Snappy Popcorn – Goodies for the Consumer and the Concessionaire

By Olivia Stanford

Whether you need professional popcorn supplies or are simply looking for some unique gift or entertaining ideas, you’ll want to look closely at Snappy Popcorn.

Snappy Popcorn is a 3^rd Generation Company

This company has been around since 1940, growing and processing much of their popcorn personally. This allows them to produce popcorn that is fresh, not something that has been sitting around on the shelves for years.

Founded 3 generations ago, the vast majority of their popcorn is still grown in Iowa where the company is headquartered. There is also a sister company located in Arizona.

In this day and age, you’ll be glad to know that Snappy Popcorn still answers their phones with a live person! The operator is available between normal business hours from 8 am to 5 pm Central time.

Snappy Popcorn Provides Supplies for the Concession Industry

Snappy Popcorn sells everything related to popcorn and other concession-type snacks.

This company is a great resource to find popcorn and popcorn supplies like salt, popcorn bags and buckets, gourmet popcorn and oils used to pop corn, and even popcorn popping machines.

In addition, Snappy Popcorn sells cotton candy supplies, snow cone and shaved ice supplies, candy and caramel apple supplies, corn dog machines, food warmers, as well as equipment and supplies for pretzels, lemonade, mini donuts, hot dogs, pizza, funnel cakes, frosted nuts, nachos, onions, waffle cones and more.

They even have souvenir cups and buckets available in bulk for those special fund raising promotions.

In fact, if you can find it at a fair or carnival, it’s pretty like that Snappy Popcorn has something to do with it!

Snappy Popcorn Has Goodies and Gifts for the Individual Consumer, Too

If you’re not a concessionaire, that’s okay. Snappy Popcorn also offers products for the individual consumer and home theater.

The company sells gift and home items like gourmet popcorn and popcorn gift packages, and home theater popcorn kits. Wouldn’t you like to receive the gift of a variety package of caramel, jalapeno, chocolate toffee, holiday and cheese popcorn?

I know I would!

Other gift and entertaining ideas include popcorn glaze, which is the newest popcorn treat – sweet popcorn. Popcorn glaze is available in cinnamon, chocolate, cherry, caramel, grape, blue raspberry and kettle corn flavors.

Snappy Popcorn Advertises Same Day Shipping

Snappy advertises that if your order is placed by 2 pm Central time, your order will be shipped the same day, so you can be sure to receive your popcorn goodies in short order.

Fund Raising Options with Snappy Popcorn

Should your organization want to do some fund raising, consider Snappy Popcorn as your partner. The company will help you with small or large fund raising promotions, helping your group to double your money.

Snappy has helped many schools and other community groups to succeed in selling microwave popcorn, gourmet popcorn packages and other popcorn specialties. If you’d like to personalize your promotion with labels or even your own specially designed popcorn bag, you can contact Snappy Popcorn for personal assistance.

Whether you’re looking for supplies to maintain a concession business or simply looking for fresh, tasty popcorn for your family and friends, you’ll want to look at Snappy Popcorn.

Commercial Popcorn Machines – A Larger Version of the Home Popper

By Pauline Rausch

You’ve probably noticed the commercial popcorn machine used by theaters, concession stands and catering companies. If you’re considering a commercial popper, you’ll want to read on.

This article will discuss what makes a commercial popcorn machine different than the average popcorn popper used in the home.

Commercial Popcorn Machines Make Lots of Popcorn!

Frankly, the commercial popper is not much different than the popcorn maker most people have at home.

If you’re familiar with the Stir Crazy Popcorn Maker, or even a stovetop popcorn popper, then you’ll know that the center basin gets hot. Your choice of olive, peanut, corn or coconut oil is placed in the basin, and it melts. You add the unpopped popcorn kernels. There is a spoke that twirls around the center basin so that the popcorn is continually stirred as it’s popping. Once the corn has all popped, you turn off the popcorn maker and enjoy!

Commercial popcorn machines work in the same way, just on a much larger scale.

There is a large kettle that gets warm. Oil is placed in the kettle and it melts. Unpopped popcorn kernels are then placed in the kettle, and a spoke also twirls around the kettle to prevent the popcorn kernels from sticking or burning.

However, instead of making enough popcorn to feed a family of 4 or 6, a commercial popcorn machine makes enough of the warm and tasty treat to feed 100 or more!

Differences Between Commercial Popcorn Machines and Home Use Poppers

The difference that stands out between a commercial popcorn machine and the one most people keep on their counter is simply the size of the popper.

