A Guide to Gold Medal Products

Gold Medal may have started as an ink company in the early 1900s, but it has long been famous for providing delicious concessions like popcorn, cotton candy, and snow cones. The company now offers more than a dozen different types of concession foods and produces everything required for making and serving them, from equipment and carts to flavoring and packaging supplies.

Gold Medal Popcorn

Gold Medal popcorn machines are designed with twin arm kettle suspension systems that prevent oil from accidentally spilling and give each cabinet more working room, making the machines safe and easy for operators to use. Many small- and medium-sized models come with an EZ Kleen Kettle, which is built with a stainless steel cooking surface for simple cleaning, and a unified kettle and heating element – called Uni-Maxx – that lowers the unit's energy use.

Gold Medal manufactures more than 200 distinct popcorn machines, which can seem overwhelming if you aren't sure what to select. Fortunately, you can narrow your selection by considering two important factors: how much popcorn do you need to produce, and how much available space can you commit to the unit?

Gold Medal popcorn machines are categorized into three main sizes: small, medium, and large. Small popcorn machines have 4-, 6-, or 8-ounce capacities and can produce 60, 90, or 120 single-ounce servings per hour. Medium popcorn machines have 12-, 14-, or 16-ounce capacities and can produce between 210 and 240 single-ounce servings hourly. Large popcorn machines are intended for high-volume applications and come with single poppers in capacities ranging from 20 to 52 ounces or with twin poppers in capacities as large as 48 ounces each.

Once you've decided how much popcorn you need to produce, knowing your popcorn machine's width can help your final decision. Small popcorn machines can be as narrow as 14 inches and as wide as 28 inches; medium popcorn machines have widths ranging from 20 inches to 36 inches. The largest popcorn machines are wider than 70 inches. Because these machines can be designed with glass and stainless steel, or accented with bright colors and ornate gold designs, it's important to consider what style of popcorn machine best fits your establishment's theme and décor.

Gold Medal also manufactures machines specifically for kettle corn and caramel corn. They also provide the corn, oil, butter, mixes, seasonings, glazes, flavorings, bags, tubs, and boxes needed to make regular or gourmet popcorn for serving to hungry customers.

Gold Medal Cotton Candy

Although Gold Medal did not invent cotton candy – or fairy floss, as it is also known – the company is a leading supplier of the sugary treat, with an estimated 90 percent of all cotton candy produced in the United States today made in one of its machines. The basic function of each cotton candy machine is the same: sugar is liquefied by heat and then spun with air to create the final product. However, Gold Medal cotton candy machines are designed to suit the needs of various cotton candy makers, from beginners to experts.

Entry-level Gold Medal cotton candy machines, such as the Econo Floss and Floss Boss, are less expensive and complicated than their more deluxe counterparts. This suits them for anyone offering cotton candy who wants a lower upfront investment or wants to get the hang of it before investing in a more complicated machine. Advanced models, such as the Auto Breeze and Deluxe Whirlwind, include features that help the machine handle high-volume output, including automatic voltage and heat adjustment, cool-down cycles, and heavy-duty, oversized motor components.

Several models are available with a whirl grip floss stabilizer, which is a plastic screen that ensures efficient airflow and fluffier product, and a Lock-N-Go handle, for easier transport. Designed to keep your cotton candy free from dirt and debris, and to keep it from floating away on the breeze, floss bubbles are protective tops that fit onto the floss pan.

For best results, Gold Medal recommends using its ready-to-use Flossugar, but also offers Flossine, which is colored flavoring that can be mixed with your own sugar. If you're making your own cotton candy mix, use sugar that doesn't contain cornstarch, dextrose, or corn syrup, as these ingredients could damage the machine or result in low-quality product. If you'd like to offer cotton candy but don't want to make your own, Gold Medal Candee Floss is cotton candy that has been premade and prepackaged for retail.

Gold Medal Snow Cones & Shaved Ice

Snow cones surged in popularity in the early- to mid-1900s, and Gold Medal released its first snow cone machine in 1948. Today, the company offers machines that make two types of ice: traditional snow cone ice that kids love to crunch, and shaved ice with fluffier consistency that's often compared to real snow.

Sno-Kone machines, which make traditional snow cone ice, are available with different designs and features, but their production capacity usually is between 300 and 500 pounds of ice per hour. Once you decide how much ice you'll need to serve hourly, you can look at which features you want your machine to have. Most machines have a square design with or without a motor cover, tempered glass or acrylic windows, an attached cup dispenser, a two- or three-blade shaver head, and aluminum or stainless steel construction. Battery-operated versions of some machines also are available for operators who want a fully mobile unit or who don't have access to a source of electricity.

Hawaii's Finest shave ice machines produce finer, fluffier ice that's used in shaved ice (shave ice for the purists) products aimed at adults. The largest of these machines is designed to shave blocks of ice, but most are smaller units that work with ice cubes. These come in 4- and 8-pound hopper versions and in a single-serve version that is capable of shaving 300 pounds of ice per hour.

