Home Theatre Essentials: Popcorn Machines to suit every budget (US)
Whether you love your popcorn caramel sweet, buttery, salty, with a generous mix of sugar and salt, or flavoured and spiced up with cinnamon, or coated and dripped with honey, a popcorn machine is the perfect addition to your household.
Compared to commercial pop-in-the-bag microwaveable packs, having your very own popcorn machine ensures that you know exactly what goes in to your popcorn and if it suits you, you could even choose to use only organic corn kernels.
Top of the range
These ‘Top-of-the-range’ popcorn carts and machines may be a bit excessive for household use, however, if you entertain often, or are looking to participate in local fairs or fetes, then it’s definitely worth considering a professional popcorn cart or machine.
Choose between a table top machine or stand-out with a vintage cart.
1. 6210 Great Northern Pop Heaven Commercial 12-Ounce
If you are looking for a popcorn maker that means business, the 6210 Great Northern Pop Heaven is the one to go for. This commercial level unit has a slid metal build with heavy duty powder coating and stainless steel.
It has a big 12 ounce capacity pan with spot light warmer, stirrer and pot heater built-in. Kernel and oil scooper is also included. The cooking kettle has a maximum power output of 1350 Watt. Other features include warming deck, old-maid drawers (for unpopped kernels), tempered glass panels.
Features
- Whisper Quiet Design–Silent Operation.
- 12 Ounce Kettle.
- Warming Deck to keep the popcorn warm and fresh.
- 3 Switch design for quick access; Switches include: spot light warmer, stirrer and pot heater.
- Etched glass with 40% thicker profile.
- Premium Grade Stainless Steel.
- All Metal Gears-Competition uses plastic.
- Dimensions: 15 1/2 L x 17 3/4 W x 30 1/4 H inches
- Kernel and oil scoop is included
2. Olde Midway Bar Style Popcorn Maker 8-Ounce
With a slightly smaller kettle, the 8-ounce pan in this Olde Midway Bar Style Popcorn Maker is enough to make up to 3 gallons of popcorn per bath.
Like its bigger commercial sibling, it is constructed from heavy duty stainless steel, the motor is whisper quiet and the heating pan uses 850 watt of power. The unit is available in black or red.
It also has three convenient buttons on the top for spot light warmer, stirrer and pot heater. Enclosed in tempered safety glass, the surface is resistant to warping and scratching.
The machine comes complete with a reject kernel tray for any loose un-popped kernels in the base. It comes with stainless steel accessories such as half cup measuring cup, tablespoon, popcorn scoop and salt shaker.
3. Great Northern Popcorn Theater Style 8-Ounce Popcorn Machine
Another 8-ouncer, the antique popcorn machine in dressed in matinee movie red and gold trims. This Great Northern Theater style pop corn maker screams vintage and nostalgia all the way to town. It has all the hall mark of an authentic antique styled popper complete with modern fittings and convenience.
The same popcorn maker is also available to buy on a colour and design co-ordinated cart to complete the entire vintage feel although it will set you back nearly double the price of the popcorn maker on its own.
Like the other Great Northern popcorn maker, this unit is nothing short of well thought out design and good quality construction. It is also available black both in premium paint and finish.
The unit also has a powerful 860 watt cooker capable of making around 2 to 3 gallons of popcorn per bath. Use the three conveniently located switches to control the spot light warmer, stirrer and pot heater.
Notable features include tempered glass held together with premium grade steel construction, reject kernel tray with popcorn scoop and oil measuring spoon included.
4. 6010 Great Northern Red 8-Ounce Roosevelt Antique Countertop Popcorn Machine
You probably realised by now that these Great Northern popcorn makers are very much similar to one another except for some difference in the design of the roof. This one says Roosevelt Popper in gold on bright red background.
It works the same like other poppers here with 860 watt cooker, 3 position control switch and makes around 3 gallons of popcorn per bath. The switches are for the spot light, stirrer and pot heater.
When the kernels are popped, pour them on to the warming desk with reject kernel tray. Unpopped kernels will fall through the filter into the tray. Use the popcorn scooper to dish out the popped corns into cup or bags.
If you are looking for a counter top popcorn machine, this is one to watch out for.
5. Nostalgia CCP1000BLK Vintage Professional Popcorn Cart 10-Ounce
This classy Nostalgia Professional Popcorn Cart stands 59-inch tall and comes with a 10-Ounce pan. The unit doesn’t come cheap but so does the look. Finished in gold and black, complete with wheels, side table and stylish prints on the cart, it will make every kid jump with joy merely by looking at it. A red and gold option is also available although we rather like this number.
The Nostalgia popper makes up to 40 cups of movie theater-style popcorn per batch. The cooking pan is stainless steel and coms with built-in kernel stirring system and dual hinged lid. It allows one to easily empty the popped kernel into the warming tray and can easily be removed for cleaning.
With tempered glass windows on all sides held together in solid metal construction, this popper will stand to serve you for many years to come. The tilt serving door makes scooping and serving easy. Beneath the unit in the cart is a hidden storage compartment for the ingredients essential to making more popcorn.
