Minit Pop U Pop It PopcornShop

[PopcornShop]

  Well im just about to start another restoration.. But I wanted to get some input on a few things first.. I have a hotplate style and an oil vat type.. Both need to be restored.. Ive done a few of these now but never did an oil vat type..  My question is why do so many favor the oil vat type? I have done the hotplate type before and I tend to like them alot.. Isnt the oil vat type of machines very messy.?  How does the popcorn taste on an oil vat?  Im thinking on doing the oil vat just because I havent done one before...  I would like to get anyones input..I know there are a few on here that im sure will post!  Thanks!! 

[SIGNGUY]

I have not done either but like the machines... from what I've heard is people generally migrate towards the Oil Vat version is that they are easier to repair or replace... and I've heard the oil vats are not replaceable ?

anyways that is my 2 cents worth from what I've heard from others....

[PopcornShop]

 Hey SIGNGUY.. Just to let you know this is the machine I bought from you!!  Im finally getting around to getting it done... I know you have a popperete..Doesnt that work off an oil vat platform?

[Larry]

The Popperette uses an oil bath.  Basically a basket, with holes, is lowered into boiling oil.  It just covers the popcorn kernals.  It's not very oily. 

[PopcornShop]

 Thanks Larry for your post... Thats what im wondering ..If the popcorn was oily,sticky,and chewy..lol..   It just makes me wonder why we dont see that style used today... As far as I know all poppers made today use a hotplate type cooking system... Is that because the popcorn comes out better...not all oily..ect..?

[Creighton]

Oil vat popcorn is the best by far. Which oil would be another thread.
Suspect why it is not more common, complicated (relative) , requires maintenance and not many folks know or can appreciate the difference.
So dried out stale product is foisted upon the masses and they will still spend big money.
Top it off with fake butter and charge even more :-)
Creighton

[jbrumett]

Seems like I read somewhere the the heating element in the hotplate version is very very expensive to replace. I think someone told me it's somewhere around $1500-$2000. Please correct me if I am wrong

Jeff

[SIGNGUY]

Supposable there was someone reproducing that hotplate out of Florida a while back, but also heard he is no longer doing it.. so they are arn't available..

I can't wait to see how this turns out... the machine you got from me was lets just say less than perfect and needing alot of parts..

can't wait to see it!

[cola62]

I do know that the oil type are very labor intensive to keep clean if they are used a lot.  The oil bakes on and is tough to remove.  We used to have a machine at a place I worked back in the early 90's and all the employees hated it because they didn't want to clean it.lol

[Larry]

I have stated in other post, and I don't want to start a debate, that coconut oil is my favorite oil.  It is a very clean oil.  It doesn't gum up like the other oils that I have used.  I tried, corn oil, sunflower oil, vegetable oil, and coconut oil.  All of them were a pain to clean up because they will turn gummy when heated for a long time.  I clean my machine with a warm wash cloth.  It melts and removes the coconut oil effortlessly.  I used to use Goof Off on my paint to remove the oil.  never again.

Bad thing about the oil is that you have to preheat it to melt it for the pump.

Good thing is it doesn't spoil because oxygen cannot penetrate the solidified oil and ruin it.  I have used oil that were over five years old (in the container) and it was fine.  I also reheated oil for months without any spoilage.  Regular oil spoils after a month or two when it is reheated and opened to the atmosphere.