Snack & dessert makers

How to choose a snack maker

Snack makers are the fun side of kitchen appliances: popcorn for film night, nut-shaped cookies like grandma made, home-made yoghurt or a chocolate fountain for a birthday. Most cost around twenty euros, so the real question is whether you will actually use it.

• How often and how much. Weekly popcorn or yoghurt justifies a dedicated appliance; a chocolate fountain needed once a year is more of a party item. Look at the batch size: a nut-cookie maker bakes 24 halves, a yoghurt maker fills 7 jars of 0.2 l, a crêpe plate is 33 cm.
• Power and heat-up time. On appliances with a baking plate (nut cookies, crêpes, doughnuts, pizza) 1200–1600 W matters — the plate heats in 3–5 minutes and holds its temperature when the batter goes on. A yoghurt maker or chocolate fountain needs only 20–40 W to keep things warm.
• Coating and cleaning. Non-stick is a must on baking plates; check whether plates or jars are removable and dishwasher safe. On a popcorn maker the lid and bowl should come off for washing.
• Thermostat and indicator. A ready light shows when the plate is hot; an adjustable thermostat lets you cook crêpes cooler and pizza hotter.
• Space and storage. Most of these appliances sit in a cupboard for most of the year — check the dimensions first.

Snack makers in our range

Popcorn makers — Camry (1200 W), Camry CR 4480 and Adler AD 4479 — make a bowl of popcorn in a couple of minutes. Nut-cookie makers Adler AD 3039 and AD 3039b XL plus Mesko MS 3041 (1600 W) bake 24 nut-shaped halves at a time. Yoghurt makers Camry CR 4519 and Adler AD 4476 with seven glass jars make yoghurt overnight. Crêpe makers Caso CM 1300 (33 cm plate) and Tristar BP-2638 (1200 W) are built for thin pancakes. Also here: a doughnut maker Adler AD 3075 (1500 W), pizza maker Tristar PZ-2881 (1450 W), chocolate fountain Tristar CF-1603, fondue set Tristar FO-1108 on a bamboo base and an electric salad maker Philips Viva HR1388 with five inserts.

Brands

Adler is the biggest brand on this shelf: popcorn, nut cookies, yoghurt and doughnuts at a sensible price. Tristar covers party gear — chocolate fountain, fondue, pizza and crêpe makers. Camry offers affordable popcorn and yoghurt makers. Caso CM 1300 is the most serious crêpe maker in the range, with a large plate and 1300 W. The Mesko nut-cookie maker is the alternative to Adler; the Philips Viva salad maker is the only slicer here.

Use and care

Before first use, heat a baking plate empty for 5–10 minutes — that clears the smell of factory oil. Every appliance here is parcel-locker sized: Omniva, DPD or Venipak deliver in 1–2 working days.

Related products

For breakfast see waffle makers and sandwich makers, for the evening electric grills. A sparkling water maker goes with the drinks. The whole section is breakfast and snacks, with the wider range in kitchen appliances.

Frequently asked questions

Does a popcorn maker need oil? A hot-air model does not — the corn pops in hot air alone and the popcorn is fat-free. A heated-bowl model uses a spoonful of oil — the product page says which type it is.

How long does yoghurt take in a yoghurt maker? 8–12 hours at 40–45 °C. Put the jars in at night and the yoghurt is ready in the morning; it keeps in the fridge for up to a week.

What dough goes in a nut-cookie maker? Classic butter shortcrust; each half bakes in 3–4 minutes. A batch of 24 halves gives 12 filled nuts.

Does a chocolate fountain work with ordinary chocolate? It does if you add cocoa butter or a spoonful of neutral oil — otherwise the mass is too thick and does not flow evenly.

Does a crêpe maker replace a frying pan? For thin pancakes and crêpes, yes — the 33 cm plate browns evenly and the batter does not stick.