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

5/5 is a strong rating, but this one deserves it! Despite a (very) few reservations, I love it! I have had 4 different popcorn makers in the last 15 years and this one is by far and away the best. My 12 year old said, “This thing is legit!”First, let me get the negatives out of the way:1) It isn’t the easiest popcorn maker to clean. You can’t exactly throw it it the dishwasher, and word has it that the pot lid will rust if you wash it. That being said, it is a minor inconvenience to clean by hand, but seems to do just fine with a good wipe down from clean dry rags and glass cleaned with a damp soapy rag.2) It is a little on the large side. I don’t think this will fit under your average height cupboards if placed on the counter, so plan accordingly. We made the t more of a centerpiece in our den area and it works well due to the nostalgic look.3) There are a few more unpopped kernels (waste) than my previous popcorn maker, but this thing makes so much popped corn, and gets rid of the kernels in the removable tray, that it isn’t a problem at all for me.NOW ON TO THE POSITIVES:1) This machine looks great! It’s solid metal and glass parts exude quality, and the cheery colors make us feel like we are on the carnival midway!2) Solid build! The item description says it’s meant for heavy/ commercial use, and I believe it. While I hear some competitors are made of plexiglass and thin wobbly metal or plastic, this machine is made of sturdy thicker gauge metal and real glass. It does not wiggle or give when moved or pushed on. Very solid!3) MAKES GREAT POPCORN! This is one that really counts, right? I follow the suggestions online for 1/3 cup coconut oil, 1teaspoon Flavacol, and 1cup yellow popcorn. This produces a smell that reminds everyone of the movie theatre and a taste that lives up to the smell! Throw on some Kernel Seasons butter flavor and you cannot tell the difference between this and the theater, I swear!4) Great for service. Whether you are having a home movie night, a neighborhood get together, or a church/community event, it is so nice to be able to serve yourself a scoop or two of fresh warm popcorn from a real popcorn machine with an opening door!Overall I am very happy with this purchase, and wouldn’t hesitate to buy it again. It’s sturdy, great looking, works great, and gives me no doubt that it will be making batches of fluffy delicious, theater-quality popcorn for years to come. Kudos to Great Northern for a great product!

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.