As an entrepreneur, shopping around for a professional popcorn machine can seem like a daunting task. Which machines are available? Which one is the best investment for your money?

Here are 5 things to look for in a professional popcorn machine.

1. The Capacity

One important factor to consider when buying a popcorn machine is the capacity it can hold. Look for a machine that has the capability to produce enough popcorn for your customers. If you are buying a professional machine for a movie theatre business or a school concession stand, ensure that you invest in a high capacity commercial machine, preferably 12 ounces or more so that you never run out of popcorns.

2. Top Quality Material

Look for a high-quality machine with a heavy-duty body and premium steel for durability. A machine with plastic gear can be cheap and may appear similar to a superior popcorn machine, but the durability and longevity of the machine will be drastically affected in the long run.

Buy a machine with tempered glass. This will make it scratch resistant and it will be easy to clean. A powder-coated steel machine looks sleek and beautiful and will definitely stand out from the competitors.

3. What Wattage Do You Need?

The nature of your business will determine the wattage of your popcorn machine. If you operate in an entertainment setting where you need to produce large batches of popcorn at a given time, then consider buying a 640 watts model or more. It is also important to buy a machine with a 50-watt warming deck to ensure that your popcorn stays warm and fresh hours after the preparation.

4. Efficiency And Speed

The quality of your popcorn will be greatly determined by the efficiency of your professional machine. A machine that constantly stops working midway can be frustrating not just to you, but your customers as well. A machine with quicker popping times is very good for your vending business. The last thing you need is for your customers to leave because they got tired of waiting.

5. The Cost

When buying a professional popcorn machine, consider both the purchase price and the operating expenses. If you are on a budget, check several online stores or go window shopping and compare prices. Identify a machine with the most important features and accessories that you cannot do without. Remember, a cheap machine will save you money upfront, but a high-quality machine with lower operating costs will give you value for money in the long term.

Conclusion

There you have it. 5 things to look for in a professional popcorn machine; are you looking for the best commercial popcorn machine of 2018? Leelalicious has reviewed the top 7 commercial machines of 2018. Check out their website today, for great information, the latest prices and customer reviews.

1. Make Ground Spices

With a Vitamix 7500 blender, you will forget about the old habit of buying grounded spices from the nearest grocery store. You will no longer worry about using expired spices that have been on the shelves for ages.  This is because the appliance gives you the privilege of making your own ground spices. All you have to do is source for spices that are in whole form and then ground them. However, you will need to dry them first to remove the moisture. The advantage of owning this masterpiece is that you will be grounding spices that are enough for a specified period to avoid using them past their shelf life.

2. Cook Soup

Cooking soup is fun and more interesting when you have Vitamix. This is due to the fact that you can always indulge in thick soup at any time. And maybe that’s why the appliance is ranked the best kitchen appliance at eco sweet home.  Unlike an ordinary blender that leaves disgusting lumps in soup, Vitamix chops the ingredients to guarantee a finger licking experience. The appliance can also be used when making hot sauce for the barbeque.

3. Grind Flour

Grinding flour with an ordinary blender is only a dream that never comes true. Vitamix blender comes with a special system that’s designed to transform any grain into powder. Once you are armed with this appliance, you will be able to grind anything you want into wheat. Whether you want to make flour out of pumpkin seeds or coconut, the blender is always good to go. The other advantage is that you don’t have to drink your soup while it’s cold because it’s always warmed by the blender.

4. Make Creams

Cream that has not yet been whipped is not appealing to the eyes or taste buds. With such an appliance you don’t have to remain tied to creams that don’t satisfy your taste buds. You can customize to have flavor that you want in a matter of minutes if not seconds. The process is pretty simple. Just throw in your ingredients, press the power button and you will soon start seeing peaks forming inside the appliance.

5. Crush Sugar

We all agree that wet sugar tends to form balls that are hard to break with a tablespoon. Vitamix can crush such balls into a fine white powder. Besides that, the blender can also be used to make scrambled eggs. To get started, make sure you have separated the eggs from the shells and pour the mixture containing the yolks into the blender. You can then add coriander and stir for about 3 minutes and then pour into a hot frying pan.

