Buying a popcorn machine involves many choices, some of which may be new to you. This popcorn machine buying guide organizes the process into clear, logical steps that can help you make a smart decision.
Budget
Your budget will affect many if not all of your decisions. It is possible to find good popcorn machines selling for a few hundred dollars, while others will sell for thousands, along with all of the models that fall in between those extremes. Kettle size, features, brands and more will affect your final price. We can help you get the most bang for your buck, no matter how much or how little you want to spend.
Kettle Size
This depends on your budget and the number of people who will be eating popcorn simultaneously, or the amount of servings you anticipate making over the course of the day, and how much time you want to spend making it. The larger the kettle, the less time you will spend popping. Using a 4 ounce is ideal for home use, low production locations or in small home theaters. For any retail or business location, we would recommend using a 6 or an 8 ounce as a starting point. Almost every popcorn machine that we sell will have a 3-4 minute pop cycle. This means it will take about 3-4 minutes to make one batch of popcorn (the batch size is determined by the kettle size). For example, a six ounce model will pop 6 one ounce serving in one pop cycle. Each one ounce serving is equivalent to roughly 2-1/2 cups of popped popcorn, so your 6 ounce popcorn machine will make roughly six one-ounce servings every 3-4 minutes.
Other Factors
Other considerations include warranty, features, electrical requirements and brand. We can help guide you with these choices and more, helping you to make the best choice for your specific needs and preferences.
Perfect for businesses, schools or concessionaires, our selection of popcorn machines and supplies is affordable and of the highest quality. Perhaps you are interested in something for your rec room, basement or home theater - don't worry because we have got you covered there too. With over 250 "popcorn machine" models to choose from, Jarco offers the largest selection anywhere. Our huge selection may vary in style and size, but we will only offer commercial quality popcorn equipment that is user friendly, easy to maintain and safe to operate.
Dome (header or top). Shown with neon sign. Basic lighted signs and antique tops available too for unlimited styling options. Lower cost versions with no signs available as well.
Kettle assembly.
Doors - most are removable for easier cleaning. Made from lightweight Lexan (plastic) for durability. Smaller models have single door where larger popcorn machine models come with two.
Drop shelf allows you to scoop out popcorn without it falling out the back of the popcorn machine. Stainless steel and removable for easy cleaning.
Old maid clean-out drawer catches un-popped kernels that fall through small holes in the floor.
Not shown Heated corn deck (heated floor) located under the floor pan to help keep popped corn warm and crispy. This feature is omitted from several small economy models.