In addition to their different ice types, Sno-Kones and shaved ice are distinguished by their commonly associated flavors. Sno-Kones, viewed more as a treat for children, are often paired with simple flavors like grape or cherry, while shaved ice is offered with adult flavors reminiscent of piña coladas and margaritas. Gold Medal provides all these flavors as ready-to-use syrups and in concentrates that enable you to mix your own syrup.

Gold Medal Hot Dogs & Corn Dogs

Hot dogs have remained a popular food in America for generations and often can be found at sporting events and street fairs. Gold Medal hot dog grills are available in four styles; the style that works best for your foodservice operation depends on whether you want to serve grilled or steamed hot dogs.

Roller grills and reciprocating grills both roll hot dogs to prevent burning and ensure thorough heating. A roller grill does this with a roller system that moves under the hot dogs, while a reciprocating grill has a "fence" that contains the dogs, moving them up and down the cooking surface. For steamed hot dogs, a rotisserie cooker provides an attractive display to entice passersby, and steamers are available in models with or without a glass front. However, if you need a high-volume cooker, steamers without a glass front can accommodate 180 hot dogs. Rotisseries have the capacity for as many as 84 hot dogs, and while some roller grills and reciprocating grills can cook 60 hot dogs at a time, they usually have capacity for fewer than 50 simultaneous hot dogs.

Sneeze guards for your roller grill or reciprocating grill keep exposed cooking areas sanitary. Because sneeze guards usually are sold separately from hot dog cookers, you should verify there is one compatible with your cooker. Grills, rotisseries, and steamers also can include a bun warmer built in or sold separately; these can be heated independently or use the heat generated by the machine to keep buns warm.

Gold Medal corn dog equipment and supplies also are available. Countertop corn dog fryers can cook as many as 12 corn dogs at a time and have oil capacities ranging from 30 to 50 pounds. The company offers the supplies needed to make corn dogs, including mix, frying oil, skewers, and complete "hot dog on a stick" kits.

Gold Medal Nachos

In order to serve perfect nachos to every customer, you must invest in supplies for your chips and cheese sauce, as well as dispensers for other toppings such as jalapeños, chili, and salsa. Gold Medal nacho equipment comes in myriad styles to suit your foodservice operation's setup. Some merchandisers only warm chips but may have a cheese warmer attached to the top. Others are designed with multiple shelves that enable pre-portioned servings so they're ready to serve when customers order them. Dipping-style cheese warmers – for use with the company's canned cheeses – as well as warmers for bagged cheese and Gold Medal Portion Paks are available. Jugs of salsa, bags of chili, jars of peppers, and disposable trays will complete your nacho service.

Gold Medal Funnel Cakes

Funnel cakes have become a staple at festivals and fairs because they're easy to make, fun to eat, and can be customized with numerous toppings such as fruit, chocolate, and powdered sugar. Gold Medal funnel cake fryers come in gas and electric versions, providing more flexibility in your setup, and spare power heads are available to ensure you're never without a functioning fryer. These fryers range in size from 17 to 38 inches wide and can fry a maximum of eight 8-inch cakes at once. To craft perfectly shaped funnel cakes each time, you'll want to pick up a round mold ring, although rectangular molds also are available for making funnel fingers.

Batter dispenser also are handy, although the type you need depends on your production volume. The EZ Flo batter pump has a 4-foot tube and 5-gallon capacity so you can meet high-volume production, but vendors who want to keep equipment costs down or who have lower product demand will be satisfied with a dispensing pitcher.

Gold Medal Waffle Makers

Gold Medal waffle bakers enable you to make various waffle products, such as traditional and mini Belgian-style waffles or delicate rosecake waffles (sometimes called sugar waffles or rosettes), as well as waffle cones, dishes, and boats for serving ice cream and other desserts. The company provides the mixes needed to make these popular products, with a selection that includes Belgian and French waffle mix and vanilla waffle cone mix. To display and serve your waffle cones, Gold Medal supplies countertop cone cases and cone jackets.

Gold Medal Pretzels

Whether enjoyed plain or with salt and a flavored dip, pretzels are a popular snack for customers of all ages. Gold Medal pretzel displays and merchandisers use electricity or Sterno heat to keep your pretzels warm, often including attractive graphics or rotating pretzel racks to entice potential buyers. These countertop units come in sizes ranging from 16 to 23 inches wide with holding capacities for as many as 75 jumbo pretzels.

Gold Medal Coffee

Gold Medal makes it easy for you to offer coffee in the mornings or hot chocolate on cold nights. The company offers bags of coffee grounds, as well as airpot coffee brewers and decanters, so servers can distinguish between caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee with brown or orange lids. Compact cappuccino machines are easy to use with the company's regular, mocha, or vanilla cappuccino mix. Hot chocolate mix, racks for airpots, and disposable cups and lids also are available.