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wrote:

Hello People:

I bought an "old school" Presto PopCornNow hot air popper from a thrift
shop last weekend, and I noted that the unit doesn't heat up enough to
pop the kernels.

The motor works fine, but I pulled the unit apart to check the
thermostat, which checked out okay (no resistance). The heating
element glows orange when the popper is plugged in so I know that it's
getting current. However, I believe that it isn't getting hot enough,
so I would like to confirm my choice of bypassing the thermostat to
generate more heat in the element.

If doing this would create a fire hazard, then it's not worth it. (I
can always spring for the $25.00 bucks to get a new popper.) On the
other hand, I know that coffee aficionados do this sort of thing with
hot air poppers all the time to tweak them for roasting coffee beans.
Will it work for popcorn kernels, or just burn them before they pop out
of the popper?

Thanks for your feedback,

Hi Bruce...

Please do yourself and your family a favor, and
don't even think about bypassing or even tampering
with the thermostat!

If the element is glowing it's working fine... are you
sure you're not just a little too anxious for the popcorn?
(it's not instant popping, you must wait a bit)

Take care - safety first.

Ken