Matinee Popcorn Machine - 8oz Popper with Stainless-Steel Kettle, Reject Kernel Tray, Warming Light, and Accessories by Great Northern Popcorn (Black)

I have been using this machine almost daily for three years. My goal has been to achieve the quintessential movie theater popcorn taste. This machine is brilliant. It does exactly what it should and I have never had any trouble with it. There are a few tricks to get the right result, which I describe below. I am so hooked on real genuine movie theater butter popcorn, I couldn't live without this machine. If you follow these directions, you will have it.You will need kernels, coconut oil, and Flavacol seasoning. I have found that white kernels are the best. There doesn't seem to be any difference in the taste, but the yellow comes out more chewy and tough. The white pops more light and tender. The coconut oil can be white or yellow. Every brand and color I have tried tastes the same. If you use non-coconut oil, your popcorn will taste okay but not the same as the theater. Flavacol is key. You can get close without it, but your popcorn will always be a little off. If you add the right amount of Flavacol to the batch, you will not need salt at all. I get all these ingredients from Amazon.The machine seems to have a brief break-in period. Out of the box, the kettle heated too hot and always smoked and scorched a little. After about two weeks of frequent use, the kettle temperature stopped being quite so hot, but operates at the perfect temperature. I didn't change anything.1. Turn on all three switches and add 1/3 cup oil and just three kernels of corn to the kettle. Wait for the kettle to heat up (takes one to two minutes).2. While waiting for the kettle to heat, measure out one cup of kernels. Add one teaspoon of Flavacol directly to the cup of kernels.3. When the kernels in the kettle start to pop, immediately add the cup of kernels with the Flavacol to the kettle and close the lid and the glass door.4. When the popping reaches its peak and you notice it slowing down, turn off the kettle heat switch, but leave the other two on. Let it continue to pop.5. When the popping slows to less than one pop per second, dump the kettle out. While it's turned upside down, give the stirrer a spin with your fingers to knock out any stuck pieces of corn. Return the kettle to upright and turn off the stirrer switch.That's it, it's ready to eat. Keep the heat lamp on to keep the popcorn warm until you empty it out.- For more salty popcorn, use a slightly heaping teaspoon of Flavacol in step 2.- For a smaller batch, the procedure is exactly the same, but use exactly half the ingredient portions I listed above.I host a lot of guests in my home theater and the popcorn I make is famous among my friends. I absolutely love this machine. If I ever had a problem with it, I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one.

Bought peak Covid, almost 5 years old.Works great! the Great Northern Popcorn bought then is still good.Very easy, turn it on......... then [the difficult part for me] cut away the oil and salt and kernelsturn on the heat! wait a bit, add the oil , wait a bit add the salt, then wait for the steam [and a bit of smoke]dump the kernels and waitBOOM great popcorn for all

The Great Northern Movie Theater 8-ounce Popcorn Machine I recently purchased, was a fantastic buy. As a popcorn enthusiast, the machine itself is nostalgic looking with its deep red top and gold embellishments. It arrived perfectly and the directions provided were easy to follow and set up was completed in less than 20 minutes. Included in the price, was a popcorn scoop, bags, measuring cup and light bulb. The measuring cup is not something I needed due to my additional purchase of the Great Northern pre-portioned 8-ounce bags of salt/butter/popcorn. These ready to use packets take the guess work out of measuring and deliver perfectly seasoned snack. The large capacity stainless-steel drum turned and baked the kernels evenly. This ensured that the popcorn popped up fresh, buttery and salty. With previous popcorn machines, such as an air popper, I was always left with many kernels that were not popped and occasionally burnt. The Great Northern Movie Theater Popcorn Machine, is built with quality in mind. The sides of the machine are 100% tempered glass instead of the inexpensive plastic that often scratch while cleaning and yellow over time. There are three buttons that you are provided. The first is for the lamp which acts as a heating element to keep your freshly popped popcorn warm after the popping is completed. The second activates the stirrer that keeps the kernels moving in the buttery oil and keeps it from burning. The final button is the heater. This heats up the cooking pan. The directions are simple to read, easy to understand and a snap to follow. It is not a secret around my house when I start making popcorn. The entire house fills with the smell of fresh baked popcorn and everyone lines up with a bag to be filled. At first, I thought that 8 ounces of popcorn is not nearly enough to feed a medium sized family, but it really does pop up full and provides plenty of popcorn for all of us. Clean up is also very easy. The manufacture does not advise submersing the unit in water, therefore, a water bottle with plain water and a few dry paper towels is all you need to clean up. You can just simply lightly spray the inside of the machine and wipe it clean and dry. The bottom of the popper has a small area of holes which allows for any remaining pieces to be easily deposited into the bottom catch drawer. This catch drawer pulls out and any crumbs can be deposited in the trash. Turning the light off and closing the front door completes clean up and the machine is ready for the next time. If you are looking for a popcorn machine that delivers in appearance, exceptional product for the affordable price of $133.00...your search has ended.

We LOVE this popcorn machine. It took a little experimenting to get the flavacol and coconut oil levels just right but I think we have popcorn that is pretty close to movie theater flavor. This machine is fairly easy to clean, it looks great, works fast and has great features. I have some minor complants...I wish there was a little more space between the kettle and the floor as it makes it a little hard to get in there for scooping and cleaning. There are some small gaps around the door and we have had some stray kernals fly out from time to time. Also, it does tend to release some unpopped kernals to the floor but not too bad. The included scooper is nice but the measuring scoops are useless since I don't know what size or ratios to use. The worst was the included popcorn buckets. After the first use, my hands had all kinds of red on them from the printing coming off. The second use was even worse.Overall, I would buy this again and we have enjoyed it immensely. Very close to being a perfect popcorn machine.