which worked perfectly until a few months ago when it shorted out and the guy at the appliance store said he could not fix it. Any idea where to get it fixed? I am in Toronto, Canada
Rick Margle from Alpena Michigan on Facebook has a page about vintage mixers. He totally revamps them and even gives them beautiful powder coated paint jobs or even back to original color
Hi there’s a little shop in St Catharines Ontario it’s called Sandhams on St Paul St downtown, I don’t know if they can help you but it’s worth a try!
Hi Lisa, the only things I can come up with is to buy one from ebay and either use it for parts or if it still works…. Other than ebay is to search Kijiji or antique stores in TO.
T Bay,ON
I just got a Dormey from a thrift shop but it doesn’t have beaters. It was so cheap I figured I would just eBay some, but I can’t seem to find a set anywhere. Does anyone know of somewhere I might be able to purchase a set without getting the entire thing? I really want to use this mixer, it runs fantastically well and looks amazing, but without beaters it’ll just be a object d’art…..
Some thrift stores have containers full of mixer beaters. Maybe you could try to pick up a few to see if you can get one set that fits your Dormey.
When I got married in 1954, I “borrowed my mother’s Dormyer mixer and have used it exclusively for cakes and cookies. Just made a batch today and still marvel at how well it works. Mine is a white one model sm6 whi and also says mixwell on the side. It has measurement equivalents for liquids and solids. For the first time I noticed that the highest setting #10, says juice power attachment drive. Don’t remember having any attachments, but use the highest settings for frostings.
You are so right, today appliances are made to quit working so you have to buy another one.
I just found a 7500 model, with beaters!! It works and I paid $1.60 (with a 20%discout applied) wheeeee!!
I just found a Dormeyer 4300 that someone put out at the curb. Works strong as new.
I just picked up a dormeyer stand mixer model 5001 at a estate sale that benefitted our local rolling dog rescue. It came with the meat grinder and a juicer and the beaters but no bowl. $25.00
I was lucky I have a bowl that fit perfectly. It runs. I found a man on Facebook his name is Rick Margle Who restores mixers and gives them powder coated paint jobs. There’s a group called vintage mixers and small appliance network he can be found there! (If your interested in parts or restoration)
I’ve been thru too many “good brand” handmixers to count. So today in thrift store I picked a chrome model 7600 Dormey for $5. It’s heavy and I think it probably doesn’t have plastic gears inside. Your story sounds like mine. I bet it will last much longer than what I’ve already spent way more money for.
Hello there … I’m a little late in seeing this blog, but recently cleaned and re-oiled my Dormey 7500 and thought I’d check out info about it on the Internet. Mine could be a little older than yours, as it doesn’t have the CSA/UL logos on the label. Perhaps late ’40s?
I bought mine at an antique store at least 20 years ago – can’t remember the price. In any event, it’s still going strong – as is my 1955 Sunbeam MixMaster, and 1935 Maytag wringer washer! They certainly DON’T make ’em like they used to!
Can someone tell me how to remove the beaters. I used it and now can’t figure out how to release them. Thanks!
On my model the beaters just pull right out of the mixer. There’s no release button.
Mine has a silver tab that you push down on. It pushes the beaters out.
I am doing a household inventory and found these posts about the Dormey portable electric mixers in trying to locate more info about the 7500 model. Bought mine in 1990 at a school rummage sale in Portland, Oregon. I like it so much I moved it cross-country during a recent downsizing. I prefer to use it over my large Kitchen Aid stand mixer, in fact!
Happy finds, found mines today in the thrift store for .99 cents, It runs great. Can’t wait for the holidays to pull out this beauty.
I have my mother’s Dormeyer Mixer that was purchased in 1963 and it works just as good today as it did then. I am so glad that she gave it to me before she died. I think of her every time I us it and I use it often. It mixes cakes, pies, creams potatoes, anything that has to be mixed it does it.
I just used my Dormeyer this morning! It was my grandmothers! We are probably about the same age and both still going strong! I wouldn’t trade it for it fir anything.
John Ott owned Dormeyer. I think his father was Johann Ott Sr. married to Eva Kersch. Eva was my Grandfather Conrad Kersch’s sister. We referred to him as Uncle Nick. A daughter or granddaughter “Snooki/Snooky”. I am trying to make contact with my relatives. Any suggestions or knowledge would be most appreciated.
Conrad Kersch’s other sister Elizabeth Kersch was married to Petro Weissmuller. Their son Johnny Weissmuller was a US Olympic swimmer in 1924 & 1928, where he set many records. Afterward he played Tarzan in the movies and Jungle Jim on TV.
Thank you for sharing this history!
I have my Mom’s Dormey model 7500. This mixer has seen a lot of use over the years, in fact I just used it to mix a cake for my hubby. Still going strong.
I have 2 of these. One I bought a few yrs ago which is a white metal stand mixer with the milk glass bowl. The other one I got 2 days ago at an antique store. It is a green 1929 stand mixer with a uranium glass bowl. I wish I could send pics. They both work like new and are very loved.
I have a Dormer 7500
It belonged to my grandmother.
It is broken though, it does not work. The mixer is fine it just does not run. It was one of her things that I got after she passed away. I would like to know if I could get it fixed through this company, now in the year of 2021.