My wife is tasked with finding a popcorn maker to be used at school functions.  Bad timing - because in that spring Cambridge trip the lady had a movie theater "cart style" one that we likely could have bought easily.

Any recommendations for something commercial grade?   I've googled a bit months ago for our own use - but it was hard to separate the imitations from the good quality ones.  

Ideas, suggestions or Canadian retailers with good products would be appreciated.

A used one would work too as long as its in good condition...

Tuborg,

We own one, inherited it, the very typical 4 oz. 6 oz. (Sorry I meant 6 oz.) commercial variety built by Paragon  that is very popular and available through amusements dealers.  It works amazingly well built to take abuse and storage, etc.  Well worth the money (you can rent them for single uses).  The supplies can be bought at most rental companies that service weddings and functions.  They may also sell you a used one (or a new one), but be warned that a used rental unitl will indeed be "used"  

It is this http://cgi.ebay.ca/NEW-THEATER....._trksid=p3286.c0.m14.

We lend it to the school and other community functions.  I have visions of it taking a key location if I ever finish my basement and host TOPL nights, but to be honest, it is not practical for popping the occasional "family" sized treat (and it stinks up the house, which is the point if you are selling popcorn).  If not for the distance I would lend it to you.

(The ones by Paragon ARE the "real mccoy" by the way.)

Doug

My friend has one of these in his house. It is used almost daily by the kids and makes great popcorn. Can't comment on the smell but I can tell you that 4 kids can finish an entire container once popped . He bought it at CA Paradis Restaurant Supplier on Bank St, for about $6-700 a few years ago , but just called him and he said to look at Popacorn Co on Lancaster now as they sell them for better price than Paradis as well as all the supplies.

Hope that helps
ME

Quoted from medvet

but I can tell you that 4 kids can finish an entire container once popped . ME

They ARE great, and tempting to use in the home theatre of course, but the hunger creating smell lingers, and are a b**** to keep clean between "poppings".  And man, if they are not kept perfectly clean in storage, a perfect mouse attractant!

If you ever wanted to know what makes theatre popcorn smell and taste so good (without butter even), it's mostly what they are popped in - Coconut Oil / Hydrogenated Fat (which comes in the 6 oz popping packets or separately in tubs) which is 86% saturated fat.  One small bag gives you something like 3/4's of your daily nutritional limit of saturated fats, and one source reports that a large bag is the equivalent of eating the saturated fat from six Big Macs...  

Thanks everyone - that looks like the one to get!   I knew we could rely on MAACA - amazing the knowledge in this group.   Wayne, I like your thinking - we own it for ourselves and loan it to the school for the 4-5 events they have each year.    We've wanted one anyways - I just didn't like the antique cart-styled ones.

I'll see what the boss says, ...

---

PS - My next "help me" post will be a doorbell for our daughter's room - I want a buzzer and light - but simplistic so she ( can somewhat understand what is going on electronically (that's my xmas gift/project for her).

I rent mine all the time (i also have slush machines and cotton candy) i have the old fashioned cart, and the old fashioned popper, it's from Gold Medal, and the whole package is around $800-1200 new, and i got mine for substantially less as it was used.

There's a place in toronto which is the dealer for Gold Medal called "Poppacorn" they would be a good place to start, thats where i got my cotton candy machine and i get all my supplies there also.

Be wary of the ones on ebay that have plastic frames, and plastic light up buttons, these are fine for really limited use at your home, but if you do more then 1 batch at a time, or use it frequently and want it to last, invest on a fully metal machine, with a proper kettle, and proper high quality toggle switches.

Good luck!

Eric

Apparently what you want is located here: http://www.amazon.com/Make-Cool-Gadgets-Popular-Mechanics/dp/1894379128 IF you can get ahold of a copy.  

Or maybe this is what you mean: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000MOWDJ0?smid=A65URZEGZO1SR&tag=dealt28641-20&linkCode=asn

Awesine Wayne.   That barbie doorbell will be in the mail shortly!   I was hoping to make a learning project for the two of us - but to get something with sound and light - and be somewhat pretty / functional was beyond a basic circuit.

I am getting her the "Snap Circuit" http://snapcircuits.net/ - kit as I heard its a great learning kit - like the old 100-in-1 sets but with lego-like ressitors, capacitors, diodes.


Thanks again.

Quoted from websherpa

If you ever wanted to know what makes theatre popcorn smell and taste so good (without butter even), it's mostly what they are popped in - Coconut Oil / Hydrogenated Fat (which comes in the 6 oz popping packets or separately in tubs) which is 86% saturated fat.  One small bag gives you something like 3/4's of your daily nutritional limit of saturated fats, and one source reports that a large bag is the equivalent of eating the saturated fat from six Big Macs...  

Hey Wayne, What kind of Popcorn do you use?? I am curious and I need to go look on my Bags, that is some serious Fat!

