When the need for popcorn calls, the general population pulls out a plastic-wrapped bag from the cupboard, finds the “this side up” label, and puts the bag into the microwave. A push of the “popcorn” button makes sure the snack pops for the right amount of time, usually three to four minutes. When the microwave finishes, out comes the steaming bag of corn and into bowls it goes for quick consumption.

This is the idea of popcorn that most people have. However, there is a distinct difference between popcorn from a microwavable bag to that which you pop straight from the kernels. You’re probably thinking that takes way too much time, and you simply do not think popping kernels is worth it. If you took some taste tests and looked at the machines available nowadays, you might re-think your concerns. Popping your kernels is both easy and delicious.

Most households can use a 4 oz. popcorn machine with little trouble or inconvenience. This small kitchen appliance fits well on countertops or hidden away in a cupboard when not in use. It doesn’t take up a lot of space, doesn’t require extensive cleaning, and isn’t usually budget breaking. Why then should you not have a popcorn machine?

For most people, a 4 oz. machine from the local department store will serve their needs quite well. These machines, usually in black, red, or white, cost about $20-$40. An easy-to-clean, non-stick surface inside makes working with this type of electrical machine relatively simple. Just add popcorn, oil, and seasonings of choice before watching your snack take shape behind the clear walls.

If you’re looking for another inexpensive option for popcorn making, you can also purchase a stove-top popper which usually costs around $25. Though this isn’t a machine and is not much different than a normal saucepan, it works great for popcorn because of the steam vents in the lid, non-stick surface, and special handles.

True popcorn lovers might enjoy having their own nostalgic popcorn machine. It’s certainly a lot of fun to have a little machine that looks like you got it straight out of a movie theater or a weekend carnival booth. If you’ve never looked into these machines, you might be tempted to think that they aren’t very expensive. However, even a 4 oz. popcorn machine can cost at least $100. If you happen to be good at price comparisons and wise shopping, you will be lucky to find a 4 oz. nostalgic popcorn machine for $80-$200. These machines, however, can be quite expensive.

Whatever type of popcorn machine you choose, you’ll discover how different the popcorn is from that of microwavable bags. The process is a lot more fun, but more importantly, because you are popping straight from kernels, there are no preservatives and no more oil or butter than the maker wants to add. Popping your own popcorn is both more healthy and more enjoyable in an inexpensive and convenient way. As we conclude, we wonder then, why do we still use the microwavable bags?

The right popcorn machine can be a great maker of fantastic popcorn. It can be bought from a popcorn machine superstore or local store. There is a machine for every devotion and every budget. The deluxe popcorn and the popcorn maker machine that is at the neighborhood movies showcase cinema are possible to own and have in your home to complement the professional pop corn lover’s kitchen or entertainment room.

The popcorn maker machine can come it deluxe or antiques and modern sizes. It can even be purchased in a large enough physical size that the machine can become the center piece to the home theater, ready for nights of movie popcorn or as a snack for a large groups of friends.

The popcorn maker machine also can come with additional popular products to add to the large amount of popularity and the presence of popcorn. The are popcorn poppers that use hot air to pop super light popcorn. There are small nostalgic machines that are retro, matching the original design from the good old days at the baseball ball park or street corner vendor. The popcorn machine can be of a Hollywood type movie design clearly displaying the Hollywood and California mentality. The machine type can even be a smaller personalized metropolitan design, and a popcorn cart is one of the most professional designs that is in demand. The popcorn enthusiasts can also hungering for popcorn in bulk or have the craving for popcorn in a popcorn bag, box or cup. There are also oils and seasoning that you can safely use with your popcorn machine. There are also popcorn machine starter kits. It is necessary to clean you popcorn machine to properly maintain and keep you popcorn maker unit at top performance levels. The pop corn producing capability has to be kept intact and not broken from incorrect usage and improper operation.

There are several designs of a popcorn machines that are most popular and that are best sellers. The popcorn maker machines that are in this popular grouping are the carnival style kettle popcorn maker, the movie theater popcorn machine, the board walk and plastic replicas of old fashioned street corner popcorn stands.

There are company’s that offer full warranty guaranteeing physical coverage of the popcorn machine operating parts. These popcorn machine companies also are great as they often times give discounts and price reductions, issuing coupons for the price of popcorn products sold in many stores. There are also many other products that can complement your favorite popcorn maker machine. Some of these products are the butter flavored popcorn topping, this is an healthy alternative to butter itself, as it does not contain trans fat. These toppings taste just like real butter, as said by the many popcorn consumers. For those that are able to consume real butter, there is the real butter toppings that are available for the adored popcorn enthusiasts taste. This is of a very high quality and is a very popular product addition to the popcorn machine.

