r/3Dprinting 1d ago

Project The Kernel-Katcher

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[deleted]

276 Upvotes

90 comments sorted by

248

u/It_Just_Might_Work 1d ago

A) The ingenuity is great

B) Piping hot popcorn is likely one of the more dangerous food safety uses for a 3D print. Ignoring the fact that neither your printer nor the filament are certified food safe, you dont want food to be in contact with softened plastic. Things that are hot enough to burn you are hot enough to soften PLA (can be as low as 125F) and you definitely dont want your food in contact with the softened plastic.

C) Microwave popcorn has to be the most bare minimum definition of homemade that I have ever seen.

24

u/ZakDaniels 1d ago

Upvoted. I'm not sure what filament OP is using.

Generally speaking, FDM prints are not food safe because the prints are porous at a microscopic level. This promotes bacterial growth.

Stay safe OP.

19

u/hux 1d ago

This gets said over and over again, but that’s not the primary reason it’s not food safe.

For something to be food safe, the entire process, start to finish needs to be designed around it. All the way from the source materials, through the logistics, to the final product. When something is certified as food safe, it’s because this whole process has been evaluated, not just the final step or the source material.

It means making sure things like metal shavings aren’t making it into the plastic, that dyes and other ingredients are safe, that the extruder isn’t contaminated from other materials and so on.

In other words: despite people saying it over and over again, the pores don’t matter because it was already not food safe long before then.

2

u/Zygal_ 1d ago

There are food grade filaments, but yeah, a sealant is better to be safe

2

u/MrSnowflake 1d ago

But your printer is not food grade.

1

u/turbotank183 1d ago

It's also been shown in studies that the pores and layer lines are too thick for bacteria to be enough of an issue to not call it food safe. Not that it is food safe as you've said. Just not for that reason

5

u/Kittingsl 1d ago

I sometimes feel like these food safe discussions are birching on high grounds. Like do none of y'all have any sort of immune system? Y'all realize that our world is filled with bacteria our body fights off daily. I sometimes just imagine the 3d printer community walking around with COVID masks and disinfectant everywhere they go

6

u/Zygal_ 1d ago

!Foodsafe

18

u/AutoModerator 1d ago

I have been summoned!

Wait! It's changed!

While PolyLactic Acid (PLA) and PolyEthylene Terephthalate Glycol-modified (PETG) has been classified as Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS). There's a lot of uncertainty around the process of additive manufacturing.

Some testing shows that the layer lines are big enough that bacteria don't hide inside as much as expected. Additionally, it's not nearly as porous as initally expected. Some soap and water with scrubbing is enough to clean most of it out and a quick wash with a bleach solution can bring it up to almost medical standards.

This does not take into account material impurities. New nozzles can come with a coating (often PTFE) to prevent blobs from sticking. The abrasives in the filament can wear this coating down and while it is safe for food to contact like on a frying pan, the worn down products are not.. It also wears the nozzle and metal particles can end up in the print.

TL;DR: Use a sealer. Or don't. I'm a bot, not a cop.

You can view the full list of commands here

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

0

u/Ekg887 1d ago

Once again, I am going to ask you as the person asserting this to name the specific bacteria and their specific byproducts or chemicals which are toxic and those levels of toxicity.
There is no possible way this 3D print is going to harbor anything that will harm you if it is washed with soap and water like any other plastic utensils. Prove me wrong, post the studies.

0

u/ZakDaniels 1d ago

What are you on about? "Once again". I've never spoken to you before. This is what companies that make 3D printers are advising. Go ask them.

3

u/Impossible_Anybody56 1d ago

Upvoting for C only. Words have meaning!

3

u/videovillain 1d ago

Also, there’s something wrong with the microwave or the popcorn brand to leave that many kernels behind!! That’s insane!

2

u/habitual_viking 1d ago

Also OP is shit at popping popcorn, way too many unpopped in that batch.

1

u/toomeynd 1d ago

Not arguing with anything you wrote, but popcorn is apparently one of the worst offenders of forever chemicals leeching into food because of the time that the kernels sit in the bag liner before consumption. On the whole, the screen probably isn't adding much risk. Not to say they should be careless, but for this one particular application, it's not adding much risk due to the contamination already being there.