Dave

Quoted from pins only

Hey Wayne, What kind of Popcorn do you use?? I am curious and I need to go look on my Bags, that is some serious Fat!

Dave

http://www.calorieking.com/foo.....mtleT1wb3Bjb3Ju.html


Not quite "six Big Macs" bad, but still pretty gross!!  Almost a day's worth of calories in there.

There are many kinds of prepackaged Popcorn with the Oil for these machines. I have tried Orville Reddenbakers (sp?) but we use Popcorn from a company called Great Pop, Very tasty!!

As per the back of the package: 8 g's of Fat per serving, 6 servings per package.

Dave

We just bought a Paragon 6oz from the manufacturer - a blemished model.  They won't tell you what the blemish is - but have our finger's crossed.

At least we didn't buy from China.   I wanted to support the Lancaster, Ottawa store (poppa corn), but the guy tried to tell us Paragon is a China brand that you can get anywhere like Costco, Walmart, ...    Turns out he doesn't sell Paragon, but the Gold Medal brand.  

From surfing some home theatre forums I saw this site that's in Canada:
http://www.harlanfairbanks.com/

They sell a Sunflower Oil - claiming 80% less sat. fat than canola oil
http://www.harlanfairbanks.com/images/Promos/Popcorn_SellSheet_08-2.jpg

Never tried it - just surfed it...

I buy Buckets from Harlan Fairbanks, they do sell Popcorn as well, But not the one we like, at least not at their Calgary location.

Dave

Quoted from ALJO

Have you ever noticed how your mouth feels after eating popcorn at the movies? How can I explain...REAL FATTY.

Your mouth is the least of your worries..
You should see what your blood stream looks like  after eating hi cholesterol/fat intake..
It's like an oil milkshake floating atop the blood. It looks real sick and more disgusting that how i describe it.
It takes 4 hours before your blood stream goes back to normal.

then again seeing such pictures four years ago hasn't changed any of my dietary regime  

You can't go wrong with the commercial Paragons, that's what most of the rental agencies here use.

OK, the brand of popcorn we use we get from Pat's Party Rentals in Burlington, ON - I see it's from Gold Medal Products in Ohio.  Never had a complaint, smells good, I love it, totally tastes exactly as it does at the theatre, doesn't really need extra butter, and it goes really quick at our school events.  

It's the real thing baby, none of this healthy mamby pamby canola / safflower, shite .... COCONUT OIL all the way baby - no wonder it's got more saturated fat than the other bags shown here.

You will tase the difference, COCONUT OIL is generally what's used at fairs, it's the equivalent of frying chips in lard  - terrible for you in large doses, but OH SO GOOD!  

We get the small popcorn bags you can get from the rental agencies as well (I am sure you can get these from whoever rents this stuff for parties locally), and supply napkins.  We tried big bags once, but there wasn't as much return on the dollar and you had to pop too much too fast to keep up.  We use a metal sugar scoop to fill the bags.  Since we started doing this we borrow a candy floss machine from the local church group (and they borrow our popcorn maker), and when you have the two going, it's a lot of fun for the kids on our school fair day.  They make me do the candy floss.  I say because I have a flair for it, but I know it's because it spits sugar at you when you fill it too full, and by the end of the day you're one big sticky candy floss cone yourself!!  

[Fineprint] Use at your own risk. May cause heart desease. May cause unexpectedly quick and massive weight gain. May result in multiple grease prints on all your pinball and arcade games.

We're picking up the Paragon tonight.   Just wondering do we need the FLAVACOL or is that included in the single-use packs?


http://www.popcornsupply.com/Scripts/prodView.asp?idProduct=18531

I believe Flavacol is what makes the popcorn "movie theatre popcorn".


Thanks.

Flavocol is usually included in the single use oil/kernals packs, i have a couple containers of it here at the house, but thats because i don't use the packs, i use the butter bars, and bulk kernals.

Enjoy your new machine

Eric

Am I the only one that is getting hungry?

Good god, Websherpa!  That's insane!  

Is that stuff even legal in Canada?  lol

Quoted from thunderstorm

i use the butter bars,Eric

As I read this I can see Homer sitting on the sofa in his underwear, eating that pancake wrapped butter bar and saying: "Hmmmmmmmm,  faaaatteninnnnnng."



Mike

Quoted from machine.slave

Good god, Websherpa!  That's insane!  

Is that stuff even legal in Canada?  lol

We sneak it in through the reserve.  

You use the Flavacol if you pop in regular more heart friendly oil, then that puts back the "fake" butter and ground salt flavour you get in the theater, it's what's in the "other half" of the contraban packets we use....

Ahhh, Life is Good!

2 batches in, and the heart is still doing fine...  ...how did we live without this thing  

We picked up a "blemished" model from Paragon.   The only blemish we can find is a few paint chips in the black paint - well worth the savings.

You should see ours, been to the wars and back again and still keeps popping along - they are built like tanks. Congrats on the popper Doug!