Exhibit 99.1

            The Middleby Corporation Announces $11 million
                    Prepayment on Notes to Maytag


    ELGIN, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 4, 2003--The Middleby
Corporation (NASDAQ:MIDD), one of the world's leading manufacturers
and marketers of restaurant and foodservice cooking equipment, today
announced the prepayment of $11 million on notes due to Maytag
Corporation.
    The note reduction included the repayment of $7.3 million in notes
that had carried a 13.5% interest rate and $3.7 million in notes that
had carried a 12.0% interest rate. The note repayment was funded from
$5.6 million of borrowings under the company's revolving credit
facility and $5.4 million of existing cash balances. Borrowings under
the revolving credit facility are assessed interest at a floating rate
of 3% above LIBOR, which is currently 1.1%. After reflecting the
repayment, the notes due to Maytag have been reduced to $10.0 million,
all which carry a 12.0% interest rate.
    Commenting on the note prepayment, Selim A. Bassoul, President and
Chief Executive Officer, said "We are pleased to make this prepayment
on the notes due to Maytag, which carry a high rate of interest. We
remain focused on reducing our debt levels and anticipate further
opportunity to make additional periodic prepayments on these notes
during the balance of this year."

    Statements in this press release or otherwise attributable to the
company regarding the company's business which are not historical fact
are forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor
provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
The company cautions investors that such statements are estimates of
future performance and are highly dependent upon a variety of
important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially
from such statements. Such factors include variability in financing
costs; quarterly variations in operating results; dependence on key
customers; international exposure; foreign exchange and political
risks affecting international sales; changing market conditions; the
impact of competitive products and pricing; the timely development and
market acceptance of the company's products; the availability and cost
of raw materials; and other risks detailed herein and from
time-to-time in the company's SEC filings.

    The Middleby Corporation is a leader in the design, manufacture,
marketing and service of a broad line of equipment used for cooking
and preparation of food in commercial and institutional kitchens and
restaurants throughout the world. The company's leading equipment
brands include Blodgett(R), Blodgett Combi(R), CTX(R), MagiKitch'n(R),
Middleby Marshall(R), Pitco Frialator(R), Southbend(R), and
Toastmaster(R). Middleby's international subsidiary, Middleby
Worldwide, is a leading exporter and distributor of foodservice
equipment in the global marketplace and its international
manufacturing subsidiary, Middleby Philippines Corporation, is a
leading supplier of specialty equipment in the Asian markets.

    For further information about Middleby, visit the company's World
Wide Web site, http://www.middleby.com.


    CONTACT: The Middleby Corporation
             Selim A. Bassoul, 847-429-7788
             David B. Baker, 847-429-7915
             Timothy J. FitzGerald, 847-429-7744