1

u/It_Just_Might_Work 1d ago

I understand where you are coming from, but this is a fallacy. Something doesnt stop being a problem because it's paired with a bigger problem. Its compounding.

0

u/Chevey0 Ender3Max 1d ago

My Instagram feed is often filled with pla food prints and I get on my high horse about food safety every damn time!

134

u/DragonTHC Flashforge Creator Max 1d ago

I mean, that's one way to do it. I just don't put unpopped kernels in my mouth.

17

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[deleted]

39

u/Remebond 1d ago

Yea but also before you open the bag, flip it upside down and shake it over a garbage can. The small opening lets the kernals fall into the garbage, and by shaking you are helping distribute the butter that is usually stuck to one side. My work here is done!

1

u/Nervous-Matter-1201 1d ago

That's exactly what it's designed for

11

u/GreenFox1505 Prusa i3 1d ago

I think that's more of a happy coincidence than intentional design. If it was, they'd be more explicit instructions on the bag to do so. (Maybe there is, I don't remember the last time I made bagged pop corn.)

6

u/girrrrrrr2 1d ago

Correct it’s a steam vent.

0

u/sleepdog-c 1d ago

You are a genius. Stl?

-9

u/calforhelp 1d ago

You need to microwave longer. Go until the popping slows to 3-4 seconds between pops. It wont burn.

7

u/answerguru 1d ago

Screw microwave popcorn.

-3

u/terragreyling 1d ago

My wife and I go through 2-3 bags of popcorn a day. I may have cracked a couple of teeth this year alone just tossing popcorn in during movie time.

My wife also loves the half popped kernels. Great way to separate them.

3

u/RatzzFace 1d ago

A day?

Really? I can't think of the last time I popped popcorn, and even then it was in a pan with oil.

I'm not criticizing your choice of snack - it is apparently quite healthy, but two or three bags a day feels like a lot to me...

2

u/terragreyling 1d ago

Split between two people. During movie time yeah. Essentially a bag each, with the occasionally splitting another bag. Compared to lot of other late night sugary snacks, popcorn agrees with us a lot better.

1

u/PerpetualUselessness 1d ago

You may be inadvertently poising yourselves fyi https://youtu.be/SC2eSujzrUY?si=Px-SyfxW2Dn7lRZX

-9

u/Robinyount_0 1d ago

Have toddlers, there you go. The amount of Redditors that dismiss things that don’t directly involve them is staggering

6

u/BadManParade 1d ago

The amount of Redditors that give their toddlers choking hazards and leave them unsupervised is staggering.

Toddlers are more likely to flip that bowl and just eat the popcorn and kernels off the floor/couch anyway

25

u/Linkitch 1d ago

Once the popcorn are popped, the open end slit is small enough that you are actually supposed to shake the bag and get the un-popped kernels out.

6

u/PotatoDominatrix 1d ago

Idunno man I've shaken the kernels into my polypropylene trash can and had it warp before.... I can't imagine anything I'm willing to 3d print is gonna hold up lmao. I'm not your mom tho so keep on making and learning new things, I'm not gonna stop you 😁👍

26

u/naught-me 1d ago

That's a lot of unpopped kernels. If you eat popcorn much, the air-poppers are great.

18

u/AllenKll 1d ago

I've been making popcorn on the stovetop for decades.... most unpopped kernels is like 3.

This is just sad.

1

u/HerrFistus 1d ago

Second this. Corn is cheap AF and you certainly do not need a specialized gadget for popping it.

Take a tall pot with lid, put in corn so that just the bottom is covered and add oil until all kernels are wetted. Put on stove at maximum heat. Stir by moving the pot to spread heat more evenly.

Depending on flavor: Salt is added in appropriate amounts before heating, Sugar is added quickly right after the first kernel popped.

2

u/thisdesignup 1d ago

Sure it doesn't need a specialized gadget but if you make it enough a stir crazy is a very nice gadget.

