One Machine, Two Popping Processes! New-Generation Popcorn Equipment Powers the Next Wave of Snack Industry Innovation

As a popular snack enjoyed by people of all ages, popcorn is undergoing a quiet shift in consumer preferences. Consumers still love sweet and crispy flavors such as caramel and butter, while healthier options like sea salt and low-fat popcorn are also gaining popularity. Meanwhile, different popcorn shapes—such as mushroom and butterfly popcorn—are finding their own markets across cinemas, supermarkets, and snack food factories.

Meeting such diverse product demands places higher requirements on production equipment. To address the growing need for flexibility and product variety, the new-generation full-range popcorn production equipment has officially been launched. With one kettle supporting both oil-popping and air-popping processes, the equipment can cover applications ranging from small retail stores to large-scale industrial production, while easily producing both ball-shaped and butterfly popcorn.

Many people may not realize that the final shape of popcorn is largely determined by the variety of popping corn used.  The moisture content of the corn kernels needs to be maintained at around 13%–14%, allowing the kernels to expand under heat at approximately 150–180°C. In commercial production, the typical yield is around 3–4 kg of finished popcorn from 1 kg of corn kernels.

About the choice of ingredients, palm oil is a cost-effective choice for large-scale production, while coconut oil delivers a richer flavor and better mouthfeel. Maltose and granulated sugar can be used for flavoring, helping create a crispier texture while ensuring seasonings adhere evenly to the popcorn. This supports a wide range of flavors, from classic caramel to sea-salt varieties.

The key difference between oil-popping and air-popping lies in the heating method. Oil-popping uses hot oil and a spring-type stirring mechanism to produce aromatic, crispy popcorn, while air-popping uses high-temperature hot air with little to no added oil, creating a lighter, lower-fat product. The two processes offer distinct textures and flavor profiles, giving manufacturers greater flexibility to meet diverse market demands.

Of course, for offline commercial applications such as cinemas and convenience stores, the equipment is available in two configurations: the TS manual series and the ES semi-automatic series.

The TS series covers multiple sizes from 8 oz to 36 oz, with one batch taking approximately 4 minutes to produce finished popcorn. It is ideal for locations with smaller order volumes that require fast, flexible production.

The ES series features upgraded automatic oil and syrup dosing, with both single-kettle and double-kettle configurations available. With a maximum output of 3 kg per batch, it significantly reduces the need for repeated manual ingredient loading, making it well suited for high-traffic locations.

For heating, customers can choose between electromagnetic heating and gas heating. Electromagnetic heating offers stable operation and consistent product quality, while gas heating provides a lower initial equipment cost, with an approximate finished-product pass rate of 90%. Customers can select the heating method according to their budget, production requirements, and application scenario.

For food production factories, a wide range of configurations is available, from semi-automatic oil-and-sugar systems to fully automatic 1-in-1 to 6-in-1 complete production lines, with a maximum capacity of up to 720 kg per hour.

The complete production line is equipped with a PLC touchscreen control system that can store up to six commonly used recipes, allowing operators to quickly switch between different flavors with just one click.

Capacity: up to 100 kg/h

Wok Volume: 200 L

Automatic feeding for oil and syrup; manual feeding for sugar powder, popcorn kernels and other flavor ingredients.

Controlled by PLC touch‑screen, with material feeding reminder. One batch every 5‑6 minutes, power rating: 40 kW

Capacity: Up to 100 kg/h

Kettle Capacity: 200 L

Ingredient Dosing: Automatic oil and syrup dosing; manual addition of sugar powder, corn kernels, and other flavoring ingredients

Control System: PLC touchscreen control with ingredient loading prompts

Configuration: Equipped with a conveying and lifting system and a cooling & screening drum.

Packaging: Can be connected to a packaging machine for automated packaging

Production Cycle: Approximately 5–6 minutes per batch

Total Power: 48 kW

Production Capacity: Up to 720 kg/h

Total Power: 248 kW

The fully automatic production line is equipped with a raw material storage hopper, conveying and lifting system, and cooling & screening drum, enabling an integrated popcorn production process.

For bagged popcorn, the finished product can be directly connected to an automatic packaging machine for seamless packaging. For bottled popcorn, an additional cooling tower is required to sufficiently reduce the product temperature before filling, preventing the high-temperature popcorn from causing deformation of plastic bottles.

In addition, the product range includes heated display cabinets in multiple sizes, with power ratings ranging from 0.8–1.5 kW. Various cabinet dimensions are available to suit different counter spaces.

Freshly made popcorn can be stored in the cabinet at a constant temperature, helping maintain its crisp texture and appealing taste during display and sale.

Whether you need a standalone machine for small-batch production at a retail store or a complete production line for a large-scale factory, this equipment can be flexibly configured according to your specific needs. It supports the production of both trendy new popcorn products and classic best-selling flavors, helping businesses seize new growth opportunities in the popcorn snack market.

If you see the potential of the popcorn market, why wait? Contact us today to learn more and get a tailored popcorn production solution for your business!