FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — December 2002

Over 25 Years of Culinary Excellence Cuisinart® Milestones

1971 Enamored by a demonstration of a restaurant food preparation machine in France, Carl Sontheimer and his wife, Shirley, are convinced they can adapt this technology to a useful home appliance for North Americans. Sontheimer, a retired MIT-trained physicist and accomplished cook, makes a daring decision to jump into the highly competitive housewares business with his own company called Cuisinart®. The company would initially import an exclusive line of top-quality stainless steel cookware.

1972 Sontheimer begins tinkering with the prototype of the food preparation machine, taking it apart and making refinements. He lengthens the feed tube, improves the cutting blade and discs, and adds safety features to meet American standards.

1973 With great expectations, the Sontheimers unveil the “Food Processor” at the National Housewares Exposition in Chicago.

1974 Determined to make the product a kitchen staple, Sontheimer starts improving the discs and blades. He mixes eggs into a puff shell dough in 15 seconds instead of 15 minutes, chops a pound of meat in less than 60 seconds, and creates flavored spreads, pastries and doughs faster and with less cleanup than ever before.

1975 The Cuisinart® Food Processor is introduced into the Canadian marketplace.

Sontheimer takes his new techniques and machine to such food authorities as James Beard, Julia Child, Craig Claiborne, Jacques Pépin and Helen McCully. Their accolades plus stories praising the machine in Gourmet, The New York Times and other major publications, help establish Cuisinart® as a worthwhile investment for serious home cooks.

1977 Cuisinart®’s food processor business explodes, as sales soar from a few processors a month to hundreds a month. At the same time, the overall food processor market dramatically expands to include more than a dozen brands of food processors, representing over 30 models.

1978 To keep it’s leading edge, a new version of the Cuisinart® food processor debuts. Meaningful improvements include a work bowl with 46 percent more capacity and a considerably stronger and more efficient motor.

1984 Cuisinart® continues to raise culinary awareness by publishing several highly successful cookbooks. One book, American Southwest by Anne Greer, receives the R.T. French Company’s “Tastemaker Award” for the best cookbook on American Cuisine. Meanwhile, Cuisinart® continues to roll out new multi-faceted products.

1985 Cuisinart® keeps its commitment to culinary education alive with the introduction of a cooking videotape series for consumers.

1986 The Mini-Mate chopper/grinder strengthens the Cuisinart® line with high-performance features like a reversible, patented blade.

1988 The Sontheimers, having made Cuisinart® the premier housewares brand, decide to sell the company they founded to a group of investors.

1989 Investors sell Cuisinart® to Conair Corporation in Stamford, Connecticut, a leading manufacturer of consumer appliances, personal care products and consumer electronics. Leandro P. Rizzuto is the chairman, president and owner of Conair Corporation.

1990 Committed to maintaining its tradition of leadership, Cuisinart®, under Conair management, introduces The Food Preparation Center, with innovative features like a large feed tube that holds whole tomatoes. With the addition of a whisk attachment, the product performs all the functions of a standard mixer.

1991 Drawing from the success of its full size food prep machines, Cuisinart® unveils a pint size replica of its food processor called The Mini-Prep®. The product, which quickly chops foods in small amounts, is an instant hit.

1993 Cuisinart®’s strategy for rolling out a diversified kitchen appliance line takes shape, as the company introduces its first hand-held and countertop blenders.

1994 Cuisinart® enters the coffeemaker business.

1995 The introduction of hand mixers and toasters gives breadth to an assortment considered among the best in the high-end appliance arena.

1996 Celebrating its 25th anniversary as a leader in culinary tools, Cuisinart® unveils a new tagline “Your Kitchen Resource™,” reflecting the company’s representation in a wide range of housewares categories.

1998 In May, Conair acquires the Waring Products Division of Dynamics Corporation of America. The Waring Pro brand is well known for commercial and high-end consumer blenders and mixers, providing Cuisinart® with strategic positions in both the consumer and commercial markets for high-end appliances. Cuisinart® enters two new categories — kitchen textiles (kitchen towels, aprons, oven mitts, potholders) and hard anodized, non-stick cookware.

In March, Carl Sontheimer, Cuisinart®’s renowned founder, passes away at the age of 83.

1999 Cuisinart® enters the toaster oven broiler category with the introduction of its Convection and Conventional Toaster Oven Broilers with Exact Heat™ Feature. Another Cuisinart® innovation, the SmartPower Duet™ is introduced, offering consumers the combined benefits of Cuisinart®’s SmartPower™ 7-Speed Electronic Blender and a 3-cup Food Processor in a single appliance.

2000 Cuisinart® once again revolutionizes the way North America cooks, with the new PowerPrep Plus™, the first major redesign of the company’s food processor. The new machine features a Metal Dough Blade, Supreme™ Wide Mouth Feed Tube and sleek European styling. Reflecting today’s sophisticated consumer food trends, the company also unveils a new tagline, “Savor the Good Life™.”

2001 Cuisinart® enters into a partnership with legendary French chef, Paul Bocuse. Cuisinart® Canada partners with the preeminent culinary educational institution in Canada, the George Brown Chef School.

2002 Cuisinart® continues to make cooking as easy as 1,2,3 with the introduction of new and innovative products such as the Cuisinart® Pizzelle Press, the Cuisinart® Flavor Duo™ frozen yogurt-ice cream and sorbet maker, and the Cuisinart® jug kettle.

About Cuisinart Canada
A leader in culinary appliances, professional quality cookware, and kitchen accessories, Cuisinart is best known for introducing the food processor to Canada in 1975. In an effort to help customers Savour the Good Life, the company manufactures a full range of products including cookware, cutlery, blenders, hand mixers, coffeemakers, grills, rice cookers, toaster ovens as well as food processors electric kettles and scales. For more information on Cuisinart products visit www.cuisinart.ca.