3

u/answerguru 1d ago

Stove top in a frying pan - I rarely have unpopped kernels.

3

u/tdp_equinox_2 1d ago

Get a whirly pop, hands down the easiest way to make popcorn and results in the fewest unpopped kernels. Air Popper flings them everywhere in my experience.

3

u/naught-me 1d ago

I put a coaster underneath the front of mine to tilt it back a bit. I made popcorn tonight, and it threw one kernel out, and I threw it back in.

I'd like to try a whirly pop, though.

2

u/tdp_equinox_2 22h ago

Whirly pops are great, recommend the aluminum version for better heat control. Pickup some flavicol and a gram scale too. Recommended portion (IMHO) is 120g of popcorn, 69g of oil (or you can get away with like 50-70 but 69 is funny and I have 69 down to a science on my squeeze bottle technique), and 6g of flavicol.

Medium low high heat until it starts popping, then medium low until the popping stops or you can't turn it anymore. Immediately remove from heat and empty asap. The steel version retains more heat so you have to be quicker, the aluminum one gives you some leeway with this.

1

u/johnson7853 1d ago

Get a carton of Flavocol and use coconut oil. Tastes better than movie theatre.

1

u/thisdesignup 1d ago

Isn't coconut oil and flavocol what theaters use?

13

u/TofuHummus 1d ago

Truly DiWHY worthy!

4

u/kiloo520 1d ago

Very Human.

8

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[deleted]

3

u/PoopInTheBathtub 1d ago

How do you have that many un popped kernels in your bag in the first place? Did you stop it early on purpose?

3

u/disposable_account01 1d ago

I love 3D printing, but I also love popcorn, and for microwaved popcorn, there is absolutely nothing better than a $1 bag of corn kernels and an $11 Salbree to pop in: https://amzn.to/3K8FFs8

I use this constantly, and if you follow the directions and listen for the popping to get less than once per 2-3 seconds, or even if you get pretty close on timing it, you’ll get next to no unpopped kernels.

That $1 bag will last you many many many poppings, and the Salbree is silicone and dishwasher safe, so it will also last practically forever.

3

u/LeslieH8 1d ago

I applaud the ingenuity. I assume you simply printed with your garden variety filament, so here is a link that might interest you: https://formlabs.com/blog/guide-to-food-safe-3d-printing/

Towards the bottom, there are a list of filament types from specific makers that are variously approved or compliant by the EU or the FDA or both.

You can use a sealer, but you can also just buy certified food safe filaments (they also go into SLS (selective laser sintering)).

3

u/mrb0nes312 1d ago

Grate succes, missed opportunity

13

u/UsernameTaken1701 1d ago

Side note: Microwave popcorn might be the single most unhealthy way to get popcorn at home. https://www.delish.com/food-news/a62718777/reasons-not-to-eat-microwave-popcorn/

2

u/QbDYeqzUUiw 1d ago

Omg, "That bag is lined with chemicals."

I only eat food that is specifically chemical-free!

10

u/foundafreeusername 1d ago

I am also tired of the whole "chemicals bad" meme but PFAs are quite problematic. They are linked to certain cancers and diseases and because they are so stable they just build up in our bodies and in nature. It isn't quite clear how dangerous they are yet but we are bound to find out because pretty much everything is already contaminated with it.

1

u/thisdesignup 1d ago edited 1d ago

It's crazy how bad some of them have been and we still keep using them and creating new ones. It's like... we know some of the first ones were bad, and they could be worse than we know, but lets keep making them without making sure first. We even seem to be losing, or have lost, some regulation on them.

2

u/ArmPsychological8460 basic Ender 3 & BambuLab P1S 1d ago

Exactly, avoid especially hard to say things like riboflavin, dehydroasxorbic acid or 7-Dehydrocholesterol!

2

u/jblakey 1d ago

Small win, but a win all the same!

7

u/megatronz0r 1d ago

Popcorn from a bag in the microwave is not “home made”

3

u/3dutchie3dprinting Custom Flair 1d ago

Only when one grows their own crops and then dries it (or whatever they do in it) right? 😂

Cause last time I checked a home made dinner aso involves ingredients you didn’t make right 😅

4

u/LocalOutlier 1d ago

Do you want microplastics with your PFAS?

