How do I clean my equipment?

Your equipment should be cleaned using soap and warm water after each day of popping. We try to keep a hot, soapy rag handy to wipe off the lid and sides of the machine several times a day, as well. The more you can prevent build-up of the sugar and oil, the easier it is to keep clean. Laying hot, soapy rags on the lid and letting them set for 10 minutes works far better than harsh scrubbing. After a season of popping, the inside of the kettle will require more than a “soap and water” cleaning. The easiest, fastest way we’ve found is this: Clean first with soap and water, making sure there’s no oil residue left in the kettle. Then, turn the burner on (with nothing in the kettle). After a few minutes, the worst of the “black stuff” will flake right off. The kettle bottom might glow pink – that’s OK. To clean the sides of the kettle, we use a wire wheel on the end of a cordless drill; it’s clean in no time! To sanitize the interior of the kettle, rinse it well with a solution of Clorox water (1 tablespoon per gallon of water).