From a little starter popcorn rolling cart to a ginormous hot air popper, Gumballs.com offers nearly all intermediate price points and a continuum of pop corn machine capabilities for starting a delightful popcorn based vending business without too much muss or fuss. In addition to the popcorn machines, the accessories and food items needed for a fully successful enterprise are also available here - such as butter, sweet or salty additives, not to avoid mentioning the unpopped popcorn itself - in a temptingly priced large bulk bag, you guessed it, sold exclusively by Gumballs.com without any sales tax!

How do Popcorn Machines Work?

Machines of all shapes and sizes and operational philosophies operate in about the same way. They use heat to pop popcorn.  When the popcorn has popped, they need to be turned off. To keep the finished product warm, a heat lamp is usually employed to shine over the situation. Some machines include extras, like an option to add salt or sugar, or a special table that lets the "old maids" (un-popped kernels) drop out of range.

How to Use a Popcorn Machine?

1. Plug in machine.
2. Turn "heat" and "light" switch(es) to 'on' (Wait about 3 minutes for kettle to heat).
3. When ready to add oil and popcorn, turn the kettle motor switch on to start the motor.
4. Immediately add oil and popcorn. (Do not overfill: if using portion packs, pop only one pack at a time.)
5. Pull the kettle lid downward from the top of the cabinet to cover the kettle.
6. While the corn pops, open the plexiglass doors ajar to reduce condensation.
7. When the popping ceases, turn both the kettle heat and motor switches off.
8. Lift the kettle lid until it attaches to the magnet on top of machine. Dump popped corn by releasing the kettle, rotating the black handle clockwise and pulling downward.
9. Put the kettle back in place
10. Repeat steps 2-12 for additional batches.
11. Remember to turn the Heating Light Switch to on in order to keep your popcorn warm.

What Size Popcorn Machine to Buy?

Commercial popcorn machines are measured in two ways.

1. Popcorn Machine Physical Size: How much space will this machine take; will it fit in the space reserved for it?
2. Popcorn Machine Kettle Size: Now much popcorn is the machine is capable of producing?

Popcorn Machine Size

When checking the physical size of a popcorn maker, please consider the dimensions of the machine expressed as inches on our website. Please  also consider the layout style of the machine. This means that if a machine opens for service on the back of the machine and has the pretty graphics on the front of the machine, you will want to ensure that you have enough room behind the machine for someone to access it to make and serve the popcorn. If the machine is designed to sit flush against a wall, make sure that there is enough room for the electrical outlet to plug into the wall.

Popcorn Machine Kettle Size

How much and how quickly a machine can pop popcorn is determined by the size of the kettle. Kettle units are the ounces of un-popped popcorn cooked in a single batch. For example, a 4oz popcorn kettle pops 4 ounces of popcorn kernels at a time. A standard serving size of popcorn is one ounce of uncooked popcorn, so another way of looking at it is that a 4 ounce kettle pops 4 servings of popcorn at a time. When operating non-stop, commercial kettles can pop a full batch of popcorn in 3 minutes or they can pop 20 batches per hour. This roughly translates into a four ounce machine popping 80 one ounce servings or 85 quarts of popped popcorn every hour when running at maximum capacity.

Typical Popcorn Machine Sizes & Production Abilities

Ultimately, the choice of popcorn machine rests on personal preference, but understanding the key differences makes the choice easier. We offer a wide range of popcorn makers that cover most situations from a full scale popcorn production facility down to a small home theater room, or from a maker in your 16 screen movie theater down to a popcorn machine for the lobby of your business. If you need help finding the right one, feel free to give us a call and we will help.

• 4oz kettle: 85 Quarts of Popped Popcorn/hour
• 6oz kettle: 127 Quarts of Popped Popcorn/hour
• 8oz kettle: 170 Quarts of Popped Popcorn/hour
• 12oz kettle: 254 Quarts of Popped Popcorn/hour
• 14oz kettle: 297 Quarts of Popped Popcorn/hour
• 16oz kettle: 340 Quarts of Popped Popcorn/hour