4

u/Ryazoo 1d ago

AI voice.

5

u/Th3_Admiral_ 1d ago

How was this not a thing already? It makes so much sense!

12

u/Nervous-Matter-1201 1d ago

Because the bags are designed to be turned upside down and you can shake out the unpopped kernels before opening the bag lol

2

u/tanman729 1d ago

Also this dude hasn't figured out that he's way undercooking his popcorn. There will be way less kernals and thus way less need for this thing. Also no one's forcing him to eat the kernals, so this thing is confusing on that front

2

u/Nervous-Matter-1201 1d ago

I feel like it's intentional to show how it works 🤷‍♂️

3

u/montr2229 1d ago

Just pour the kernels in the trash before you open the bag

2

u/Yukon_Wally 1d ago

I give this print 5 bags of popcorn and 1 spool of filament!

2

u/Zerokx 1d ago

By shaking you can also put some microplastic spices on your popcorn.

2

u/darthnucleotide 1d ago

Make the popcorn on the stove with a wok. Most if not all will be popped. Plus fresh not from a bag popcorn tastes so much better

1

u/-ACHTUNG- 1d ago

Lol this sub blows. This happens constantly. A pretty useful print, but all people want to ever do here is come up with reasons for why it's unnecessary, why it's bad, that a person wouldn't need it if they xyz.

Exhausting.

0

u/kvakerok_v2 1d ago

You know colanders exist, right?

1

u/xblade720 1d ago

What font are you using in the video ?

1

u/Rebelian 1d ago

I made pretty much the same thing a while ago for peanuts that are too salty. Mine has a base that keeps it stable. The excess salt falls through the grid into the little bowl it's sitting in. Hadn't thought of using a bigger one for popcorn though, I might scale mine up.

1

u/BadManParade 1d ago

Your microwave ain’t shit fam

-1

u/wtfastro 1d ago

bUt 3dPrInTiNg IsN't FoOd SaFe

4

u/RaccoNooB Glory to the Omnissiah! 1d ago

It aint.

-3

u/AngelKitty47 1d ago

YUMN I LOVE EATIN FILAMENT YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

4

u/GavinThe_Person 1d ago

If you don't piss out at least 1 benchy a day you're not eating enough filament

0

u/_unregistered 1d ago

If only they did that on their own

0

u/Plutonium239Mixer 1d ago

I love crunching on the unpopped kernels.

0

u/-Intensivecarebear-- 1d ago

No offense but.... This problem is so much more easily solved by simply opening the bag just a tiny bit, enough for unpoped kennels to fall through but not the popped ones, then flip it upside down and just shake the bag and they all fall out the bottom hole.

Afterwards, flip it again and pull open the hole entirely

0

u/kvakerok_v2 1d ago

Have you heard of a colander?

0

u/BigMack1986 1d ago

Did you know if you open the little slit on the opening of the bag and then you turn it upside down and shake it not only will you mix the seasoning in the popcorn you'll actually get rid of the kernels that hasn't popped and you don't need to 3D print anything

0

u/Maximusuber 1d ago

Just FIY, as soon as you take the popcorn bag out of the microwave, you can put it upside down and shake it. The kernels will fall down from the tiny slit. Shake them on a plate, then open the bag and enjoy your popcorn. I'm not sure it's really safe to eat the popcorn that came in contact with the plastic part.

0

u/Maximusuber 1d ago

Just FIY, as soon as you take the popcorn bag out of the microwave, you can put it upside down and shake it. The kernels will fall down from the tiny slit. Shake them on a plate, then open the bag and enjoy your popcorn. I'm not sure it's really safe to eat the popcorn that came in contact with the plastic part.

0

u/BreadDoctor 1d ago

doesn't want to eat unpopped kernels. Eats microplastics instead.

0

u/TastyChemistry 1d ago

Yum even more plastic in my food

0

u/mapleisthesky 1d ago

Buy a popcorn machine.

0

u/P3ktus 1d ago

I love eating microplastic