No basement home theater or family event is complete without popcorn popper machines! But the big question in where to look? Online of course! Popcorn popper machines have a variety of sizes ranging from four ounces to eighteen ounces. Whatever size suites your popcorn needs! Twelve ounces of popcorn may not sound like much but with Popcorn popper machines, it’s twelve one ounce servings of popcorn every three to four minutes. Popcorn popper machines generally consist of five parts. The first part is the dome or top of the machine. This part of the machine can be adorned with neon lights or an antique top. The second is the kettle assembly where the cornels of popcorn and butter are placed. This is generally very hot and comes with a handle to help dump the popcorn out. Part three is the door, removable, easily, cleaned, and durable. Smaller models suck as the four or six ounce have single doors whilst the larger models have double doors. Part four is the drop shelf, which enables the user to scoop out popcorn without the popcorn falling out of the popcorn popper machine. Part five is the clean out drawer that catches un-popped cornels! Some of the larger versions of popcorn popper machines contain heated floors that help keep the popcorn warm and crispy! Nobody want cold popcorn!

On to the question that’s on everyone’s mind: price! Popcorn popper machines range from a variety of prices. Some can be as cheap as twenty-five dollars! Others can be as expensive as nineteen hundred dollars it all depends on what you are looking for and what you are willing to spend. Another key factor is maintenance! Instructions for cleaning may vary from company to company but here are a few tips that are sure to dish out great tasting popcorn every time: Always keep a damp cloth handy to wipe away build up. If the popcorn popper machine has glass casing always, always, always make a streak free shine! HOWEVER, and this is important, when using your glass cleaning agent, do not and I repeat DO NOT spray directly on the glass for that can contaminate the popcorn. Instead spray a small amount on a paper towel and proceed with cleaning.

Now it would seem that you know the basics of a popcorn popper machine except where to look. Again I highly suggest the world wide web. And as with any purchase that’s to be made, one should do research which is hopefully how you stumbled across this article. The top brand of popcorn popper machines appears to be Gold Medal. But some other brands are Nostalgia, Benchmark USA, Paragon, and Cretors. Options are available for everything in life, why not popcorn popper machines!
If you find that these prices are not to your liking, there are always alternatives such as eBay or save a lot franchises such as walmart, being more than likely online as well.

A popcorn machine cart is a versatile piece of equipment that allows you to set up shop virtually anywhere where there is a source of power. They are available in many different places, and are versatile machines with the potential for success anywhere they are placed. There are several reasons why someone would want to purchase one, and following are some of those reasons.

A popcorn machine cart can be used to generate income at various locations. A great place for a popcorn machine to be set up is at places like football or baseball games, especially those of little leaguers or high school students. Anyone can set one up, provided they comply with all state and federal health guidelines and are granted permission to set up by the venue you are interested in selling at. You can sell several different varieties of popcorn from these machines. If you get a good quality popcorn machine cart, there should be a compartment for different flavors. You can create kettle corn, regular butter popcorn, or caramel corn. Serving a variety of different types will help you generate more income and is a great way to entertain those you are selling to as well.

Popcorn machine carts are very versatile in nature. If you are looking for a place to sell and your usual venues are closed for business, there are always other places you can go. These machines are portable, and can fit in the back of a standard pickup truck, and possibly even your family car, depending on how big it is. Selling popcorn is a great way for you to add to your normal income and can even be used a way to generate a full time income. They can be rented out to others in order to bring in more money and are great for people who like to live an exciting lifestyle.

A popcorn machine cart can be a fun gadget to have around your home. For those who are not interested in selling popcorn, you can keep a cart around the house to use when you are watching movies with the family, or use them as a fun event when you invite guests into your home. Having a very versatile piece of equipment that can be used in the home or for selling purposes is a great thing, because if at some point in the future you find that you are in need of some extra money to pay bills or get yourself out of debt, or even to put food on the table, you can find somewhere to set up your popcorn machine cart so that you can start generating income immediately. Provided, unless you are renting your machine out to someone, you will be doing physical work in order to generate money, but you can do it on your own time without having to worry about answering to a boss. Think of it as a way to work for yourself without having to worry about calling in sick for the day or being on time, unless you set up at a venue that requires you to be there at a certain time.

Even the phrase Old Fashioned Popcorn Machine has something about it that makes the mouth water in anticipation. It’s interesting these vintage machines did the same thing contemporary popcorn machine do but there’s a certain charm about them that was getting lost along the way.

This may explain why some businesses such as theaters and nightclubs are going back to the older machines. In simple terms nostalgia is known to have rich flavor associated with it and that’s hard to resist. Besides the nostalgia factor a popcorn machine only has one purpose and all the gimmicks designed to liven up the popping process just get in the way.

