Paducah Popcorn Machine - 3-Gallon Antique Popper with Cart, 8oz Kettle, Old Maids Drawer, Warming Tray, and Scoop by Great Northern Popcorn (Black)

Hope the title got your attention. I ordered this popcorn machine in last week. Had a big function and needed it overnighted to me. The packaging was ok, not quite as heavy as I would have liked. No damage from shipping so I still gave it a thumbs up. The visible damage on the machine was the SS bottom of the door. It had a couple of dings. Nothing could have damaged it in shipping so I guess it was packed with dings. I plan to take a photo and ask company if they can replace for free. So the only slight negative items have now been identified. I want everyone to know that this is a fantastic machine. Assembly was about 15 minutes. The machine did not come with any free popcorn so I also purchased a 12 pack of GNP from amazon. Followed the directions on the pack and made our first batch, it was fantastic. The next night we made 5 batches for the crowd attending our back yard movie night, and it was a big hit. Many folks said they wanted to borrow it for an event they were having. Some tips for buyers: * Don't get clean happy on the kettle. Every batch seemed to get better and I think there is credit in all the suggests to treat the kettle like a cast iron skillet. * Remember that the machine separates into 2 parts. It takes a lot less room if set on a existing table top if the area is cramped * When cleaning out, take a piece of thick paper and use it to clean out the bottom window area where corn residue gets between glass and bottom rail. THEN take out bottom panel (2 small screws) and VACUUM out all residue before wiping clean. * When making corn preheat for 4 mins then add ingredients. Make sure to turn on rotator immediately. Listen to the corn pop, when the popping starts to slow down turn off heater. When it is barely popping turn off rotator and immediately dump kettle. We did not have any burned corn following these simple instructions. I hope all buyers find this helpful, enjoy the popcorn !! Gadget Update 3 years later. - STILL LOVE THE MACHINE !! No issues (Knock knock), but cleaning is the only necessary con. Tyhx

First let me start by saying that I no longer own this popcorn machine. When I lived in PA, we had a large movie room and I bought this machine to make popcorn while we watched movies. When we moved a year ago, we got more land and a smaller house, so at the time I didn't have room for a popcorn machine and decided to sell it. Since then, I have often reminisced of when we would pop large batches of popcorn, have leftovers for days where I could just turn on the lamp and grab a handfull to snack on. Mmmmm....those were the days... Review of the machine. - I have read various reviews on Great Northern machines and how the come broke or dented; however, when you ship 1000's of machines, I am sure there are a few that will have issues. I was fortunate to receive mine in pristine condition and assembly was pretty simple. - A few things that set this machine apart from others is: - Metal turning gears. Some machine have plastic gears, and while I am sure they will work for a while, they will not hold up near as long. - Glass doors and sides. If you want your machine to look good, glass is the way to go. Plastic will start to warp and discolor over time. - Warming lamp/deck. Some machines only have an appliance light. Great for ambiance, but not for heating up last night's leftover popcorn. The only issue I had with the machine were the plastic screw receivers (don't know exactly the technical name for them) on the doors. They eventually wear out and the doors start to get loose. A quick phone call to Great Northern and they sent me a pack. I put them on and after a few months they got loose as well. I decided to just put small metal screws, washers, and locknuts in the hinges. That took care of the problem for good. I have also read people commenting about using premeasured packs. When I first got it, that is what I did, because if all you've ever done was microwave popcorn, putting in oil and all the other stuff can be a little intimidating. Fear not, as I am about to take care of that for you. The secret to a great batch of popcorn is below. - 1/4 cup of coconut oil. (You don't have to get real precise here. I would just put in two, large heaping spoonfulls of coconut oil for every 8oz of popcorn I made. If you make less popcorn, use less oil.) - Preheat oil for maybe 60 seconds. - While oil is heating, measure 8 oz/1 cup of popcorn and 1/4 teaspoon of Flavacol. (Dump flavacol on top of popcorn kernels. This is not absolutely necessary, but just makes it easier to dump everything in the kettle.) - Turn on mixer and dump in popcorn/Flavacol mix. Then BOOM, excellent popcorn. **NOTE** Do NOT overuse Flavacol. It is a salty/buttery goodness that you think you can never get too much of. When I first got it, I put it in a salt shaker and kept under the machine. About after the 4th time of someone deciding they were going to sprinkle that over all the popcorn and then ruining a whole batch, I got rid of the shaker because the popcorn was like chewing on a salt block. Latest news. I have decided I an sick and tired of not having the delicious goodness that the Great Northern machines create. I have heard from friends and family, "What did you do with your popcorn machine? That thing was great! I loved that popcorn." So, as of yesterday I ordered the Great Northern Matinee. (Not quite as big as the Paduca, but still retains the 8oz kettle and will fit into a smaller space.) Good luck and happy popping. (Oh, and don't be afraid to experiment with different popcorn kernels. You can order the large bags off amazon or pick up bags at your local store. Both work well. However, some places have various popcorn kernel colors/sizes. These make for interesting evenings with the kids.)

