Popcorn machines at K-Mart

[Thundergod]

Re: Popcorn machines at K-Mart

Im thinking of getting one to review pre and post modification.

[Outbackstriker]

Re: Popcorn machines at K-Mart

Sounds like a good experiment. I would be interested to see the results, particularly the change in the roast profile.

[mrseca]

Re: Popcorn machines at K-Mart

This is my popper totally naked & tweaked. Its not the Kmart one, but they are all fairly similar.
I can roast 160gm green weight and strech the roast from about 8 mins to all day.

I have bought a $12 Kmart popper to replace my wifes 20yo Black & Decker I "enhanced."
She still doesnt believe the old one now has a much bigger popcorn yield.

[rmoulynox]

Re: Popcorn machines at K-Mart

Just did my first roast on my kmart popper. Seemed to go well. Did a brazil pulped natural and hit second crack at about 4:40 and poured into a colander. I think its a tad overdone (just a tiny bit of oil on the beans). Did 80g.

Did my second roast of a Peru somethingorother and it was getting dark before second crack, so pulled it at 3:45, then it started cracking again while cooling. Looks pretty well perfect medium roast .

This could get addictive

[Outbackstriker]

Re: Popcorn machines at K-Mart

I think I wrecked the fan/heater on my popper (pictured earlier) when I removed the plastic casing. I had to take the wires off the switch and then when I put them back on and then turned it on it tripped the power saftey switch for the house. I was sure I put the switch back on the same way but maybe not?

ah well.  :-[

[lindsayra]

Re: Popcorn machines at K-Mart

Has anyone tried enlarging the louver side vents in the roasting chamber a little to reduce this restriction to air flow?

[conan.obrien]

Re: Popcorn machines at K-Mart

Has anyone tried enlarging the louver side vents in the roasting chamber a little to reduce this restriction to air flow?

I tried opening up a few of the vents on one side and drilled a few holes in the base of the popping chamber just next to the side vents that I opened up. I did this on one side to get a bit of top to bottom circulation going, similar to tilting the popper.

I also soldered a 18v dc laptop power supply to the motor, up from 16v.

All this slowed it down too much. The air from the widened side vents kept the beans away from that side so air some hot air could escape without going through the bean mass. No second pop after 16 min even though I eventually turned off the 18v dc so I was just running on the original popper 16v. Beans were bland.

Next roast I closed the vents up a bit and 2nd crack was around 10-11 minutes. I still had good top to bottom circulation of the beans.

So it definately can have a significant effect. Try opening them a little bit first or just on one side.

[Firepower]

Re: Popcorn machines at K-Mart

do you have to dismantle to open side vents? any tips?

[Andy]

Re: Popcorn machines at K-Mart

First time Ive seen this thread and it really needs...


WARNING DANGER CAREFUL
THIS CAN RESULT IN DEATH

The "insulating" properties of the outside plastic casing is so you dont get burnt or electrocuted. Drilling big holes in it means you can easily do both.

Removing all the outside casing to roast better coffee is like an entry into the Darwin Award Hall O Fame.

Please, please fellas, try and do these modifications without making dangerous devices. Im sure after removing the outside casing you could mount it in a larger insulated box with a bigger fan which would make it safer and a whole lot more fun than a funeral.

:

[Thundergod]

Re: Popcorn machines at K-Mart

I have to agree with Andys warning but think mrsecas version is the only fully naked popper Ive seen.

Careful note of my posts shows that in response to a suggestion for fully removing the case I pointed out that my popper only needed the top half removed.
The hot and electrical bits all reside in the bottom half.

When mentioning getting more air in from underneath I recommended replacing the original bottom vents with plastic mesh to keep fingers out.

Any newbs need to carefully read what us old guys have said and always remember that electricity kills (and burns arent too nice either).

[Firepower]

Re: Popcorn machines at K-Mart

Did my first roast tonight, got good looking beans, but totally stuffed up the roast monitoring, after about 30s I accidently closed the roast
monitoring software. I am guessing it was about 4 to 5 min

roasted 100g of Brazilian pulped natural, no chimney so beans were popping out,

will add chimney and be more careful next time.
all in all was a good learning experience highly recommend others to try.

[bonsaiboy]

Re: Popcorn machines at K-Mart

First post, first roast.

I bought the same popper for $12 (but not from K-mart) and did my first roast last weekend. Didnt have any fancy equipment, just the stock machine and my ear to listen for when first crack finished.

Some of the beans were a little energetic and popped out so Ill look at adding a tin can chimney.

Coffee smells great, should have done this years ago.

[Firepower]

Re: Popcorn machines at K-Mart

what times you get for 1st and 2nd crack ?

[SteveH48]

Re: Popcorn machines at K-Mart

OK - as a complete newbie and moderate ignoramus when my last (Telfal) coffee maker bit the dust, I took advantage of my Qantas frequent flier  points and ordered a Breville Espressa 860.  Whilst researching the pros and cons (Many pros and few cons - but that is another story) , I discovered this website and soon discovered I was out of my depth - I will always be out of my depth, but having ordered the beginners pack of green beens and invested heavily in a $12 Kmart popper, I am starting to realise that there is more to life than second rate coffee.  Popper good, but have already bought a turbo oven and terracotta pot and am looking around in my garage for low rev motors (so far oscillating fan and  citrus juicer and best yet - the contents of a battery drill which seems to run at just the right speed with plenty of torque on 1.5 volts).

Oh rapture, oh bliss

[bonsaiboy]

Re: Popcorn machines at K-Mart

Didnt have a stopwatch handy for my first roasts but, the whole process was about 4 1/2 to 5 mins with first crack around the 3 1/2 min mark. Batches were pulled after first crack finished and before second.

Hopefully, a fan and/or cooler weather will lengthen times a little. Im not really looking to butcher the popper much. Loads of fun though.