There were two types of machines from the vintage era or that could otherwise be called old fashioned. The first is powered by electricity and the second is powered by natural gas.

An old-fashioned electric popcorn machine works on a very basic principle. A person adds the ingredients in the proper openings, one for the seeds and one for the oil. In some machines the ingredients are added by opening a pair of glass doors that access the hopper. In other machines there are oil ports and the seeds are added separately. Then an on-off switch that is most often located on the side of the machine is flipped on. This triggers the electrical current that heats the coils and in a matter of minutes the oil reaches the popping temperature.

These electric machines were manufactured in lots beginning the 1920’s and through the 1950’s and the first designs featured wheels that made it easy to get the machine on and off the delivery truck. The wheels soon became a standard feature that was accented with brass axles and shiny hubcaps to compliment the ornate design of the machine itself. These machines were extremely popular in theater lobbies and meeting halls across the country. The designs of the electric machines ranged from basic to elaborate depending on the extravagance of the buyer which in many cases was a theater owner.

Occasionally public venues such as movie theaters and meeting halls used natural gas popcorn machine but not very often. An electric machine could be moved out of the way and reconnected for a short time, then moved back depending on the situation. A natural gas machine on the other hand required a steel pipe sub out and these were usually not favorable in lobbies and other public halls.

The benefit of natural gas as a heat source is the hopper heated much quicker than that of an electric machine. As a result the gas powered popcorn machines were most often used in situations where frills and flashy designs were secondary to simply having a lot of popcorn on hand. Some were installed behind the concession counter in theater lobbies and remain to this day.

By definition an Old Fashioned Popcorn Machine would be any machine that didn’t have an automatic function of any kind. When the supply of fresh popcorn became low it was time for someone to grab the seed and oil and load it up again. Then eveyone could watch the process with that special anticipation.

Popcorn is profitable

Ever wondered why businesses give away free popcorn to customers? Of all the giveaways, food tends to bring people in the door. It helps that popcorn a popular treat, especially popcorn made in a popcorn popper machine. It doesn’t hurt that popcorn made in a popcorn popper machine hardly costs anything compared to other giveaways. The buttery aroma, warm taste, low calories and finger friendly eating style of popcorn makes it the best choice. However, what some businesses give away to build good will with customers can be used by non-profits as a fund raising means. With a little extra effort, school groups can make hundreds of dollars a month in profits with just a few of hours of work selling popcorn from a popcorn popper machine.

Setting up your popcorn machine

The first step is investing in an actual popcorn popper machine. This will be the largest cost to your operation so its helpful to try to procure a used machine or have it donated by a local business. Renting the machine will eat into your margins and is not advisable unless you intend on the fundraiser to be a one-time event. The machines are typically sold for $300 to $600 dollars at wholesale warehouses like Sam’s Club where you can also buy your supplies. Aside from a popcorn popper machine, you will need bags to serve your popcorn in and a scooper which may or may not be provided with your machine. You will also need to purchase popcorn kernels and flavoring. Typically wax paper popcorn bags are sold anywhere from $15 to $20 for 1000 bags. Popcorn flavoring is usually around $40 a tub and the kernels are sold for $30 to $40 for a large sack. After you have your supplies in order, you will need a convenient place to store them. Fortunately most popcorn machines are compact enough to be stored in a small closet or light enough to be moved in a minivan.

Volunteers

The biggest downside to selling fresh popcorn from a popcorn popper machine is that someone actually has to make it. You cannot hope to make much if you hire people to work for you, so the popcorn popper machine fundraiser requires volunteers. It helps to have 2 people volunteer together, with one person collecting money and the other cooking and packaging the popcorn.

Selling your popcorn

Your next step is to find a location for your popcorn stand. Earnings depend on traffic, so its best to place your popcorn stand near elevators in office buildings, malls and court houses. Getting permission to sell your popcorn is not difficult if you belong to an organization with ties to the community. Try local banks, local government offices and smaller office buildings that typically do not have their own cafeterias or restaurants. It certainly helps to if you find a tenant of the building who can vouch for your organization. Your popcorn popper machine should only be present for a few hours a day and preferably only once a week. Popcorn is a fun treat but not when its overdone. When you are only selling for a few hours on a given day of the week, people are more receptive. Try for Fridays, as most offices take a casual approach to business that day. As for pricing, keep in mind that your materials cost is approximately 10 cents a bag of popcorn, but this does not factor in the investment costs for the popcorn popper machine. Having run my own popcorn stand in the best, I find the price of 50 cents to work well in government buildings where the office works are looking for a cheap fun snack, and the price of $1 in offices with wealthier companies where the workers are looking for the hand crafted meal.