I purchased this several years ago as a Christmas gift for the family. I originally ordered it mid to late October, received mid December, dented & damaged beyond acceptability, one of the corners of the top 1/2 was completely crushed. Returned it immediately & received the replacement in February, which was also damaged, glass on the back was broken. Returned it immediately and finally received the new replacement in late-April. It was not the one I ordered originally, this one was black instead of red (originally ordered red), but it wasn't dented & the glass was all intact, so I was not about to return it just to switch out the color. After all it was a Christmas gift and it was now April!!! However, once they finally got one to me that wasn't damaged, it was fantastic! Works like a charm, fairly easy to clean, made great popcorn, nice size storage cabinet, and looked great in my house. I would buy again, even with the hassle of being damaged & having to return a few times. On a side note, I am not sure if the damages were the seller's fault. It was packaged well in hopes to prevent damage while shipping. I just think our UPS drivers were extremely careless with it. The outside of the box was damaged in both instances. I cannot really comment on the color switch but, I ended up liking the black better than the red anyway, so no real issues there.

I bought this as a gift for my parents. Unfortunately, I wasted numerous hours researching the net when I should have just bought this initially. I can't imagine that the machines costing several hundred dollars more are worth the investment unless you are a serious popcorn snob or you have a tremendous amount of disposable income. While there are a few cheap materials utilized, once this machine is assembled it looks very attractive and solid. The most important parts are great quality in my opinion. It has worked flawlessly and the size is perfect for their use. It can hold 2 eight ounce batches nicely if needed. I purchased this with the mindset that my parents would put it outside on the lanai for parties or whatever. They like it so much that it's sitting in their living room. They really enjoy leaving it filled with a batch of popcorn for a couple days and grabbing a handful occasionally. I also bought them the Great Northern premade packs as suggested. We all agree that its got a really great flavor, but is not quite perfect in the texture department. It could be that we got some older packs, but we'll likely try something different next time.

This popcorn popper is awesome. I could have purchased a Waring at work for a discount but I wanted something a little bigger and better. When we received the popper, we almost thought it was too big for the family room but have since decided its PERFECT. It has heat built into the bottom as well as the heat lamp in the top. I make popcorn every Sunday before football; sometimes 2 batches. The kids think its the coolest. It pops quick. I use regular oil and Flavacol so it isn't expensive. At the end of the night, I shut it off. I can turn the lights back on up to 3 days later and the heat will make the popcorn taste fresh! The cooking pan unplugs and pops out easily to wash. The only downside to Great Northern is they have so many models and its difficult to figure out the difference. There were less expensive models and more expensive models and it is impossible to figure out the difference. Some models seemed exactly the same according to the specs but varied in price significantly. I'm not sure how I ended up with this model but it was a good choice! LOVE IT!!!!!!!!

Had read some reviews on the Great Northern Popcorn machines as well as other brands made in and out of the U.S.. Cost was not a factor, so after much research, we went with Great Northern. Received this unit a few days ago and was able to assemble it in about 30 minutes. Unit has powder coated thick metal and the lettering on the cart and popcorn unit looks fantastic. Unlike some units on the market, this one has glass sides and doors that look commercial grade. Lots of stainless steel (kettle, etc.) and you can really appreciate the top quality workmanship put into this model. If you’re in the market for a machine that is made to last, look no further. This unit has the 8 ounce kettle and it produces the best popcorn I’ve ever tasted. I highly recommend this model.

