Great Northern Popcorn Matinee 8oz Popcorn Machine, Red

I looked and looked at these forever. This one happened to drop on my radar with a fast shipping and a great price point. I would comment on the assembly but I didn't do it. I was fast asleep when my teenage daughter decided to put it together. She didn't seem to have any issues. We have popped dozens of bags of popcorn and I suggest the premeasured ones here on Amazon. If you are looking for that true movie theater popcorn, the pre-measured 8oz packs made by the same brand are awesome! I have tried other brands and this is by far my favorite. If you wanna play chemist, you will need seeds, coconut oil, and Flavacol. It is this combo that makes the true movie theater popcorn, skipping the Flavacol will miss the mark by quite a bit. Cleaning this is a little bit of a chore but I bought a $30 mini-shop vac here on Amazon that I use for cleaning out the machine as well as the area around it. (dedicate one attachment for the inside of the machine, pretty gross to use the same one you clean the floor with.) Haven't read this from anyone yet but, check the floors behind a concession stand at the theater and you will not find it without popcorn on it. Prepare for a tiny sample of that. The inside of this machine makes packing a bucket or bag prohibitive due to it's interior size so you will be scooping and filling up just outside the machine or over the ramp. You will 100% without a doubt, drop some popcorn. I have my little vac but you may want a broom and a scoop depending on the occasion and I even have a little wastebasket below the opening to minimize this. Another suggestion, just buy disposable popcorn bags, they are easier to load, more convenient to clean up after, and they are cheap. The plastic cups accumulate oil and if you happen to be watching a days worth of football and refill the cup a few times, it gets pretty gross with oil and your hands will too. This is going to sound pretty obvious, for popcorn flavoring, do not add it to the kettle, it does not work that way and will burn.... so I hear.... If you are still reading this, you have likely made up your mind but were just looking for a little motivation to pull the trigger. Just do it. My family loves it! My guests have loved it! Hot fresh popcorn blasts chips and dips any day and is so much cooler. When you get adventurous, you can start a collection of the flavor toppings to take it to the next level.

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.

READ BEFORE BUYING ‼️ The machine is absolutely fantastic! It is extremely easy to use, works super fast, and makes the absolute best popcorn on the planet. Cons are the instructions to make popcorn are awful lol but don’t worry, SCREENSHOT THIS FOR EXACT measurements and instructions and throw theirs out of the window. First : you NEED Golden barrel butter flavored coconut oil and flavacol seasoning (this is what they use at the movies for color and taste) Measurements are : 1/3 cup of the oil 1/2 teaspoon of flavacol (slightly more or less depending on your personal taste) 2 scoops of kernels (they provide a small white scooper and that is the limit you can pop at one time) Instructions: don’t follow the instructions they say as it’s way too complicated, simply add all the contents to a COLD pot, turn on all 3 switches at once, then tip your pot when you start to hear 2-3 seconds in between pops and the kernels slow down popping. IMMEDIATELY turn off all switches except warming light, I sometimes cut the warming light on first so I can see better but make sure it’s only the warming light in the beginning and you add the contents to a cold pan. Let the popcorn rest for about 5-7 mins as it will be still a tiny bit moist and chewy when freshly popped then scoop into your bowl and enjoy. They have the measurements all wrong, the instructions will have you burning the oil and smoking your house out, or feeling overly rushed because it’s such a fast process. Disclaimer: even if you do it this way it will be a little bit of smoke, not bad though just make sure you aren’t in a tiny room with door closed. This machine and these perfected measurements made the best popcorn my wife and I ever had! If you can tell we love popcorn and perfecting things. I did much research on how to make the perfect movie theater popcorn and I tested maybe 5 batches to dial it in on this machine so trust me on this. Oh and be sure to look at the small groove on the hinges when installing the glass door, I almost broke it installing it wrong 😅. This popcorn machine was part of a surprise for the wife bringing her childhood dreams to life.

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.

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!

Update: 5 years and still going strong! I use this popper at the end of every quarter (end of grading period) as an incentive and reward for classes keeping a B or better average. My students love Popcorn Day! They may not remember the math I taught them, but I think they will always remember our popcorn parties! I stand by my 5 star rating! I teach high school math. This year I have 5 classes of remedial math. As an incentive, I throw popcorn parties to the classes with the highest test average each quarter. I had a small 2.5 Nostolgia kettle popper, but I found that to take a long time to pop the amount needed for a class of students. I decided to upgrade. I really wanted the largest 12 or 16 oz popper, but my bank account said, hmmm, maybe the 8 oz will be good enough. This thing is awesome. While I did still pop the whole period, I did feel like the batches were large enough to get ahead of the curve. I was able to make enough quickly to where students were able to have refills as soon as they wanted them and still have enough ready for when the next class arrived. I popped for all of my classes today as a bonus for getting a good report from my sub. So my machine got a good work out on its christening day. My only caveat is don’t leave the warmer on. I left mine on, as per the instructions, (warmer on while running the kettle) and the bottom metal piece burned. I’ve attached pics. A little bummed about that mishap on opening day. Next time I just won’t worry about the warmer. Clean up was so easy compared to my old unit. Having glass sides is a huge plus when it comes to clean up. I wasn’t thrilled that small bits of popcorn were wedged between the metal frame and glass sides, but found I was able to wedge it out using a tooth pick. Other than the burn, it cleaned up like new. I’m very happy with my purchase and hope it lasts me through the next time years until I retire. Lol. What a difference having an 8oz kettle made. If I didn’t get too impatient and dump the kettle too early, most kernels popped. I did find that my new bag of kernels from Sams club popped better than the generic brand I had previously purchased from Walmart did. So your ingredients will also dictate how well your popcorn turns out.

