Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uwm.edu!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!turing.cs.rpi.edu!mcintyre
From: mcintyre@turing.cs.rpi.edu (David McIntyre)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: Popcorn for Peanuts
Message-ID: <1989Oct26.153749.4182@rpi.edu>
Date: 26 Oct 89 15:37:49 GMT
Reply-To: mcintyre@turing.cs.rpi.edu (David McIntyre)
Organization: Rensselaer Instipoly Technitute
Lines: 35

In article <2032@miramon.loglule.se>  (Erik Karlsson) writes:
>In article <629@cditi.UUCP> Josh Muskovitz) writes:
>>In article <63@pldote.intel.com> (Richard Vireday) writes:
>>:	"Due to our concern for the environment, you will notice we have
>>:replaced our former packing material (styrofoam peanuts) with a more
>>:biodegradeable material (popcorn!). ...
>>
>>I talked with my local packaging expert (not really, but he does use a LOT of
>>styro...), and we figured that going to the store, buying bulk popcorn, and
>>popping it with an air popper would still be cheaper (even considering the
>>amount of power to pop it) than buying styrofoam peanuts.
>>
>	All this seems very good, but the cooking oil? Doesn't one need
>	that using an "air popper"? If one does, doesn't the equippment
>	to be shipped get destroied by the oil?

I thought Erik was crazy, until I saw that he was writing from Sweden.
I hadn't thought that hot air poppers weren't available everywhere.

For those of you that don't know, hot air poppers are a lot like an
electric hair-dryer (the hot air blower type) turned upwards.  You
put the kernals into the barrel, and turn on the power.  The kernals
are spun around at high speed, while the hot air blows through.

As the popcorn gets hot enough and pops, the same air current blows
the popcorn out of the barrel, and up the chute into the bowl.

So, no oil is used, just popcorn.  Air-popped popcorn is very light
and dry.


Dave "mr question" McIntyre     |      "....say you're thinking about a plate
mcintyre@turing.cs.rpi.edu      |       of shrimp.....and someone says to 
office : 518-276-8633		|	you `plate,' or `shrimp'......"
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