We ordered this for use in our home theater and it's replacing a Nostalgia Electrics Popcorn Cart we've had for the last six years. (Bought on a whim, with basically no research, from Sam's Club.) We've enjoyed the Nostalgia cart, and use it fairly regularly (2-3 times/month). In the last six months or so, we've been getting quite a lot of unpopped kernels--up to half from every batch--and after changing popcorn a couple times, began to feel the unit wasn't properly heating and started looking for a replacement. After doing quite a bit of research this time out, we settled on the Great Northern carts as having the best mix of quality--larger capacity, metal gears and upgraded heating/cooking elements--and price. Not quite a true commercial unit, they also didn't have the commercial price tag. (And, honestly, we didn't need a commercial unit for home use.) We settled on the Paducah cart, specifically, due to the picture/description here that showed the braided metal cord that screwed into the top of the cart, vs the standard three-prong outlet plug most carts employ. (As I write this, the close-up interior picture--second in the product image gallery--shows this quite clearly.) Since we had trouble with out previous unit's cord becoming loose and falling out easily over time, this seemed like a huge bonus, and something usually only found on those truly professional, commercial popcorn carts. Thus, we were pretty disappointed to discover upon arrival that this does NOT have the metal-covered cord OR the screw-in mechanism clearly pictured but, instead, uses the standard black plastic, three-prong cord, just as prone to falling/wiggling out as they inevitably become looser over time as the kettle is plugged/unplugged repeatedly. If basing on looks alone, or just going for the least expensive Great Northern cart popper, we likely would have gone with another unit. So, on that note, I'm fairly disappointed. When buying online, where you can't touch or inspect your item prior to purchase, you relay on the text description and photographs being 100% accurate, which was not the case here. But, that mis-direct aside, this unit does work well. Assembly was straightforward and all the parts arrived undamaged. Once all together, which took even my non-handy self only about 40 minutes, including unboxing and moving it into place, the kettle heated quickly and I was able to pop two batches of popcorn in under 10 minutes. The corn itself popped up light and fluffy (almost no dead soldiers) and was quite tasty. Additionally, the unit was able to keep the extras warm and fresh for up to two hours after the initial pop, with a heating element far superior to what our old cart boasted. The double glass doors make access to the popped corn easy (our old unit had one large swinging door, made out of plastic) and the stainless steel handles are also a nice, easy to grasp with buttery fingers, touch. We found our usual popcorn method/"recipe," developed over the years, works well with this unit as well. Because I don't like the undeniably easy, but too-filled-with-fake-stuff, pre-made portion packs (see: Great Northern Popcorn, 8-Ounce Portion Packs ), I keep Canola or Sunflower oil in a squeeze bottle, along with high quality bulk popcorn and popcorn salt, all in the cart, ready to go. Squirt the oil in (you need just enough to cover the bottom of the kettle), wait till it smokes, then toss in the popcorn--the cart comes with a pre-measured scoop. Once popped, dump and salt. After the corn is popped we put, roughly, 2T of real butter in the hot kettle to melt and then dump it over the popcorn and toss. (HINT: Hold the kettle lid closed and only the melted butter will pour out, keeping it from burning and/or dumping unmelted butter chunks on your popcorn.) We've found this method produces great, real buttered popcorn, that tastes far better than any movie theatre makes with no fake, chemical ingredients. (If you want "movie theater" taste, use the portion packs, but be aware you're also getting a much higher calorie and sodium count snack.) For clean-up, we rinse (do not immerse) the kettle with water and wipe out with paper towels, and use a food-safe vinegar-water solution to wipe out the rest of the unit, and clean any smudges on the glass. It usually takes us less than 10 minutes. Every few months, we'll use Gold Medal Prod. 2095 Popcorn Kettle Cleaner on the kettle, which gets it looking as good as new. If not for the deceptive photo that lead us to believe we were getting something we did not, I'd give the unit 4 stars. With that error though, I can't go higher than 3.

Great Northern has made my year! It felt like Christmas opening this popper and after spending about 10 minutes putting it together we couldn't believe how solid and beautiful it is! People, this is a true movie popcorn maker! This is heavy duty steel and glass with real rubber tires! The two front legs are self leveling and very helpful to make a solid stand! I have found similar poppers that cost 3 times the amount! Plus, look at the incredible sleek black and gray and silver design of this model! It's perfect for our new movie theatre snack bar! And YES, it makes wonderful movie theatre popcorn!! And the warmer inside kept it warm for HOURS!

If You are looking for a great popcorn popper at a reasonable price- this unit is for you. I just built a theatre room and need a proper popcorn maker for it. The micowavable popcorn just didn't cut it. I did my research and the "Great Northern" Popcorn maker seemed to come to the top on a regular basis. So I ordered the Black Paducah. The machine arrived when it was supposed to undamaged-some reviews had damaged machines arrive. I was very impressed with the construction of the unit. The cart is all steel and powdercoated. The popcorn machine drops into the cart then spring locks into place. The point that impressed me was that you can take the popcorn machine out of the cart and put it on a table it you wish. This makes the unit very versitile for use or for traveling - if you want to use it for events. It took me about 1/2 hr to assemble and it was easy - all the holes lined up and the bolts and nuts fitted superbly. The machine and cart looks impressive- just as the picture. Everything fitted well. For the popcorn machine I use the 8 oz premixed bags and they work well. It only takes 5 minutes for the popcorn to be ready. So far the machine has worked flawlessly. I have had the machine for a month and a half and put 36 premix bags of popcorn through it so far with no problems. For clean up I use vinegar and water. The unit cleans up easily. One of the things I really like about the cart is the storage compartment where I can store everything I need for the machine. So again I would highly recommend the Paducah it is an excellent popcorn maker

Looks great. On delivery, the light didn't work. I had to take the top off the popper and reconnect the wiring as it came loose in shipment. Not a big deal and doesn't effect my rating. The actual quality of the machine is great but there's a major flaw. The 2 metal lids on the popping pot don't seem to be heavy enough. Once the popcorn is popping, the lids stay all the way up and don't come back down. This results in a major loss of kernels. I bought this popper to replace my older 4oz popping cart and it produces way less popcorn than my older smaller machine. I have to stick two knives through the top of the plastic doors to hold down the metal lids so the kernels don't escape. Verry dissapointed. After 12 months, and about 40 uses, this is going on Kijiji and I'm looking for another.