What makes Ike & Sam’s the best choice for Kettlecorn?

Taste! It’s food, what else do you want? Technically, you could use our corn as protection to make sure things don’t break during shipping, but why waste it? (That’s what the other brands are for). Our kernels are hidden gems that pop up large and delicious!

Is Ike & Sam’s All Natural?

Yes, we’re big believers in using REAL quality ingredients. We want to keep you around for a long time- without you there is no Ike & Sam’s.
Disclaimer: Although we sound like homeopathic doctors, we are not qualified to give you all your health advice. You may need to discuss other eating options with a qualified physician.

What are the odds that your products are Gluten free?

I’d say a little over 100%. We make sure all our products are Gluten free, so if someone says it’s not, take the bet.

I’m allergic to nuts - do you have any in the facility?

The only nuts we have in our facility are Ike & Sam. However, we do manufacture other items in the building but keep the rooms separate to prevent any cross contamination. And yes, that does include peanuts. There are 2 allergens that we use in the production room: 1) milk, so please look at our allergen statement on the nutritional panel if you are allergic. 2) We also use soy lecithin and/or soy oil which are both considered to have little or no consequence with respect to allergies because they include very little protein. We do label soy as an allergen because in rare instances people do have reactions to them.

In addition to keeping the place allergen friendly, we also wash. Yes, we wash the entire line between flavors. This helps us feel more confident in our statement.

Are your products kosher?

Yup, we are certified by and on most of our flavors we have as well. What does this mean to you? That besides the normal surprise inspections we already get, we decided to challenge ourselves and sign up for some more. Yay!

Is your corn NON-GMO?

Yes, the popcorn we purchase is non-GMO. We looked into purchasing genetically modified corn but the chemicals and guys in protective suits scared Sam.

Why do you use only pure corn oil?

We try to deliver the corniest experience. How do we make it more corny?? Soybean oil?? Hmmm, that doesn’t seem right….

Is all corn created equal?

Good question. Is an apple an apple? Some corn is better than other just like some apples are better than others. It all depends on the type of soil it grows in, altitude, weather and the farmers’ dedication. We sample all corn before it’s delivered in order to make sure it meets Ike & Sam’s really tough quality standards.

What happens to the corn you reject?

That’s easy, it gets rerouted to competitor factories. That’s why you can taste the difference.

Will your kettlecorn stick in my teeth like the others do?

It shouldn’t. Our corn is a variety that is supposedly (farmer talking, not me) grown so well that it will not get stuck in your teeth. We are so confident that it’s true that if it does get stuck, Ike will pick it out.

I am a fan and having withdrawal because I cannot find your product anywhere, what should I do?

Stay calm, we are working on Ike & Sam’s anonymous. In the meantime you should contact us and make sure you enter your city, state and zip code and we’ll find a solution for you.

Why does your 866# go straight to voicemail?

Thankfully our phones keep ringing! We really appreciate all the calls and inquires. We hope you understand that if we had enough phone lines and hired enough customer service reps to handle all the calls, we would have to charge a lot more for the bags. To keep costs down and in turn, keep our prices down, we hope you can help us by using email, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. If you feel a need to call in or do not have an email account please leave a message and we will return your call in a timely manner.

I’m a retailer and want to carry your products, what should I do?

We really appreciate your interest and will work with you to make sure your customers are happy. Please click here to email us and we’ll have a high pressure salesman call you daily. We’re kidding. We’ll have a corny team member contact you.

I’m interested in distributing your products, what do I do?

We like the way you think, click here send us an email and hopefully we’ll get something going.

Why would your Kettlecorn be handmade? Wouldn’t it be easier to make it like everyone else?

Ever hear the expression, it’s easier to do something right than to explain why you didn’t? Could you imagine how much longer this FAQ page would need to be? Asking why we hand pop is like asking a fancy restaurant why they hire a chef instead of using instant potatoes, canned soup, or frozen TV dinners. Yes it would be much cheaper, possibly even more uniform, but it lacks the authentic quality and taste that you are looking for. Why just be, when you can just be better? We are dedicated food artists who produce high quality masterpieces. If you know any fine art collectors you should give them Ike & Sam’s for all occasions.

Would you mind if we tour your factory?

We wouldn’t mind at all. We know that after seeing our process you would see why other kettle corns are a waste of time. So why don’t we offer factory tours? Keeping a sterile environment is what we would consider the main reason, but when you ask our insurance, health department and kosher inspectors they see many other reasons. The choices we were given were either we can produce and not let visitors in, or we can give tours and not produce. We are still trying to figure out what the better option is. Would you want to come tour a kettlecorn factory that isn’t popping?

Is it possible to like someone else’s kettlecorn better?

Would you refuse a check for one million dollars? Nobody would say no, right? Or would they? Dr Grigori Perelman, a Russian genius, refused to accept a $1 million mathematics prize, so I guess anything is possible.

How do I get coupons?

Get a printer! We issue specials from time to time to everyone on our mailing list. We also give you a sneak peak on what is new at Ike & Sam’s! If only we could sit by our computer and watch new flavors appear….

We would love to try your other flavors, can we get some free samples?

Yes you could. The Ike & Sam’s team, which is lead by the Kernel, is making its round to offer taste tests in supermarkets. Sadly we are not able to give exact dates or even exact months at this time. We do hope you run into them at your local retailer or event. We do get the occasional can you mail it to me, as of now we are not set up to do that.

We see the whole grain symbol on bags from other companies, why don’t you put it on yours?

I’m amazed you even caught that. All popcorn is whole grain so we didn’t feel it was necessary to print it since we felt it was too obvious. When we see that on other bags we question why they don’t also put a symbol saying that watering their corn helps it grow, or we use heat to pop the corn symbol?

I am trying to make a purchase online but it says some flavors are backordered or out of stock, why is that?

Did you read the first question? Just Kidding. We use a different facility to ship online orders. We use our sales history as a guide to know how much product to ship there. Sometimes we under estimate how much to send and we run into these issues. Why don’t we just send more? We want it to be as fresh as possible for you.

I made an order online and now I have a question / issue, what do I do?

Whether you’re looking to track an order, update and order, credit card questions, troubleshooting or your box was delivered empty because the delivery guy ate it, you would need to contact the online store department. Since online orders are handled separately, our office has no record of it. All online contact us options, whether by email or phone would just refer you to the link above.

If I made an online order right now how long would it take for us to receive it?

Already forgot the process? It really depends, but you would need to email for a more accurate answer.

Do online orders ship out the same day?

That was a trick question…

It must feel great to make the best kettlecorn in the world, did it get to your head?

Yes.