Popcorn is one of the tastiest snacks you can get at a concession stand or even from your home. Popcorn can be found anywhere and the vendors make a good profit from selling it. Whether you make it in your home or at concession stands, to make the Popcorn delicious we need a good machine. It is vital to keep the machines clean and in top condition, especially because it involves a lot of splattering of the oil or butter, the machines can get greasy so easily.
Also read: how to get popcorn kernel out of throat
The Home Popcorn machines need lesser cleaning work than the big commercial Popcorn machines.
Vastly used two Home Popcorn machines are:-
- Stovetop Popcorn makers.
- Hot-air Popcorn machines.
How to clean Stovetop Popcorn makers?
It is pretty easy to wash this type of Popcorn maker. Do follow the following steps.
1) Cooling the maker :
The first and foremost thing to do before cleaning any machine is to make sure that it has been cooled down. So make sure the maker does not have any popcorn pieces lying in it and is not hot and can be touched with your bare hands.
2) Cleaning with the dry cloth :
Secondly, use a dry cloth or a paper towel to clean the remaining butter and oil from the inner side of the maker. Do not use water or any cleaning agent yet. This step is a must thing to do after every batch of Popcorn. Even if you wish to wash the maker later after a few batches, do this cleaning after every single batch.
3) Washing the Maker:
Now comes the important part of washing the maker. Use some warm water and some cleaning agent as the detergent or the dish soap, and handwash the maker. You can use water with no fear of electrical issues since most of the Stovetop Popcorn makers do not have the electrical components. Then, make sure to wash the detergent or the soap in some freshwater before going to the final step.
4) Drying:
That is all for cleaning a stovetop popcorn maker. Now, place the maker somewhere dry like the countertop or the shelf. Place the lid and the body of the maker together once it has been dried for easy use.
How to Clean Hot-Air Popcorn Machines?
Cleaning Hot-air Popcorn machines is similar to cleaning the stovetop popcorn maker. But it’s a little bit trickier than that one.
1) Cooling the machine:
Unplug all the electrical connections from the machine and let it cool down. You should not pour water or any cooling agent, you must let it cool down automatically. Make sure the machine is unplugged and let the machine cool even for a few hours or overnight.
2) Washing all the components:
Here, wash all the components of the machine separately. Mostly, the components will be the cover and the butter melting cup. Wash all the components using mild dish soap or some detergent make sure the manufacturer has not warned about washing any specific part of the machine. Handwash these components safely. Use some cloth or sponge while rinsing do not use hard materials like steel sponge.
Do not wash the electrical components with water. The non-removable electrical outlets should be avoided.
Clean the components with fresh water and then let them dry In a rack or the countertop.
3) Rinsing the Chute:
Mostly the Chute in the machine is non-removable, make sure to clean it with a damp cloth. The popping chamber should be avoided since it may mess with the electrical equipment. Wipe the popping chamber with a dry cloth to remove any remaining debris. Microfiber cloth does best.
4) Rearranging the components:
Once all components are dry and clean take and arrange them back on the machine as it was present. Now being all set place the machine somewhere dry and make sure the chord of the machine is safely placed and not hanging around, the plug may get damaged.
Cleaning a Commercial Popcorn Maker
This is the most used machine for making popcorns around the globe. It prepares a large amount of popcorn and hence it gets extra greasy and it’s a bit challenging for cleaning the machine.
1) Cleaning products:
Since the grease built up is so hard to get removed only by water and normal dish soap, it would be wise to use grease-cutting dish soaps. You can also use strong citrus cleaners. You can use ammonia-free window cleaners for cleaning the glass parts of the machine. Vinegar can also be used for cleaning the glasses. You’ll have many products in the shops available for cleaning the hot kettle part of the machine, you can choose something which suits your preferences.
2) Safety:
Whatever you do, make sure the safety of yourself. Doing something wrong may end up in serious injuries to the operator.
- Make sure you do not allow children near the machine or do not let them clean the machine for you.
- Wear protective gloves to protect your hands from the strong detergents and also for the safety of the hand from some sharp corners.
- Using ammonia-free cleaner helps in preventing the machine from damage. Make sure you store the cleaner separately.
3) Pulling the plug:
The first thing to do is to turn off the machine and pull the plug off from the electrical socket. All the remaining Popcorn debris in the machine should be brushed off before entering the cleaning process. Make sure the kettle is not hot and you’ll be able to touch it and clean it.
4) Removing the kettle:
First, unplug the kettle from the machine for it is easy to clean it. Use a wet cloth or a sponge to wipe the kettle both inside and outside. Do not submerge the kettle in the water it might get damaged. So, wipe down thoroughly with a damp cloth and reinstall it in the machine.
5) Deep cleaning the kettle:
This is for deep cleaning the kettle, which can be done once a month or once a few weeks. Get some kettle cleaner which is easily available in the kitchen stores and pour it into the kettle and add some water to it as mentioned in the packaging of the cleaner. Now plug the kettle and bring the mixture to boil.
Once the solution boiled well, switch off the kettle and unplug it. Let the solution cool down and settle. Now drain the kettle and rinse it thoroughly. Let it dry in a rack or the countertop.
6) Cleaning the Glass:
Use a damp cloth for cleaning the glasses of the machine. You can use warm water and mild soap for cleaning them. The glasses do not require deep cleaning.
7) Maintaining the machine:
This is a complete process of cleaning the machine. The machine is deep cleaned in this way. Hence, there is no need for you to do this process often, clean this way once in a while. Other days you should just use normal cloth and do a general wiping after each batch and at the end of the day, use a wet cloth to remove all the remaining stains.
So, cleaning is an important part of anything in this world, especially when it comes to preparing food it has to be done with at most hygiene. Make sure to clean the machine often and have or serve the delicious Popcorn.