Popcorn maker facts for kids
A popcorn maker is a cool machine that helps you make popcorn! People have loved popcorn for a very long time. It's made by heating special corn kernels until they burst open. Big popcorn machines were first invented in the late 1800s by Charles Cretors. You can also find many smaller popcorn makers for homes.
You often see large popcorn machines at movie theaters and carnivals. These machines usually cook popcorn in hot oil. This means about 45% of the popcorn's calories come from fat. In the late 1970s, hot-air popcorn makers became popular for home use. These machines make popcorn with much less fat, only about 5% of its calories.
Today, most popcorn bought for home is in a special microwave bag. You just put it in a microwave oven! Because of this, fewer people use dedicated popcorn makers at home now.
Contents
Popcorn Makers: How They Pop!
The Story of Popcorn Machines
The story of modern popcorn makers begins with a man named Charles Cretors. He traveled around the Midwest of the United States. Charles Cretors first worked in painting and then opened a bakery. Later, he had a confectionery shop where he sold sweets.
To make his shop even better, he bought a machine to roast peanuts. But he thought he could make it work better. So, he redesigned it! His new machine was the first automatic peanut roaster. It was powered by a small steam engine.
Charles Cretors' Big Idea
In 1885, Charles Cretors moved his family to Chicago. He wanted to focus on selling his amazing new machine. To show how it worked, he got a special license. He put his machine on the sidewalk outside his shop. This date, December 2, 1885, is when his company, C. Cretors & Company, officially started.
His machines were very reliable because they were automated. They also had a fun steam engine and a little mechanical clown called the Tosty Rosty Man. This made them very popular!
By 1893, Cretors had made an even better steam-powered machine. It could roast peanuts, pop corn, and even bake chestnuts. Popcorn was becoming a very popular snack. So, Cretors changed his machine to roast peanuts and pop popcorn at the same time.
This was the first automatic machine that could pop popcorn perfectly. It even seasoned the popcorn evenly! Charles Cretors got a patent for his machine on October 10, 1893. He took his new popcorn wagon to the Chicago's Columbian Exposition in 1893. There, he showed his new popcorn machine to everyone.
Different Ways to Make Popcorn
There are several ways to make popcorn, from special pots to electric machines and even microwave bags. Each method has its own unique features.
Stove-Top Poppers
Some special popcorn pots are made for the stove. They are called stove-top poppers. You might know them by names like The Detonator or Whirley Pop. These pots have a special stirring blade inside. You turn a crank to make the blade stir the kernels.
This stirring helps stop the popcorn from burning at the bottom. It also lets you add sugar directly to the kernels before they pop. This way, you can make sweet popcorn right in the pot!
Hot-Air Poppers
In 1978, a company called Presto introduced the Popcorn Pumper. This was a hot-air popper for home use. It worked by blowing hot air up through the corn kernels. This way, you didn't need any oil to cook the popcorn.
Cooking without oil made the popcorn much healthier. It had fewer calories and less fat. Hot-air poppers were also faster and easier to use than popping corn in a pan.
Microwave Popcorn
Around 1974, a company called Pillsbury started selling microwave popcorn. At first, you could only find it in vending machines. But as more people bought microwave ovens, microwave popcorn bags came to supermarkets.
This meant people didn't need a separate popcorn machine anymore. Today, most people buy pre-packaged microwave popcorn bags. To make these bags taste better and last longer, companies sometimes add special ingredients. Some people worry about these ingredients, so they choose other ways to make popcorn.
Gallery
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Stir Crazy popcorn popper
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Army and Air Force Exchange Service worker making popcorn in a modern popcorn maker
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Popcorn vendor at Paris, Illinois, on August 3, 1912
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Modern vending cart
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Jiffy Pop popcorn, single-use
See also
In Spanish: Palomitero para niños
