The Most Important Popcorn Blog Topic Ever: Home Use vs. Business Use
Ladies and Gentlemen, this may be the most important, popcorn-related blog I ever write. Not a day passes at my faux-pine customer service mega-desk that I don't receive a question similar to the following: "I was looking on your site, and there is a really big jump in price between certain popcorn machines. Why are some machines so inexpensive, and others priced so much higher, even though they are the same size?" Well, the answer to relatively simple question is sort of long and involved. However, after reading the unabridged answer, you will know a heck of a lot more than the average consumer of popcorn machines. Go forth, dear reader, and embrace the knowledge of the ages.
The most important thing to consider when purchasing a popcorn machine is the type of use the machine will have. We have separated the machines on our site to feature "Home Use" machines and "Business Use" machines. When purchasing a home use machine, your type of use should generally be just making popcorn a couple times a week for family night, or in your home theater. The occasional small party (8-10 people) is still going to be considered home use.
However, if you will be using your machine in any public forum, are planning on regularly making multiple batches, have the machine turned on every day for extended periods of time, or if it is for a school, church, office, lobby, common area, event space, or waiting room (whew!) you need a business use machine.
Currently, the primary home use machines we feature at ePopcorn.com are called the "Home Theater" line. The name for this line is very intentional, as these machines are designed to look good, are very inexpensive, and intended for minimal use. Often times, replacement parts are difficult to find for these units, as the machines are imported, but not the parts. Therefore, any parts that are sent out by the distributors have been appropriated from existing machines. Again, these imported machines are
constructed to very different specifications than the business use machines. They are not intended for large groups, daily use, repetitive batches, or any kind of event. They are simply not designed to handle this kind of strain. On the plus side, they really do look great in a theater room, and are extremely inexpensive, even with carts. If you're only going to make popcorn for your family a couple of times a week, this is your line.
Having a business use machine, on the other hand, allows for much broader types of use. Our business use line of machines are significantly more industrial in their design. They look very similar to the home use line, but it is the internal workings of these machines that make the real difference. Higher quality materials, heavier electrical components, thicker gauge metal construction, and more effective product inspection make the business use machines a safe bet for any machine that will be used in a public forum. The most popular line in our business use machines is the Theater Pop line. You will find that most superior-quality popcorn machines are made in the United States. The popcorn machine was invented in the US, and we still produce the best popcorn machines in the world. You will receive a more comprehensive warranty with these machines, and replacement parts are much easier to obtain. They are, however, much more expensive.
There are certainly advantages to both styles of machines, and now that you know the difference, you can make a much more informed purchase, and get a machine that is right for you. As always, if you ever have any questions, you can call me, the King of Pop..Corn.
