Popcorn Machines - not as recent as you might think

People might well believe that the popcorn machine has only been with us during the last century or so. Well, popcorn has been around for roughly 1700 years. The earliest popcorn machine invention found is from south America and is a shallow spherical vessel with a little hole and a handle to hold it over a flame.
It is also believed by archaeologists that kernels of popcorn were popped by heating sand in a fire and stirring them in.
In more modern day times popcorn machines became popular in the mid 1800’s. They were larger affairs, usually 7 or 8 feet across and either steam or gas powered.
However these weren’t very efficient and the popcorn machine only really came of age in the 1880’s when an American sign painter and shop keeper, Charles Cretors, was inspired to make one, having bought a industrial steam powered peanut roaster. He was fascinated by how things were made and started to make something better. All the foundry patterns were manufactured by Charles Cretors using a foot powered lathe. He then obtained a pedlar’s license and placed the machine outside his shop. People were used to railway engines, but not to anything so small and were very interested.
Within 10 years he had handmade a popcorn machine that was able to roast 12 pounds of peanuts, or 20 pounds of coffee and also make popcorn.
The popcorn machine was more efficient. However, he also brought his other skills to the fore with delightful, hand painted designs on the machine. These included glossy nickel plate signs and copper and brass parts. He also included the innovation of the Toasty Roasty man, a small mechanical clown on the popcorn machine that advertised his products by cranking a tumbler full of peanuts on the top of the roasting drum.
In 1900 he introduced the first big horse drawn popcorn wagon. He designed them to meet the needs of particular clients and also sold them through his flourishing sales force. Electricity was starting to become prevalent at this time as well, and Charles Cretors used it to make america’s first electric powered popcorn machine.
Over the next few years films started to become everyday and popcorn was in demand from movie goers.
In the 1950’s television was enjoyed by more and more people at the expense of the movies. The popcorn industry was damaged as well and also had a somewhat old fashioned image problem. Popcorn makers were redesigned and started looking more modern, rather like the juke boxes that were also popular at the time, and regained market share.
Now they are very common in lots of theatres and cinemas. As well as fairs and carnivals. The price of a trade popcorn machine varies, depending on how large it is.
And smaller, table-top popcorn machines are now available for everyone to have at home. Although enjoyable when pre-popped, either at a venue, or if bought from a food store, popcorn tastes much better if eaten straightaway after being popped.
It is a delicious and healthy snack that is high in fibre and can be free of sugar and in addition fat free with few calories, depending on whether oil, butter or other ingredients have been used.