The iconic French automaker Peugeot actually got its start manufacturing various steel goods in the year 1810 after Jean-Frèdèric and Jean-Pierre II Peugeot turned the family hydraulic mill into a steel mill. In the early days of the Peugeot steel mill, it produced products like tools, umbrella ribs, corset frames, coffee mills, bicycles and more. The first Peugeot automobile, a steam-driven three-wheeler, came in 1889. Before the first Peugeot automobile, Peugeot made impeccably crafted pepper mills, and the company still makes them today. You might have a Peugeot hiding in plain sight in your kitchen.
The first Peugeot pepper mill was produced in 1874, and the same model is still being manufactured today. If you’ve ever noticed a little lion roaring at you on your salt or pepper grinder, then yes, your kitchenware was produced by the same Peugeot that also makes cars. While Peugeot cars haven’t been sold in the United States since 1991, its pepper mills and other kitchenware are widely available on the American market. According to The Independent, Peugeot even produced the world’s first food processor, the Peugimix in the 1960s.
All Peugeot spice mill steel mechanisms come with a lifetime warranty, as a testament to the quality of its mills and pride that the company takes in producing finely crafted kitchen tools. Modern Peugeot automobiles have made strides in reliability since the brand pulled out of the U.S. market, but Peugeot’s cars can’t match the warranty of its spice mills.
As tends to be the case in family businesses, two Peugeot relatives who were running the company toward the end of the 19th century, Armand Peugeot and Eugène Peugeot, disagreed about entering the newly burgeoning automobile business. Eugène didn’t want to produce cars, but Armand wanted to dive into the automotive industry head first. The two separated the arms of the company, and Eugène’s company, Les Fils de Peugeot Frères, agreed never to produce cars, and Armand’s La Société des Automobiles Peugeot agreed never to produce tools, two-wheeled vehicles, trikes, or quadricycles with saddles. Eugène’s sons ended up launching Lion Peugeot in 1905, which was its own automobile brand that ended up merging back with La Société des Automobiles Peugeot in 1910.
Today, Peugeot still produces its spice mills, coffee mills, French presses, wine drinking paraphernalia, baking dishes, as well as its large lineup of cars. It also has a lifestyle brand that carries watches, clothes, and other accessories. So the question remains: is there a Peugeot hiding in your kitchen?