The mattress might be organic, but it might contain fillings that have toxic materials. These materials can cause side effects including coughing, arrhythmias, irritation and dizziness among others. Choosing a non-toxic mattress is a process that needs to be handled carefully.

1. Check the Material within the Mattress

Some materials have more chemicals compared to others. For instance, memory foam contains chemicals that let off harmful gas, which can affect your health. This gas is released throughout the life of the mattress, and the more you get exposed to the gas the worse it becomes.

The right mattress is made of natural material that doesn’t contain any harmful chemicals. The material doesn’t produce any gas, which is better for your health. So, before you buy any mattress, research on its materials to make sure the layers contain the least amount of chemicals. For the research purposes, you can check out the non-toxic and eco-conscious mattresses at mattresspicks.com

2. Know Where the Mattress Was Made

The origin of the mattress can determine whether it contains toxic chemicals or not. This is because different countries have varying manufacturing laws. For instance, those mattresses from the US contain fewer harmful chemicals. US law requires all mattresses to undergo flammability testing to prevent a mattress that can catch fire easily from getting into the market.

The laws also prohibit the use of toxic additives such as formaldehyde, pentaBDE, and chlorofluorocarbons. Additionally, the country has banned a set of harmful phthalates (DBP, DEHP and BBP) have been banned for use in children mattresses.

Go for a mattress that uses cotton filling. Cotton is breathable and makes for a firm mattress, but be sure the cotton used as filing is 100 organic. Remember that cotton is grown using a lot of pesticides and the chemical residues remain in the cotton.

Natural latex can be safe as well, though this depends on how the latex has been manufactured. Stay away from latex if you are buying a mattress for your child because it can be allergenic.

Natural wool is also an ideal material to use as filling. Wool is usually used for mattresses that are meant to be fire retardant. If you find a manufacturer that uses wool as filling, then make sure the fillings have not been treated with chemicals to make them more fire resistant.

3. Check the Linen

After confirming that the content of the mattress is non-toxic, you also need to check on the linens as well. Bed linen can also be coated with harmful materials, and some manufacturers use chemicals, even formaldehyde that keeps them unwrinkled and shiny.

So, stay away from that “wrinkle-free” linen, because it contains polyester or has been coated with resin. Additionally, don’t go for linen that has super-high thread counts since the threads might be strengthened with chemicals.

Instead, go for linen that has lower thread count made of bamboo, wool or cotton that are all-natural. Research the brand and make sure the linen is also all-natural so that you limit the exposure to chemicals.

4. Read Reviews

The good thing about buying a mattress these days is that you can read about the experiences of previous buyers of the same mattress. Many of the buyers will have gone for the mattress due to its features, among them the non-toxic nature. For this case, they will leave a lot of reviews behind regarding their experience with the mattress.

Read these reviews and make sure that you are keen on the non-toxic part. If the users complain about any allergic reaction, then opt for another mattress.

5. Work With a Known Brand

Buying from a top brand gives you the benefit of doubt knowing that the seller is out to maintain a name in the market. Buying from a less known brand puts you at risk of buying low quality mattresses.

These few steps help you choose the right non-toxic mattress for your individual use or a family member. Take time to understand the material used for the filling, the linen as well as the origin of the mattress.

A food dehydrator is an equipment that serves to remove moisture from food to facilitate preservation. You can preserve vegetables, fruits, and animal products by drying them. Dehydrators vary in size, functionality, and price.

There are many models in the market to choose from and it can be a bit of a task deciding which one to buy. Here are 5 tips to guide you in buying the best food dehydrator:

1.    Consider The Ease Of Use

Food dehydrating is an easy process. However, there are some features in a food dehydrator that can make the dehydration process much easier for you.

A dehydrator that has the ability to evenly cook the food where you don’t have to switch the shelves around is a plus as it eliminates the need for you to keep on checking on the food as the dehydration process takes place. You can simply set everything and let it do the work for you without you being too much involved.

