Founding

• Incorporated in 1973, Cuisinart was founded by Carl and Shirley Sontheimer. Carl Sontheimer had trained at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as an engineer and physicist and owned and operated Amzac Electronics.
  
  

Food Processor

• To develop his famous food processor, Carl Sontheimer re-engineered the restaurant food processing machines of a Robot-Coupe inventor for home use. Sontheimer introduced his food processor, manufactured by Robot-Coupe, at the 1973 National Housewares Exposition in Chicago, Illinois.
  
  

Popularity

• With endorsements from sources like Julia Child and "The New York Times," the device took off in popularity in 1975. By 1977, sales totaled $50 million and by the end of the year consumers could choose between 30 models of food processors from various companies. Smaller, lower-priced processors became the industry norm, but Cuisinart did not participate in the trend until the late 1980s, with the introduction of the Mini-Mate the Little Pro.
  
  

Education

• Beginning in the mid-1980s, Cuisinart began to promoting culinary education and awareness through cookbooks and other media. Under management from the Conair Corporation since 1989, Cuisinart continues this tradition as of 2010, sponsoring television series and launching websites.