Income Taxes - Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jan. 03, 2015	Dec. 28, 2013
Deferred tax assets:
Federal net operating loss carryforwards	$ 7,020	$ 6,382
Compensation related	17,092	25,321
Accrued retirement benefits	8,211	6,234
Inventory reserves	6,503us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsInventory	5,971us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsInventory
Product liability and workers compensation reserves	7,810	7,902
Warranty reserves	9,191	7,139
Receivable related reserves	3,277midd_DeferredTaxAssetsReceivables	2,222midd_DeferredTaxAssetsReceivables
UNICAP	3,727	5,123
State net operating loss carryforwards	2,731	785
Interest rate swap	157	419
Other	18,154us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOther	12,091us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOther
Gross deferred tax assets	83,873us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsGross	79,589us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsGross
Valuation allowance	0	(466)
Deferred tax assets	83,873us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsNet	79,123us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsNet
Deferred tax liabilities:
Intangible assets	(111,501)	(82,188)
Foreign tax earnings repatriation	(3,029)	(2,552)
LIFO reserves	(90)midd_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesLifoReserve	(22)midd_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesLifoReserve
Depreciation	(1,366)midd_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesDepreciation	(1,724)midd_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesDepreciation
Other	(2,745)us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesOther	(2,092)us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesOther
Deferred tax liabilities	(118,731)us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilities	(88,578)us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilities
Net deferred tax assets (liabilities)	(34,858)us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsLiabilitiesNet	(9,455)us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsLiabilitiesNet
Current deferred asset	51,017	50,337
Long-term deferred liability	2,925	1,641
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Net, Noncurrent	$ (88,800)	$ (61,433)

Deferred Tax Assets, Inventory Costs Capitalized

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Amount after allocation of valuation allowances of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible temporary differences and carryforwards, net of deferred tax liability attributable to taxable temporary differences expected to be realized or consumed within one year or operating cycle, if longer.

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Amount before allocation of valuation allowances of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible domestic operating loss carryforwards. Excludes state and local operating loss carryforwards.

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Amount of deferred tax assets for which it is more likely than not that a tax benefit will not be realized.

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Amount of deferred tax liability attributable to taxable temporary differences from intangible assets other than goodwill.

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Amount of deferred tax liability attributable to taxable temporary differences not separately disclosed.

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Amount of deferred tax liability attributable to taxable temporary differences from undistributed earnings of subsidiaries and other recognized entities not within the country of domicile of the entity.

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