Industry | Manufacturing, concessions, food processing equipment, popcorn, popcorn makers |
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Founded | Chicago (1885) |
Founder | Charles Cretors |
Headquarters | |
Key people | Charles D. Cretors, CEO Andrew Cretors, President |
Divisions | Echols, Flo-thru |
Website | http://www.cretors.com |
C. Cretors & Company is an American manufacturing company, specializing in popcorn machines and other concessions equipment. It was established in 1885 with the invention of the first large-scale commercial popcorn machine to pop corn in oil. C. Cretors & Co. is in Wood Dale, Illinois and is still owned by the Cretors family. [1]
Charles Cretors was originally from Lebanon, Ohio, but eventually made his way to Decatur, Illinois, where he opened a bakery and eventually a confectionery shop. He purchased a peanut roaster for his shop to broaden his product line to include freshly roasted peanuts. Not satisfied with the new machine, he redesigned it for better function. He moved to Chicago seeking success by selling his new machine. He purchased a vendor's license to test his machine in front of his shop. The license, dated December 2, 1885, marks the inception of C. Cretors & Co. [2]
The new roaster was driven by a small steam engine, which automated the roasting process. By 1893, Cretors had created a steam powered machine that could roast peanuts as well as popcorn in oil. [3] Cretors' machine design offered several advantages over the hand-operated process. Cretors’ machine became the first automated machine that could pop popcorn uniformly in its own seasonings. As a result, the product was uniform every time. Cretors applied for a patent on his automated peanut roaster and popcorn maker, which was granted in 1893. [4]
A chance meeting happened between Cretors and J. M. Savage, a traveling salesman who purchased a bag of roasted peanuts. Savage was intrigued with the new peanut roaster and offered to sell it in his territory. Cretors agreed to the proposal, and hired his first salesman. [2]
Charles Cretors took his new popcorn wagon to the Midway of Chicago's Columbian Exposition in 1893 and introduced the new corn product. After a trial period where Cretors gave away samples of his new popcorn product, people lined up to purchase bags of the hot, buttered popcorn. The smell of roasting peanuts and of hot buttered corn being popped in its seasoning before the buyers' attracted attention and sales. [5]
By 1900, Cretors introduced the Special, the first large horse-drawn popcorn wagon. It was an immediate success. Three variations of this wagon were created. [6] This was when electricity was becoming available. Cretors created the first popcorn machine with an electric motor. Thus, C. Cretors and Company holds one of the oldest active Underwriters Laboratories numbers (EA175) for electrically operated machinery. [7] The electric poppers soon took to market and electricity became the choice of power, as steam power had a reputation for being complicated and dangerous.
As movie theater attendance grew through the 1920s, Cretors began designing machines that could pop and hold more of the product. Popcorn continued to grow in popularity through the Great Depression due to its low cost.
C. Cretors and Company adapted when faced with World War II. In 1941 the War Production Board issued L-65, stopping all non-war-related production. Cretors became a government supplier in the war effort. Cretors purchased new production equipment and produced aircraft oil line fittings and mechanical radio components, among other things. After the war, the company faced a shortage of materials. Cretors introduced the Super 60, a popcorn machine with an all walnut cabinet. Since then they have continued designing new poppers and features to meet the new needs of theaters, concession stands, and customers.
Cretors has continued to expand their product line to include other food service equipment including warming cabinets, expanded topping and dispensing systems, hot dog, nacho cheese, and caramelizing and nut roasting equipment. [4]
On July 7, 1988, the United States Postal Service issued a 16.7 cent postage stamp that featured an illustration of the Cretors 1902 Model of the No. 1 Wagon. It was issued as part of the transportation series. It was done to pay tribute to America's first snack and the machine that made it all possible. [4]
Cretors has been featured on the Travel Channel's TV show Made in America , as well as Big, in which they manufactured the Guinness World Record's largest popcorn machine. [8]
The peanut, also known as the groundnut, goober (US), goober pea, pindar (US) or monkey nut (UK), is a legume crop grown mainly for its edible seeds. It is widely grown in the tropics and subtropics by small and large commercial producers, both as grain legume and as an oil crop. Atypically among legumes, peanut pods develop underground leading botanist Carl Linnaeus to name peanuts hypogaea, which means "under the earth".
Cracker Jack is an American brand of snack food that consists of molasses-flavored, caramel-coated popcorn and peanuts, well known for being packaged with a prize of trivial value inside. The Cracker Jack name and slogan, "The More You Eat, The More You Want," were registered in 1896. Food author Andrew F. Smith has called it the first junk food.
Popcorn is a variety of corn kernel which expands and puffs up when heated; the same names also refer to the foodstuff produced by the expansion.
Peanut butter is a food paste or spread made from ground, dry-roasted peanuts. It commonly contains additional ingredients that modify the taste or texture, such as salt, sweeteners, or emulsifiers. Consumed in many countries, it is the most commonly used of the nut butters, a group that also includes cashew butter and almond butter.
Planters Nut & Chocolate Company is an American snack food company now owned by Hormel Foods. Planters is best known for its processed nuts and for the Mr. Peanut icon that symbolizes them. Mr. Peanut was created by grade schooler Antonio Gentile for a 1916 contest to design the company's brand icon. The design was modified by a commercial artist and has continued to change over the years.
