Behind the Scenes at bamix® – Part 2

What actually happens when a bamix® comes in for repair?

A parcel arrives at our premises in Mettlen. Inside is a bamix® that has quite clearly seen a lot over the years. The housing is scratched, the cord looks a little worse for wear, and perhaps there’s still a trace of whatever was last prepared with it stuck somewhere. Next to it is a small note.

“My bamix® is over 25 years old. Could you please see if it can still be saved?”

We really do see appliances like this on our workbench time and again. And that’s exactly why the second part of our series “Behind the Scenes at bamix®” takes us to a place our customers don’t usually get to see: our service workshop. Because this is where we see something you can’t really assess when buying a new kitchen appliance:

What happens to it if it stops working one day?

Watch the video: https://youtube.com/shorts/FxjG-5glrWk?si=_kspTMZps3rTzLb5

First, we take a look—we don’t throw it away

When an older bamix® arrives at our workshop, its age alone is no reason to write it off. We take a look at the appliance and inspect it. What’s the problem? What’s no longer working properly? Can anything be replaced or repaired?Sometimes we find the issue quickly. Sometimes it takes a little more troubleshooting. And of course, we can’t save every bamix®. There may come a point when an appliance is no longer technically repairable, or when a repair simply doesn’t make sense. But surprisingly often, our answer isn’t immediately: “You’ll need a new one.” And that’s exactly what we love about our service workshop.

“But that thing is ancient …”

When it comes to a 20- or 30-year-old kitchen appliance, you might naturally wonder why we still bother. Just buy a new one and that’s that. But for many of our customers, it’s not quite that simple. After all, after so many years, a bamix® can be more than just an appliance sitting in a kitchen drawer. It made baby food for the children. Later, it made soup for family dinners. Perhaps it made the sauce every Sunday—the one whose recipe no one ever wrote down because they know it by heart. It moved house with its owner, saw new kitchens and perhaps one day was handed down from mother to daughter or father to son. And suddenly, 20 or 30 years have gone by. That might sound a little sentimental for a hand blender. But these are exactly the kinds of stories we hear.

And that’s when you understand why someone carefully packs up an old bamix®, sends it to Mettlen and adds a note:

“Please repair it if there’s any way you can.”

This is where longevity really matters

There’s a lot to be said about sustainability and longevity. But it only really gets interesting once a product gets old. An appliance can look high-quality when you buy it. What really matters is the question: What will it be like ten, twenty or perhaps even thirty years later? That’s why, for us, servicing is just as much a part of bamix® as manufacturing. Our appliances are made here in Switzerland. And when one of them finds its way back to us many years later, we take a look at what we can still do for it. Not out of nostalgia. But because an appliance that can still prepare many more meals doesn’t need to be replaced prematurely.

And then it goes back home

That’s really the best part of the story. A bamix® arrives at our workshop because something isn’t working properly. We inspect it, repair it if possible, and then send it back to its owner.

Back to the same kitchen it came from. And perhaps it will stay there for many more years. Of course, we don’t know for how long. But sometimes, as an older model leaves our service workshop, we find ourselves wondering:

What has this bamix® been through over the years?

And above all:

What will it be used to make next?

Now we want to hear your stories

After part 1 of our series, we wondered: How many really old bamix® appliances are still being used every day in Swiss kitchens? Now we want to know:

How old is your bamix® and what story do you share with it?

Perhaps you bought it yourself many years ago. Perhaps it was a wedding gift. Perhaps you inherited it from your parents or grandparents. Or perhaps it’s been with you through countless family dinners, birthdays and Christmas celebrations. Tell us your bamix® story! Write it in the comments.