Jacob Bromwell Pops Up A New Year

One of my favorite gifts this year is destined to be one of my most used old school gadgets next year. Never mind that the design is almost 200 years old. It works just as intended and as cool as they come.

The original popcorn popper was designed to pop popcorn over an open campfire or on a stovetop. You don't need a microwave, electricity, or anything pre-made or pre-mixed. And the taste is considerably different, capturing old school movie popcorn taste without buying an entire cart. 

The Original Popcorn Popper by Jacob Bromwell. 

If you ever wondered how Jiffy Pop came up with its self-contained stovetop popping pan in 1959, Jacob Bromwell knows the answer. The nostalgic pre-mixed popcorn idea was inspired by the original popcorn popper design, a stainless steel pan with a near perfect ratio for ventilation. 

These poppers go further back, predating the carts that made popcorn popular at fairs in the 1890s. Although popcorn had been a food and decoration staple for centuries for the Aztecs, it took a campfire design to help the discovery spread throughout the Western world. Prior, ancient cultures popped over heated sand. 

The invention of a ventilated pan made it possible to pop it anywhere, even if the art of it didn't truly take off until the Great Depression when popcorn became one of the few luxuries anyone could afford and then again with the advent of movie theaters. In fact, just prior to microwave popcorn, it was Jiffy that tried to stave off a popcorn slump caused by the introduction of television.

Shortly after, people popped popcorn using special hot air machines and then microwaves to avoid the mess made trying to make it in a pot on the stove. What many of them of missed was this old school specialized pan. Just like the video shows, Bromwell poppers pop almost every kernel. 

The specialty popcorn popper is made of quality stainless steel. The handle is wooden, negating the need for an oven mitt. And, interestingly enough, these poppers are made in the United States.

The package comes with recipe book to make 3.5 quarts of popped popcorn. For an additional price, Bromwell will include popcorn kernels with the popper (perfect if it is a gift). 

A couple more graphs about Jacob Bomwell. 

Bromwell is the oldest kitchenware manufacturer and retailer in the United States, established in 1819 by frontier entrepreneur Jacob Bromwell. At the time, Ohio was considered part of the expanding west and Bromwell knew he could sell direct to pioneers and settlers as they set out stake their claims.

While the Cincinnati-based company was originally founded out of necessity back when there were only 22 states in the union, the company has thrived and survived in preserving American tradition. Not only is it one of the very few family owned and operated companies to have survived almost 200 years (34th continuously owned and operated company in the United States), it has never changed its manufacturing models. All products are made with authentic materials on authentic machinery.

Many, if not all of them, are still made with tin, stainless steel, aluminum, and copper just like those that were offered to American frontiersman and women. Even during the Great Depression, this company found a way to remain loyal to its employees by operating just three days a week rather than giving in to the pressures of a depressed economy. Now that's a ruggedly cool company.

The Original Popcorn Popper By Jacob Bromwell Pops 8.2 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

Some people like to say that they don't make things like they used to, but they do. It just takes a little more time to find those increasingly rare companies that do. The Original Popcorn Popper is a perfect example from a company that still makes kitchenware the way it ought to be made.

You can find America’s Oldest Cookware by visiting Jacob Bromwell direct. Sometimes you can find Jacob Bromwell products on Amazon too. While the kitchenware tends to be slightly higher, the Made In The USA commitment and lifetime durability makes it worthwhile! Happy New Year.