Commercial poppers come in “ounce” sizes, with 4 ounces being about the smallest and 16 ounces the largest. The “ounces” refers to the kettle size, meaning that an 8 ounce popper has an 8 ounce kettle.

Most commercial popcorn machine manufacturers advise that you should not add more unpopped popcorn kernels than the size of the kettle. For example, if your popcorn popper has a 12 ounce kettle, then you should add at most 12 ounces of popcorn. However, in a pinch, several manufacturers state that you can add as much as 2 ounces extra if need be.

How much oil should you use in a commercial popcorn machine? Most popcorn machine manufacturers indicate that a ratio of 2/3 popcorn to 1/3 oil. This is another difference between the popper on your counter and a commercial machine!

3 Step Popping Process

Commercial poppers make popcorn in a 3 step process.

Generally the first step is to turn on the heat switch. This step is unique to commercial popcorn machines.  This allows the kettle to begin warming. Do not let the kettle warm for longer than 30 seconds before adding oil and popcorn, or there is the risk of damaging the heating element or other parts.

Always add your oil first. This allows it to melt a little bit before the corn goes in.

Step two is to turn on the stirring motor. You can turn on this motor as soon as you turn on the kettle heat switch. Step three is to turn on the heat lamp which will keep your popcorn warm and delicious.

Once the sounds of popping corn slow way down and you think just about all the kernels are popped, turn off the heat switch. You don’t need that anymore since the corn is popped! You can also turn off the stirring motor, but leave the heat lamp on.

Costs and Availability

Commercial popcorn machines are now readily available at concession stores and online. Some of the more common brand names include Waring, Benchmark, Paragon and KegWorks. Some popcorn makers come with a nostalgic-looking stand, or you can get your commercial popper as a tabletop model.

Prices range anywhere from $365 for a 6 ounce kettle machine, to as much as $1800.

The commercial popper industry has take note of consumers’ increased interest in health and diet, so it will be easy to find the commercial popcorn machine to fit your needs.

Old Fashioned Popcorn Maker – Start Your Own Family Tradition!

By Robert Davids

Do you remember the old fashioned popcorn makers?  When I was a kid growing up in Chicago, some of my best memories are of my mom taking me to get a hot, steaming bag of popcorn from the vendor on the corner downtown.

The vendor had a full-sized old fashioned popcorn maker that filled the air with the delicious scent of hot, buttered popcorn. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on that warm bag!

I was so excited to see that there are now several versions of that old fashioned popcorn maker, available for home use!

Of course, most people don’t have a lot of room to devote to that floor standing old fashioned popcorn maker of yesteryear, but the good news is that several tabletop models have been designed for home use.

Old Fashioned Popcorn Makers Use Hot Air or Oil

Amazon, Walmart, The Home Depot and Ebay all offer tabletop models that take only a little space on your counter.

You can choose models that pop corn with hot air or with oil, whatever your preference.

Hot air popcorn poppers have become very popular because the hot air means fewer calories and fat, particularly for those who are health conscious. Popcorn makers that use hot oil are prized by popcorn connoisseurs, who state that oil-popped corn tastes the best. Coconut oil, peanut oil and olive oil can all be used to pop corn. Movie theater owners, for example, use coconut oil to pop corn for their patrons.

Prices for the tabletop popcorn makers vary from $30 to as much as $100. Generally this type of old fashioned popcorn maker takes up only about one square foot of counter space, and if you love popcorn, the nostalgic look of this model may encourage you to leave it on the counter as part of your décor.

Floor Standing Models

Also available for the popcorn lover are a number of floor standing, old fashioned popcorn maker models. These models stand as much as five feet tall and require a little more space.

Many people have found them to be just the thing for their game room or home theater. The old fashioned popcorn maker floor standing models use hot oil to pop corn. Because these type of popcorn machines are modeled after the old fashioned popcorn makers which also used oil, it is pretty rare to find a floor standing model that uses hot air to pop the kernels.

Prices for a floor standing popcorn maker start at about $120.

Stovetop Popcorn Poppers

I’ve been talking about the old fashioned popcorn poppers that vendors used, but it may be that when you think of “old fashioned popcorn maker,” you think of the stovetop version!

Many of us remember Mom making us a hot, steaming batch of delicious popcorn right on the stove.

This type of stovetop popcorn popper is still made today under the brand name Whirley Pop. The popper is a pot with a lid that has a crank on top to turn. Mom would add a teaspoon or two of oil, add the corn kernels, and start cranking! The crank kept the popcorn from sticking to the bottom of the pot, and in just a few minutes, we had a nice big batch of popcorn.

You can find the stovetop popper at Amazon and Ebay, and several other retailers. Prices start at about $25 for this popper.