Boiled peanuts are popular in some places where peanuts are common. Fully mature peanuts do not make good quality boiled peanuts; rather, raw or green ones are used. Raw denotes peanuts in a semi-mature state, having achieved full size but not being fully dried, as would be needed for roasting or peanut butter use. Green denotes freshly harvested and undried peanuts that must be refrigerated. After boiling in salt water they take on a strong salty taste, becoming softer with prolonged cooking, and somewhat resembling a pea or bean, to which they are related because they are legumes and a nut only in the culinary sense.
Corn on the cob is a culinary term for a cooked ear of sweet corn (maize) eaten directly off the cob. The ear is picked while the endosperm is in the "milk stage" so that the kernels are still tender. Ears of corn are steamed, boiled, or grilled usually without their green husks, or roasted with them. The husk leaves are removed before serving.
Home roasting is the process of roasting coffee from green coffee beans on a small scale for personal consumption. Home roasting of coffee has been practiced for centuries, using simple methods such as roasting in cast-iron skillets over a wood fire and hand-turning small steel drums on a kitchen stovetop.
Amedeo Obici was an Italian-born American businessman and philanthropist who founded Planters.
Puffed grains are grains that have been expanded ("puffed") through processing. They have been made for centuries with the simplest methods like popping popcorn. Modern puffed grains are often created using high temperature, pressure, or extrusion.
Caramel corn or caramel popcorn is a confection made of popcorn coated with a sugar or molasses based caramel candy shell that is normally less than 1mm thick. Typically a sugar solution or syrup is made and heated until it browns and becomes thick, producing a caramelized candy syrup. This hot candy is then mixed with popped popcorn, and allowed to cool. Sometimes, a candy thermometer is used, as making caramel is time-consuming and requires skill to make well without burning the sugar. The process creates a sweet flavored, crunchy snack food or treat. After coating with the candy syrup, some varieties are baked in an oven to crisp the mixture. Mixes sometimes contain nuts, such as peanuts, pecans, almonds, or cashews.
The Marion County Historical Society is a non-profit organization founded in 1969 located in Marion, Ohio, United States. In 1989, the Society acquired Marion's "U.S. Post Office," renaming it "Heritage Hall". This National Register building now serves as the Society's headquarters and museum that houses a collection of artifacts, photographs, and documents related to the county's history.
Roasting coffee transforms the chemical and physical properties of green coffee beans into roasted coffee products. The roasting process is what produces the characteristic flavor of coffee by causing the green coffee beans to change in taste. Unroasted beans contain similar if not higher levels of acids, protein, sugars, and caffeine as those that have been roasted, but lack the taste of roasted coffee beans due to the Maillard and other chemical reactions that occur during roasting.
Ghanaian cuisine refers to the meals of the Ghanaian people. The main dishes of Ghana are centered around starchy staple foods, accompanied by either a sauce or soup as well as a source of protein. The primary ingredients for the vast majority of soups and stews are tomatoes, hot peppers, and onions. As a result of these main ingredients, most Ghanaian jollof rice, soups, and stews appear red or orange.
A popcorn maker is a machine used to pop popcorn. Since ancient times, popcorn has been a popular snack food, produced through the explosive expansion of kernels of heated corn (maize). Commercial large-scale popcorn machines were invented by Charles Cretors in the late 19th century. Many types of small-scale home methods for popping corn also exist.
Koh-Kae is a Thai brand of nut snacks manufacturing by Mae-Ruay Snack Food Factory Co., Ltd. and was first sold in 1976. In its early days, Koh-Kae only came in their original flavor, which is coconut cream coated peanuts, but they developed others flavor such as tom-yum and chicken flavor later on. By 2000, Mae-Ruay Snack Food Factory Co., Ltd. was awarded ISO 9001 certification by BVQI Institute, followed by the GMP and HACCP system certification by BVQI in 2002. In year 2019 Koh-Kae holds 50% of Thailand nut snacks market share.
The Weaver Popcorn Company, based in Van Buren, Indiana, is one of the largest popcorn companies in the United States.
A corn roaster is a large grill for cooking large batches of ears of corn at the same time. The term "corn roaster" can also refer to a person who roasts corn. Corn roaster machines have existed in the United States since at least 1900. Corn roasters are used by concession vendors at festivals, fairs, events, parties, and holidays, such as the Fourth of July in the United States. Roasted corn is a very popular festival food in the American South, Southwest, and Northwest. Corn roasters can also cook foods such as turkey legs, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. They may also be used by street food vendors. Street vendors may operate seasonally, per the seasonality of corn crops. Some organizations that operate corn roasters at events, such as fairs, donate their proceeds to charities.
Shearer's Foods, LLC is a U.S. manufacturer and distributor of snack foods. Founded in 1974 as Shearer's Snacks, it is headquartered in Brewster, Ohio.
Metal Ware Corporation is a company located in Two Rivers, Wisconsin and manufactures small kitchen appliances primarily marketing them under the NESCO and American Harvest brand names.