Popcorn Machines

If you’ve grown tired of making popcorn up in your microwave and want to make it up easily and professionally in your rec room, you’re probably considering the idea of purchasing a popcorn machine. You may have already noticed that, with all of the different popcorn machines available, picking the right one for you is not that easy. There’s so many things to consider, such as size, style and what you need for your rec room. Let’s walk through the options so you’ll know just what machine to buy.

How to Buy a Popcorn Machine

So what do you need to look for when buying a popcorn machine for your rec room? You should look at:

Size. If you have a small rec room and/or don’t plan on entertaining a lot of guests at once, you probably won’t need a large popcorn machine like you see at the circus. Rather, you’ll want a smaller, countertop machine that produces the right amount of popcorn for you and your guests. You’ll also want to think about the amount of room you have for the machine itself. If your rec room is already pretty full, you obviously won’t want a big machine, even if you are planning on having a lot of guests over.

Quantity of Popcorn Produced. If there’s one thing that is commonly overlooked when buying a machine, it’s the specification of the model as to how much popcorn is produced by the machine. But it’s something that you must pay close attention to so that you know what popcorn machine is most appropriate for your rec room. If a popcorn machine specifies that it has an eight-ounce popper, that means you’ll get eight one ounce servings of popcorn in every three-minute popping cycle.

Number of Guests. You might choose a small machine due to space constrictions, but you might need a greater popcorn production than is standardly produced by small machines. That’s why it’s important to pay attention to what sort of popping cycle the machine has. If you choose a small machine and will be popping lots of popcorn, choose one that has a short popping cycle.

Type and Style. You can find a variety of types and styles of popcorn machines. You need to closely look at each type and style and determine what one is the best fit for your rec room.

Types of Popcorn Machines

• Standard Counter-top. The cheapest popcorn machines are usually those that are meant to be placed on counter-tops. They’re also the smallest popcorn machines, and for a small home theater, they’re a great choice. Most counter-top popcorn machines produce between 4 and 8 ounces of popcorn per popping cycle. Some counter-top popcorn machines can be ordered with a cart so that they can be either a cart popcorn machine or a counter-top machine.

• Hot Air Popcorn Machines. For those health-conscious popcorn lovers, hot air popcorn machines are a healthy way to go. Popped without oil, the resulting popcorn from these machines is low in fat and high in fiber. And compared to counter-top popcorn machines that use traditional oil, hot air machines leave less kernels unpopped. They also require very little maintenance and are easy to clean. You also don’t have to worry about buying, stocking, and replenishing oil.For these reasons, hot air popcorn machines are beginning to become more popular than their more traditional, nostalgic counterpart.
  

• Gas Popcorn Machines. Bigger popcorn machines are commonly powered by gas. As such, gas popcorn machines require specific gas requirements, much like a stove does. However, they can produce a greater number of popcorn than can standard counter-top machines, so they’re a good choice for bigger rec rooms that accommodate a lot of guests.

Popcorn Machine Styles

• Modern/Standard. Modern/standard style machines have a very sleek, modern look that goes great in rec rooms that are up to date with the current style.

• Antique Style. If you have a very antique, old-fashioned style going on in your rec room, an antique style popcorn machine will probably look great in there.