My wife is a massive popcorn fan, she has literally dragged me to the movie theater just to buy popcorn. Yes I’m being completely serious, so keep that in mind throughout this review. I did a tremendous amount of research knowing I was going to get her a popcorn maker for Christmas, and I settled with the Great Northern unit as well as their packaged popcorn. Setup was very easy and we were off and popping quick. There is a slight break in that takes a few batches to get through. Even then with the first few new batches the yields were really good. As she got better at using the machine the yields became hilarious. She can fill 3 1 gallon ziploc bags completely full with this bad boy and maybe have 5-10 unpopped kernels. Cleaning the machine is easy. I just use warm wet paper towels with a squirt of dawn dish soap and buff it all off with normal paper towels. Machine has held up well (writing this on 5-8-2024 and she received it for Christmas) and has been used very often. We couldn’t possibly be happier with this unit. Do your research and take time to learn the machine. Once you’re acclimated you literally get theater quality popcorn right at home. This is the one you want.

I purchased this machine in October. It is used weekly. In March, I went to make popcorn and nothing was popping. I checked, and the kettle was ice cold. I unplugged the machine and plugged it back in and the kettle worked fine. A few days ago I had the same thing happen where the popcorn wouldn’t pop and I checked and the kettle was cold. The stirring mechanism was working, and the light was working. The light for the kettle was working. I turned the switch for the kettle on and off and sure enough it started to heat up and make popcorn. It made popcorn again after that with no problem. I wrote the company because something seems odd about this problem. I had written them in March but then let it go when the machine began working again. When I wrote a few days ago, I was simply told that I need a new kettle for $100. They said that part is not under warranty and that my kettle gave out due to use. I think this kettle must be defective if that’s the problem. if this is the problem why would a defective kettle work once you turn the switch back on and off and then work after that? I’m not happy with the way this was handled. I do not feel I should buy a new kettle for $100 when that is more than half the cost of the machine. I also fear that if I buy this kettle what happens if I have the same problem with the new kettle? When I wrote to inquire and asked very politely , why they assumed it was the kettle and nothing else I got a standard reply saying we’re sorry you’re disappointed with our response but unfortunately your part isn’t under warranty. I guess they are done speaking to me about their machine.

Excelente y las palomitas salen de maravilla

Just used it for the first time today. Super easy set up, and clear instructions. It worked perfectly and made a generous amount of the best popcorn I think I've ever had! Seriously. I bought the flavacol and the Wabash valley farms coconut oil as well. They are a superstar trio. I had really high expectations and it surpassed them. You won't be disappointed. EDIT: It's been over a year. I use this machine weekly, and have used it for events as well. It's a wonderful machine. I now only use normal costco coconut oil and the flavocol. Winning combo. Everyone loves it. Its unfortunate that the ratings are effected by those that say they buy it exclusively for schools or fundraising, then complain about the size. If it's meant to make an income, you need to spend the money for the machine that would be better suited for that. This one can put it out, but is not meant for commercial use. Bottom line I LOVE this machine. Works great, easy to maintain and makes the best popcorn ever in just minutes.

Llegó bien empacada y llegó sin daños y completa, me encantó, se ve primorosa, además las palomitas quedan deliciosas y la ollita calienta muy bien, en 3 minutos quedan y con los condimentos adecuados, me saben a palomitas de Cine, estoy muy satisfecha con la compra. Ya q compre la base y las plantitas están chulas con su gabinete y compartimiento.

Tengo 3 años con la máquina,la volvería a comprar. Calienta rápido,las palomitas se abren completamente y es fácil de trasladar. Lo único es que es muy tedioso limpiarla y la parte de afuera se oxida muy rápido pero fuera de eso cuando uno se acostumbra a la limpieza todo va muy bien. El año pasado la usé en temporada de calor donde estamos a 45-50°c de sensación térmica,en días en los que me pedían más de 100 bolsas de palomitas diarias y aguantó. La recomiendo mucho.

Someone said to start with the little screws for the bottom panel and that person was right. So frustrating not to have any instructions. My popper from the same cie fit perfectly