I have both. I actually purchased the 160 first and do love it. I use the 80 for smaller events and for times when my equipment is all loaded in the van and I need to pre-pop some bags. I will use the 80 this week at an event where I'll do about $500. If I had to choose one though, I would go with the 160. It's a simple machine that has worked flawlessly for me.
0:45 I'm so glad to SEE you "Hanging" your bags UP of Popcorn... so many people just lay their bags down... talking about all their bags... and you can't see them from afar... This is good advertisement...
Yes. They really stand out in events. I did that this last year for a carnival and it really stood out. I just got my first 1,000 subscribers. Thanks for following. I hope you have a good year. Were you the one asking me about the caramel corn? Did you try it out? Danny
We bought our 80qt bowl off eBay for around $300 and got a 250,000 btu propane burner set from Amazon for $125. The pot has the ring removed from the bottom and it sits perfectly on the burner. Thats our set up. It's light enough to pick up and dump each batch as long as you have your gloves on lol. I built my "sifting box" out of 1/4 inch luan and 1/2 hardware cloth for the bottom. Its 2'x4' and works really well. We did our first market last sunday (6/25) and did ok considering the crowd. I live in a very affluent part of Florida so our markets and festivals are year round, fortunately. We plan to do 2 more farmers' markets here and then we have a large flea market with a $ 150-a-day buy-in that we are going to use as our main market. Fingers crossed
Hey! Love your videos. Would you consider doing one on your health code licensing, temp permits, if you have a commercial kitchen you work with, etc? This is one of the draw backs I run into every time I think about doing my own business. Thanks in advance and keep on poppin'!
Just ordered the Greg Sweet Master series with the large sifting table and tent. I plan to retire from my full time job June 1st and will be selling Kettle Corn and Fresh Squeezed Lemonade. Enjoy your video's. What's your advice on advertising and getting in to events? Cheers, Bugs
Thanks for the helpful videos! I've been cooking with an 80 qt. machine for several years and have never tried anything different because of price and space; I agree it is limited when it comes to output (I know recipes online all seem to be 6 cups of corn, but I can only seem to make 3 cups work without burning a lot/too many old maids). Some questions for you: with 160 qt, do you get more/fewer/about the same amount of burned pieces/old maids as with 80 qt? Also, how much salt do you use and what kind? I use Morton iodized as it seems to not cake up like cheaper brands, and I use 1.5 tbsp per 3 cups, but I'm always paranoid about using too much/too little. Finally, do you use mushroom popcorn or butterfly for your kettle corn? I've always spent the extra money on mushroom, but another local popper here uses butterfly. Thank you if you get a chance to reply!
My average for the 160 quart significantly increased. I get between $700-$900 for a bag of GM magic mushroom. I sprinkle it on when it just pops. Just enough to get a taste.
I saw a video where a guy started making kettle corn and a business using a whirly pop. He had an order for $100 bags. In the end. I bought a 80 quart from Kettle Corn Machine Greg Sweet. they have used machines. I'd look for a used machine on Facebook. But. Yeah. I'd still buy one a 30 however it's gonna be a LOT more work and after a while the thing over heats. I've even seen people using a turkey fryer.
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Your best options are Kettle Corn Machine, Mann Made Machines, and North Bend. Mann Made is now Seargent Poppers. They do 160 quart bowls. I decided to go to Kettle Corn Machine.
