Get the Inside Story on Who Invented the Popcorn Machine

If there's one snack that is often dubbed as an indulgence for life's blissfully idyllic moments, is defined by an unimaginable number of flavors and is blessed with an eternal appeal that's unsurpassed in every way, it just has to be popcorn. Cheddar cheese popcorn, peppermint popcorn, white chocolate or chocolate fudge popcorn, there are innumerable ways to celebrate the enduring mystique of this wonderful snack. History is no stranger to its iconic status, and neither is the world's appreciation of it.

Such is the unabashed hype and hoopla about this snack, that other equally intriguing aspects remain shrouded in a cloak of exotic mystery. Take for example, the fascinating question that teases you about your knowledge of popcorn machines, and asks, 'who invented the popcorn machine?'

Facts With That Nostalgic Echo

Popcorn gained immense popularity during the Great Depression, when street vendors made quite a killing by selling it with assistance from steam or even gas-powered popcorn poppers. It was sometime during the year 1885 that Charles Cretors caused a sensation by inventing the world's first popcorn machine.

Originally designed as a peanut roaster, Cretors simply added a contraption on top to make the machine look different. But what really catapulted C. Cretors & Co. to the rockstar league was their spectacular showing at the Columbian Exhibition in Chicago in the year 1893. It was here that the first steam driven, mobile popcorn machine popped more eyeballs that probably Madonna and Justin Timberlake together on stage.

What followed was nothing short of a revolution. With the impressive spike in the appeal of mobile machines, the movie going experience changed forever. Today, movie halls without popcorn or their redoubtable machines are like chocolates without sin or Windows without Bill Gates!

Trigger For Innovation

More innovations followed, and in 1925 home poppers made their debut, followed by the microwave popcorn by Percy L Spencer in 1945, which, in fact, provided the trigger for inventing the microwave oven.

When Was the Popcorn Maker Invented?

Popcorn... who doesn't love hot, buttery popcorn? Everybody knows that popcorn was introduced to the first Pilgrims by friendly natives. But the making of popcorn has evolved considerably since the 1600s. First commercial popcorn machines and then home popcorn makers were invented to make the tasty treat available to everybody.

Early Popcorn Poppers

1. Popcorn makers were in use as early as 300 A.D. In Peru, a lost pre-Incan culture invented a piece of crockery that was designed with a hole in the top and a handle for shaking it over the fire. By the 17th century, another type of machine was used. A thin metal cylinder with a handle was filled with kernels and turned by hand, close to an open fire.

Cretors & Co.

2. The first commercial popcorn machine was invented by Charles C. Cretors in 1885. Cretors owned a candy shop in Decatur, Illinois. Becoming successful by inventing a steam-powered peanut roaster, he moved to Chicago to expand his business. Before long he had modified his machine to pop corn. After adding wheels and a mechanical clown, The Toasty Roasty Man, his popcorn maker was complete.

Other Commercial Popcorn Machines

3. Just before World War I, manufacturers Holcomb & Hoke began to market commercial popcorn makers, claiming that with the purchase of one machine, investors could make their fortunes selling popcorn. This company, however, did not last long, due to the Great Depression. Between 1920 and 1940, several other companies sprang up, manufacturing and selling popcorn-making machines to supply the world with fresh popcorn.

Home Popcorn Makers

4. Home popcorn makers came on the market in the 1970s. These small appliances popped the corn with a continuous flow of hot air instead of the traditional hot oil that the commercial machines used. This was a great selling point as people grew more health conscious and less pleased with the fatty commercially sold popcorn. Microwave popcorn was introduced in the 1980s.

Popcorn Today

5. Every year, Americans eat over 17 billion quarts of popcorn. It is served everywhere from movie theaters to hotel lobbies, and more than half of all popcorn eaten in American is made in the microwave. Popcorn truly has become a standard of American culture.