So if you’re looking for a popcorn popper to bring back those fond memories of yesteryear, you’ll be able to find just what you’re looking for to begin your own family traditions.

Then your family can also develop fond memories of your old fashioned popcorn maker!

By Pete Gross

Jiffy Pop Popcorn – Ah, the Memories!

By Fritz Brenner

I can still see mom standing at our gas stove making Jiffy Pop Popcorn.

She was already in her nightgown and robe. We were sitting down to watch TV as a family. We had popcorn almost every night.

Jiffy Pop Popcorn – A Family Tradition Made with Love

I remember her shaking that Jiffy Pop Popcorn pan over the gas flame of the burner, then hearing the popcorn starting to pop.

That little pan blew up and the aluminum “balloon” filled with the popcorn.

Mom then brought the pan into the living room where we anxiously awaited. She ripped open the foil to reveal the gorgeous Jiffy Pop Popcorn. I can still taste it.

It was fresh, hot and made with love.

When we moved to a house with a fireplace, Dad got in on the action.

He’d build a nice fire and wait for it to be just right. Then he’d cook the Jiffy Pop Popcorn over the flames. So many of my happy childhood memories involve my family and that Jiffy Pop.

We not only enjoyed our Jiffy Pop Popcorn at home.

Try Jiffy Pop Popcorn Over Your Campfire

We also took it camping with us. What a treat! Fresh Jiffy Pop Popcorn cooked over the campfire. The aroma of the popcorn mingling with the wood smoke.

Good times, good times.

Start Your Own Jiffy Pop Popcorn Tradition!

Though these memories are nearly 30 years old, Jiffy Pop Popcorn is still available today. This summer, my brother and I went camping together for the first time with his two sons.

We both brought some Jiffy Pop with us! We wanted to continue the tradition and make some wonderful memories for the boys. Those memories should last a lifetime.

I know mine sure did.

Why not make some Jiffy Pop Popcorn traditions with your family?

If you’d like to see Jiffy Pop Popcorn made on the stove, just watch this video:

Stovetop Popcorn Poppers – The Best Way To Make Popcorn on the Stove!

By Stacy Palmer

Welcome to our website on the subject of Stovetop Popcorn Poppers.  Here you will be able to find information about making popcorn on the stove top.

Of course, in the “Good Old Days”  many just used a regular kitchen pot or pan as a stovetop popcorn popper, and that still works just fine.

Now though there are specialized pans for that purpose that work even better.  We invite you to take a look at the information that we put together and enjoy making popcorn on your stove top.

The Whirley Pop Stovetop Popcorn Popper

We absolutely love this little stovetop popcorn popper.  It’s really such an improvement from using your regular kitchen pan on the stove to make popcorn.  Simply follow the directions for the proper amount of oil and bulk popcorn and turn the crank, it’s loads of fun.

The one thing that you will need to play with a little bit is the temperature for the Whirly pop pan as it sits on your stove, but once you get that figured out you are in for years of fun and healthy popcorn.  The Whirley Pop Popcorn popper makes about 6 quarts of tasty popcorn at a time, and is as easy as wiping out with a paper towel for clean up.

With a 25 year warranty the Whirley Pop Stovetop Popcornpopper is a great investment in years of fun for the whole family.

Fireplace Popcorn Poppers

Another type of popcorn popper that we consider to be in the same category as stovetop popcorn poppers are fireplace popcorn poppers.  When we were kids many of us may have used a popcorn popper over an open fire or even in a fireplace.  The popcorn that you get from doing this is very tasty and a tremendous amount of fun to make.

Now days there are many different types of popcorn poppers that can be Old fashioned popcorn poppers used over a fire or even on a grill.   Of course it is also possible to use these same poppers as stovetop popcorn poppers.  The main difference in them as opposed to a stovetop popper is that long handle so that you can use it on an open fire and not get burnt.

If you take a look at the different fireplace popcorn poppers you will most likely find one that suits you.  The ones that have a crank on them to stir the popcorn as it pops work very well, but the old fashioned ones that you simply shake are also very good.

Jiffy Pop Popcorn

Believe it or not, they’re still making Jiffy Pop Popcorn!

I was surprised to see that that old favorite from the sixties and seventies is still being made.  This may be the one stovetop popcorn popper that most of us remember as kids.  What fun it is for our kids to see the Jiffy Pop popcorn foil top grows as the popcorn pops inside!

Every once in a while it can be fun to get a couple of these.  Small children especially get a charge out of watching this one-time-use stovetop popcorn popper.

Whichever you choose for your stovetop popcorn popper, just have fun with it!