If you check out some of the barber supply websites you'll see the commercial machines listed. Usually somewhere north of $150. Those systems come with their own cream blends ( which I hear can be lathered with a brush ... I'm going to order a bottle one day ) and their own cleaning solutions. If I ever hit the jackpot I'll buy one.
Are you sure that it - like this - took a can?? I can't imagine a barber using canned lather! I don't know how long ago you meant, but when I was a lot younger I was a barber, and trained to use a straight razor for a shave. What we used to make hot lather was a machine that actually whipped up the lather and dispensed it into the palm of the barber's hand. (Brush and bowl were prohibited by the health dept). It was a black machine, made by Oster, I think, and was a great machine, unlike the Campbell that modern barbers use...
I got a Conair hot lather machine for Christmas when it first came out. It was fun to use at first, but I noticed that the hot lather lasted for maybe 10 - 15 seconds after I applied it. Plus, it takes a considerable time to heat up. I've since gotten rid of it...between the hot water and hot prep I didn't see any benefit with the machine. I'm not knocking it because it can be fun to use, but the "hotness" is kind of short-lived.
