A popcorn maker (also called popcorn machine) is a device used to pop popcorn. Commercial popcorn machines are usually found in movie theaters and carnivals, producing popcorn of the oil-popped type, which has approximately 45% of its calories derived from fat. Hot air popcorn poppers appeared for home use in the late 1970s, which produced popcorn with only 5% of its calories derived from fat.[1]
In the mid-1980s microwave popcorn was introduced, and reduced the need for a separate appliance in some homes; however up to 60% of the calories of this type of popcorn are derived from fat (lower fat versions are available).
Different types of popcorn makers work in different ways; some models use hot air, which avoids the use of oil at the cost of flavor, and is therefore a healthier option. Depending on personal preference, a popcorn maker that uses oil can be used as well.
Popcorn makers can be quite large, for use at movie theaters or fairs, or small home appliances.[2]
Movie-style popcorn can be easily made at home by using a butter salt type of seasoning.
Popcorn is more than just a grain that seemingly grows in vast acres across the United States. It is probably the oldest snack food in the world. Corn has been a basic food source to the inhabitants of the American continents for over 5000 years. Today corn has been cultivated so long that the original wild grains are hard to find. All the Native Americans ate corn as a staple part of their diet.
The typical method corn was popped was to hold and shake a wire basket filled with raw corn kernals over an open flame or fire. The result was a hot, dry, unevenly cooked and often burned snack. The Cretors machine automatically popped corn in a mixture of lard, oil, and salt. The result was a machine that popped corn in it’s own seasoning – uniformly for the first time ever.
Charles Cretors originated from Lebanon, Ohio. He traveled the Midwest and settled in Fort Scott, Kansas for a few years, and then Decatur, Illinois. He spent his time working in the painting and contracting business, opened a bakery, and eventually a confectionary shop. As each venture led to the next, Cretors discovered he had a passion for how things worked. As an addition to the confectionary shop, Cretors purchased a peanut roaster to broaden his offerings to include fresh roasted peanuts. Not satisfied with how the machine worked, he redesigned it to work better. It was at this time that Cretors moved his wife and family to Chicago where he felt he could become a commercial success by selling his new machine. It was 1885.
Cretors wanted to test his new roaster under everyday conditions, and he also needed money. So, he purchased a vendor’s license and put his machine on the sidewalk in front of his shop to test it and sell product at the same time. The date on the vendor’s license is December 2, 1885, which marks the inception of C. Cretors & Company. The new roaster was driven by a small steam engine, which automated the roasting process, which was a new concept. A chance meeting happened between Cretors and a traveling salesman who purchased a bag of roasted peanuts. The salesman, J.M Savage, was very intrigued with the new peanut roaster, and offered to sell it in his territory. Cretors agreed to the proposal, and hired his first salesman.
By 1893, Cretors had created a steam powered machine that could roast 12 pounds of peanuts, 20 pounds of coffee, pop corn and bake chestnuts as well. Popcorn was becoming the next popular choice for snackfood. Cretors redesigned his automated roasting machine so it would roast peanuts and pop popcorn at the same time. Cretors' machine design offered several advantages over the hand-operated process. First as a machine, it made operation more predictable and it provided an attraction for both the retailer and the customer. There was the novelty of the steam engine, and the Tosty Rosty Man, a small mechanical clown that acted as a merchandiser for the machine. Cretors’ machine became the first automated machine that could pop popcorn uniformly in it’s own seasonings. As a result, the product came out the same way every time. Cretors applied for a patent on his new automated peanut roaster and popcorn popper machine on August 10, 1891. A patent was granted on October 10, 1893.
Charles Cretors took his new popcorn wagon and peanut roaster to the Midway of Chicago's Columbian Exposition in 1893 and introduced the new corn product to the public in a newly designed machine that included a popcorn wagon. After a trial period where Cretors gave away samples of his new popcorn product, people began to line up to purchase bags of the hot, buttered popcorn.
References
- ^ "History of the Popcorn Machine" page of ePopcorn.com.
- ^ "How to Select a Popcorn Machine" page of Jarco Industries.
Popcorn is more than just a grain that seemingly grows in vast acres across the United States. It is probably the oldest snack food in the world. Corn has been a basic food source to the inhabitants of the American continents for over 5000 years. Today corn has been cultivated so long that the original wild grains are hard to find. All the Native Americans ate corn as a staple part of their diet. They also ate popcorn.
The typical way to pop popcorn was to put the corn in pottery jars, and place them near a fire. The other popular way was to hold a wire basket filled with corn over and open flame or fire. The result, was a hot, dry, and often burned snack.
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