At some point in history, our ancestors must have decided to put corn and fire together and realized that the result was what we call popcorn. Who invented the popcorn machine is a great question and looking back at its history lets me know why it is done. I think there must have been popcorn makers all over the country, in every kitchen, and Mom knows exactly how it works. But a popcorn machine? Something automatic? Well, clearly there was one invented and the creator of this phenomenal popcorn machine was none other than Mr. Charles Creator.
Charles Cretors, a man with a background in both construction and the food industry, loved putting two and two together and seeing how he could make things easier when it came to roasting peanuts. He did not like the results of the original designs and thought he could do better, and he did. He moved to Chicago in 1885 and soon discovered that he could create highly sought after popcorn with his improved design.
FUN – The original popcorn maker was designed for grilling. It’s true – he really liked what was roasted, and this resulted in many different descendants of the original machine. The Cretors were able to see the need and understood that different foods react in different ways, and in fact, they were onto something. Do you want popcorn? Baked chestnuts? Roasted peanuts? They had it.
They finally patented a machine specifically designed for popcorn in 1893, two years after it was applied. I would understand if it took two years because many competitors could see the potential of the automatic popcorn machine, the machine that would start a tradition. A patent would spell disaster for the competition. Yet it happened.
The machine was a breakthrough, as it began the search for maximum perfection in the manufacture of popcorn, both for small and large companies. The design was still fairly simple, but sophisticated for its time. It consisted of a roaster that could ensure the perfect roast for coffee, peanuts and, of course, popped corn almost to perfection.
Since then, there have of course been many innovations, each and every one of them to be attributed somewhere (and it’s a shame there isn’t much information available about it). Once entrepreneurs realized that popcorn was a great product, it didn’t take long for them to jump into action and jump-start the innovation.
Something that was specifically designed to create popcorn – it’s hard to say, but there’s no question that Charles Cretors can be considered the father of automated popcorn machines, and I use this last sentence in a kind way, because I personally would not like to go. Let’s go back to the days when men held their ears of corn over the fire and considered it a blessing that one of them came out fluffy. Surely it was Charles Cretors who first designed what was to inspire a whole range of popcorn makers, popcorn machines and popcorn machines.
