The Vintage Brand Behind The First-Ever Popcorn Machine Is Still Around Today

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If you stumble upon a vintage popcorn machine in a museum, photos, or even still being used, it may not seem revolutionary, but when they first hit the street, they changed the way Americans snacked. Popcorn is one of those foods that has been around for thousands of years but didn't really take off as a staple until the industrial revolution. Originating in the Americas alongside corn itself, the oldest evidence of popped corn dates back 6,700 years in Peru, and it spread all throughout Native American cultures. Early popcorn would have been much crunchier than today's version, and it took selective breeding or corn to produce the modern version that makes fluffy popcorn, but knowing just how to pop popcorn was still standing in the way of turning it into a true snack food phenomenon. That is, until Charles Cretors invented the popcorn machine.

While the process of popping corn had been relatively simple — just fire and corn — it wasn't easy. The best version that existed until Cretors came along involved holding a wire basket over a live fire with a long handle; fine for camping or a home fire, not ideal for convenience. Cretors had previously been vending peanuts when he began altering the peanut roaster to use steam and make popcorn. It turned out that the steam provided more even heat, which popped the corn much more evenly, and also turned blades that stirred the popcorn. That bit of innovation eventually turned into a company, Cretors, that still exists over 130 years later.

Cretors' invention also had a few more advantages that became essential to popcorn's explosion in the 20th century. The steam heat allowed popcorn to be cooked directly in butter or oil, providing better flavor with more even distribution. He also made his popcorn machine mobile, which meant vendors could move to areas of high demand throughout the day, making it much more convenient. The proof of concept came at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, where Cretors introduced his mobile popcorn machine, and it became a huge hit. It was also here where an impressed traveling salesman sampled Cretors popcorn and agreed to become his first employee. By 1900, Cretors had a factory in Chicago and a new larger horse-drawn model that was selling like hotcakes (or popcorn), and the rest is history.

And while you may not see Cretors name in stores, the company has never stopped making popcorn machines. It doesn't make at-home machines but instead focuses on supplying industrial-sized machines to movie theaters, concession stands, and convenience stores. It's also expanded to other concession equipment like hot dog rollers and cotton candy makers. However, there is an at-home alternative: GH Cretors is a separate company founded by a relative of Charles Cretors that now sells bags of popcorn. So while you may not be using a Cretors machine to make fresh popcorn yourself, the family can still help you enjoy some American history at home.