Conclusion

Don’t forget to run your popcorn stand consistently, meaning regular hours and good quality. Even though you are a non-profit, run it like a business. Take care to frequently clean the popcorn popper machine as grease and debris will shorten the working life.

Whatever the venue may be a Popcorn Machine adds charm, ambiance and of course a fresh supply of the fun snack food. And since these machines are often in use most of the time in a social setting there is an occasional need for servicing and even repairs. Locating a good source for popcorn machine parts and finding the best quality parts at a reasonable cost is easily accomplished through on line searches and occasionally by referral.

Most often the basic components of these machines such as the bin and the hopper or the full view glass doors are durable and not subject to normal replacement for a long time. However the unexpected can always happen especially in situations where people are enjoying cocktails or there are pool tables and pool sticks near the machine. Fortunately replacements such as the doors or a cart handle or any external part can be accomplished with a minimum of effort once the parts are obtained.

The internal components of a popcorn machine are not unique by most standards and the concept of the popping system is relatively straight forward. The heating element is most often an electrical coil and replacing or servicing these coils is not a complex task. The on and off switch and the internal electrical system are also void of any degree of complexity. However finding these components for an older or vintage popcorn machine may be difficult if not close to impossible.

The heating pan or kettle has integrated parts that include a hinged lid and a suspension brace with attachments. Again these parts are extremely durable even by today’s standards and in the event a repair or replacement is needed the parts can be obtained. Often time there are cost concerns that may suggest replacing certain chrome plated parts such as the heating kettle with a stainless steel model. This does not detract from the machine’s performance however for the collectors who prefer authenticity and the vintage quality the cost concerns may be secondary.

Minor accessory parts such as stainless steel or chrome plated screws are readily available through a number of sources and at most hardware stores. This is true with many of the basic electrical components and steel tubing that is featured on some models.

External trim pieces either in a brass or chrome finishes may be difficult to duplicate on older models but certainly could be reproduced if that were the preference. Replacing any of the vintage design pieces again could be accomplished through a reproduction. Again the replacement of any vintage pieces may be accomplished by contacting collectors or possibly through a referral from the manufacturer.

Popcorn machine carts and accessories can also be found through similar searches and inquiries.
Sometimes a repair may be more practical to consider rather than a replacement when it comes to many of the parts and components. Common sense and a practical evaluation prior to purchasing popcorn machine parts will most often result in satisfactory results that translate to a reliable popcorn machine.

Whether you are hosting a private gathering, movie screening, concert or you have the task of organizing an event on behalf of the AV Club for your local school or college, the smell of fresh buttery popcorn and the sight of a Professional Popcorn Machine will elevate the perceived prestige of you and/or your organization. In the same way that you must dim the lights in order to create the correct setting for your audience to focus visual and auditory senses on a film, you must also capitalize on the exciting olfactory sensations that have become synonymous with exciting social experiences.

Many scientific studies show that these olfactory senses, taste and smell, have a more lasting influence on an individual’s memory than the often overloaded senses of sight and touch. Therefore, the delicious smell of buttery popcorn will assist in making your event a more pleasurable memory for most individuals. When you take the time to create this type of specialized setting, you in essence create the positive atmosphere that your audience will not only enjoy remembering but will likely tell their friends and family about in the future.

Your decision to rent a Professional Popcorn Machine will allow you to take advantage of your opportunity to make your event stand out in the minds of your audience by captivating their senses. Purchasing even a used Popcorn Machine can be quite expensive, ranging anywhere from approximately $300 up to and well over $1000 before incurring additional costs such as bags, butter, and salt not to mention the potential added costs associated with having to fix a broken machine in the future! Depending on the size and scale of your operation, it most likely will not be an economically sound decision to purchase such a machine outright. Most rental prices can be set to include the several products that you will undoubtedly need to obtain in order to enjoy the enhancing effects that a Professional Popcorn Machine can have on your future events.

If you are considering the possibility of renting out space to a vendor at you event rather than simply renting the Popcorn Machine yourself, consider the following: The price of popcorn at the theater or even at the seasonal carnival is quite astronomical when compared to the price of the individual products when they are purchased wholesale. Most employees who are given the task of operating the rented Popcorn Machine are minimal while the potential profit margins for you and your organization can sizable contingent on the scale of your operation. Why would you choose to limit your potential profits when you could use the extra income to recoup other losses, satisfy payroll, reinvest in yourself or your organization, or even donate to your favorite charity?

Decide today to rent a Professional Popcorn Machine for your next event in order to save money, increase profits and most importantly, to provide you audience with sensational event memories that will in time cultivate more business for you and your organization.