2.    Consider The Size And Capacity

Food dehydrators handle different food capacities based on their sizes. You will be placing this food dehydrator in your kitchen and so size will be a factor to consider bearing in mind how big or small your kitchen is. Smaller dehydrators, more so those with a vertical flow will take up less space but will also have a small food holding capacity.

If you have high quantities of food that you want to dehydrate, then a larger food dehydrator would be a good pick.

3.    Check On Airflow And Heat Distribution

Food dehydration is an easy process to do. You just have to heat the food at a temperature that’s high enough for a predefined time period to dry off some moisture. Some of the food will be further away from the heat source than others.

The biggest task you may have is that of making sure that heat is distributed evenly to all the food in the dehydrator. Before making a purchase, do some research. Find out whether the dehydrator is a vertical or horizontal flow model and whether the working system of the model dries out all the food evenly.

4.    Check On The Noise Level

Food dehydrators are fitted with a fan which makes them produce some noise while performing the dehydrating process. The decibel levels do vary in the different models available. It is of utmost importance that you get a dehydrator that is quiet, one that makes minimal noise.

5.    Consider The Price

Food dehydrators have different price ranges. For a lower price range, you can get a basic dehydrator that can do some basic drying but will have some limitations on the types of food you can dehydrate. They require a lot of maintenance and have a shorter lifespan.

For a higher price range, you can get a food dehydrator with a bigger capacity which allows you to dehydrate a lot of food in one go. They have great heat distribution features which facilitates even cooking of the food. They have timers and thermometers which facilitate ease of use. Go for a dehydrator with the features you need at a pocket-friendly price that you can afford.

Conclusion

Consumer reports are a good source of information regarding the different dehydrator models that you can buy. Here are some of the best food dehydrator consumer reports that you can get information from.

Choosing a good coffee maker especially one with a grinder may be puzzling. You may end up with a complicated machine while you wanted something easy to use. That is why we have compiled a list of 5 top things to do when buying a coffee maker with a grinder.

Decide if you want entry level or pro

When buying a coffee maker that has a grinder, first decide if you want an entry-level coffee maker or one of those used by pro barristers. Their grind setting mechanisms make them differ hence the different levels of difficulty and results. For beginners, the stepped grinders contain specific grinding settings while for pros, the stepless grinders contain unlimited grind settings. The stepped grinders click when the burrs are in place while on the other hand, the stepless grinders are adjustable according to your preferences. You can also choose different types of espresso makers, but the best and affordable ones would be much better.

Consider measurement specifications

You should also consider measurement specifications of a coffee grinder to ensure that they match your needs. A lot of low-end grinders allow you to grind by time. Some allow you to push a lever or a button then wait for a certain amount of time for it to grind while most work for a set period of time depending on the cups you want to be brewed. The high-end grinders on the other hand work by weight, with some giving both the time and weight options. So, you need to find a good coffee maker with a grinder that will perfectly suit your requirements.

Deliberate over espresso or drip

Make a choice between an espresso or drip coffee maker as the two gives different levels of results. If you want coarser grinds that are uniform with lesser coffee dust, then a press or drip would be the best option. But if you prefer finer grind results, then an espresso machine would be a perfect choice. Also, you can get one that offers both fine and coarse grinding if you are having a difficult time choosing between the two.

Make a decision between manual or automatic

If you have a baby that you don’t want to wake in the morning or just don’t like a noisy coffee maker, then you should consider getting a manual one. Manual coffee makers do a perfect job just like the automatic ones. In addition to being quiet, they are portable and are the best for travelers or even for office use. The best advantage they have over automatic coffee makers is that they work even without electricity. So you can always get that hot cup of coffee even when there is no electricity.

Consider your budget

You may fall in love with an espresso but may not be able to afford it. So, weigh your options by considering the specific features under a certain budget. An automatic coffee maker may be unaffordable but you may get a cheaper manual one that will perform almost the same as the automatic one. Look for a good coffee maker with grinder reviews and choose what you feel comfortable with, both budget and performance-wise.