6. Great Northern Midway Marvel 6222 16-Ounce Popcorn Machine – BIGGEST
Now for a truly high capacity popper. The Great Northern 6222 table top unit has a large 16 ounce pan. It is the biggest corn popper from the company and can produce up to twice as much popcorn per batch, up to 7 gallons. If you don’t want to waste time and have to satisfy a huge hungry crowd, this is going to be worth every cent.
With commercial level build and quality construction you would expect from one of the biggest popcorn maker out there, the Great Northern 6222 is powered by a 1600 watt cooker. The stainless steel extra large food bowl has a built in stirrer powered by all metal gear box. To keep the system working optimally, there is a side vented fan.
The warming deck has a large 6 cubic feet volume. The stainless steel kettle is removable and easy to clean. An old-main drawer lets you remove un-popped kernels and debris easily.
Key Features
- Machine size 34″H x 21.25″W x 14.75″D, weight: 62 Pounds,
- 1600 watts power
- 7 Gallons of popcorn in every batch
- Powder coated steel and stainless steel construction
7. Nostalgia CCP510 Vintage Professional Popcorn Cart 8-Ounce
Standing at 53-inch tall, this Nostalgia CCP510 popcorn popping cart has a moderate 8-ounce kettle, 2-ounces small than the last Nostalgia cart. This makes the unit slightly more affordable.
Even with the smaller kettle, it is capable of producing up to 24 cups of movie theater style popcorn per batch. The kettle has a built-in kernel stirring system and dual hinged lid to easily empty the pan when ready.
Empty the popcorn into the spacious warming deck. Use the interior warming lights to keep the popped corn warm and to add ambiance to the room. A tilting hatch lets you easily drop the door and scoop and serve the popcorn.
Mid-range Popcorn Machines
The mid-range popcorn machines are typically priced around the $50 – $60 region. They are counter top machines that have a non-stick kettle suspended within the body of the machine.
8. WEST BEND 82515 Hot Oil Movie Theater Style Popcorn Machine 4-Ounce
This complete table top popcorn maker comes with measuring spoons for corn kernels and oil as well as serving scooper. The self contained hot pan has a moderate 4 oz capacity. Inside you find, a stirring rod that maximises the popping yield for more popped kernels.
The hot pen or kettle has a non-stick lining for easy cleaning and is suspended in the a see through acrylic container. Tilt the pan to pour out the popcorn when ready. A clever mechanism holds the cover open when pouring.
To clean, the non-stick pan, its removable lid and stir rod can all be removed from the unit, making it easy to clean. It takes only 3 minutes to prepare 4 quarts of popcorn with the 480 watt cooker. The base of the container has a kernel catcher for unpopped kernels.
Features:
- Stir Crazy stir rod technology for a larger yield of popped popcorn
- Non-stick, removable popping kettle
- Attractive popper cabinet is durable and easy to clean
- Tilt door for easy serving
- 4 oz. kettle pops 5-6 servings of popcorn with 480 watts heating element
- Includes measuring cup and spoon and popcorn scoop
9. Cuisinart CPM-28 Classic-Style Popcorn Maker
This classic styled popcorn maker from Cuisinart is a little more expensive but you do get the reliability knowing that it is from Cuisinart. The small table top popper makes up to 10 cups of hot and fluffy popcorn. It uses a 500 heater that does not need preheating. The kernels will pop straight away with the help of the mechanical spinner or stirrer.
The nonstick kettle and door are removable for easy access and cleanup. Tilt out door makes for easy serving. Included with the machine are popcorn scoop, kernel measuring cup and oil measuring spoon.
10. 6074 Great Northern Pop Pup Retro Style Popcorn Popper 2.5-Ounce
A small popper, this 2.5-ounce machine still uses the same kettle, stirrer and pourer lever albeit smaller and in a plastic case. Even so it is still able to fit in the warming light and removable slide out pop corn tray. The pop pup uses a 350 watt heater to prepare approximately 1 gallon of popcorn per batch.
Features
- Makes up to 1-gallon of popcorn per batch
- 2-1/2-Ounce stainless steel kettle with built in stirring system
- Convenient pull-out popcorn tray
- Warming light to keep popcorn warm
- Includes 2 popping kettle hangers, a removable popcorn tray, measuring spoon and cup
BONUS: Nostalgia RKP630COKE Coca-Cola 2.5-Ounce Kettle Popcorn Maker
Another 2.5-ounce unit, this time, dressed in Classic Coca-Cola design complete with the company’s logo, tag line and details. The unit prepares 10 cups of popcorn per batch or up to 1 gallon.
The heating kettle is 2.5-ounce in capacity and is suspended in the popper with a dual hinged system complete with a built-in stirrer. Through the clear perspex, witness the popping action. Switch on the interior lights for even better viewing.
We like this unit as even at this size it comes with a drop down hatch to access and serve the popcorn. Included with the Nostalgia Coca-Cola popcorn maker are the measuring cup and measuring spoon.
