West Bend Stir Crazy Hot Oil Popcorn Popper, Popcorn Maker Machine with Large Serving Bowl Lid and Stirring Rod Perfect for Movie Night Snack Time or Parties, 6-Quart, Red

In 2010 I purchased a used hot air popcorn popper for $2.00 bucks at a thrift store. It was probably from the 1980's and it worked faithfully until a couple months ago. But it finally died, so I went on Amazon to search for the same style popper, the kind you put the bowl under with a vented hood that shoots it toward the bowl, ideally. But man, the reviews made me feel so discouraged. I ignored the reviews that said they shoot popcorn all over the place because I already knew that to be an issue with my old one, and to be honest, it really wasn't a big deal for me (just a few strays here and there that my dog grabbed up). But what DID concern me was all the reviews saying the tops were melting, and pictures of them with melted tops. And different brands too, not just one. I read dozens of reviews and even when I begrudgingly increased the price range, they still had lousy reviews about melting tops. So I started looking at other options... Enter this style of popper. I compared a bunch of brands for these types since I've never used this kind of popper. Eventually I resorted to watching Youtube videos (I take my popcorn very seriously, LOL) and was finally sold on this style, brand and model after watching a guy demonstrate and test several types of poppers. I am extremely pleased with it and have ZERO complaints! First and foremost: It pops ALL the kernels, literally EVERY SINGLE KERNEL! It doesn't get more impressive than that. The very first use I got nervous and shut it off a few seconds too soon and had about 10 or so kernels left, but once I realized I can wait until it all stops without it burning, I haven't had a single unpopped piece since! Because the bar constantly moves it around, you can listen and make sure it's completely stopped without it burning. I don't use the included top/bowl to eat it from, I dump it into my own bowl of choice instead, it's just my preference. My own bowl is a little wider so I can toss it around with oil and salt that way. It was hard to visualize the amount of popcorn described in the description, but I was pleased to discover it pops exactly the amount I have always popped, which is a BIG family-sized bowl full (which I eat all myself because I'm single and that's how I roll). As far as oil, I'm not used to using oil since my old popper was just a dry air popper. What I would always do is drizzle the oil and salt after popping it. So I initially used olive oil (which is what I drizzle on it anyway) but then decided to experiment with coconut oil because it has a higher smoke point and the healthy properties of coconut oil can withstand the heat of the unit. That was even better, it's fantastic with coconut oil and tastes more like theater popcorn. I still drizzle olive oil and salt on it afterward however, because the coconut oil serves the purpose of coating the kernels, but it doesn't really give it the buttery feel after it's popped. But that's fine with me because I'm so pleased with how well it works that I'm willing to use oil with the kernels now. It all comes out fluffy and perfect, NO BURNED pieces ever, so far. You can put the unit inside the bowl to store it, but I prefer to keep the bowl on top to keep dust out. The cord easily wraps around underneath the bottom, which is something that annoyed me about my old popper, which had no way to store the cord. I also like having an off/on switch too, as opposed to just yanking the cord out of the wall while it's running like many of the upright air poppers will have you do. It takes a couple of minutes for the kernels to heat up but then it pops incredibly fast and the whole batch is done in the blink of an eye, it's pretty wild. I wondered if it would be awkward to lift and flip the unit to dump it in the bowl but it's not, it's lightweight and easy. ONE IMPORTANT THING: I almost didn't buy this because even this style of popper has some pictures of the top piece melted. This surprised me until I watched the videos on this page and did a few face-palms. Watch them for yourself and you'll see they leave the red piece on the lid while it's popping. I couldn't believe how any videos show people doing this. The vents in the clear bowl/lid are there so that it VENTS while popping! The smaller red lid is included to put on AFTER you shut it off. It's simply to keep small pieces from falling out once you flip it over. Keep it off while it's popping, of course it's going to melt if you keep blocking the vent holes, good grief! Makes me wonder what people were doing with the other kinds of air poppers to make those ones melt, maybe covering them with sweaters?? But I'm content to never know. When reading reviews, keep in mind that a lot of people have only ever used microwave popcorn. Some of the reviews about flavor and whatnot make me think these people are simply used to microwave junk and so it's probably no reflection on this popper. That, and people blocking the vents with the red lid and then complaining that it smells like plastic. Sigh. Like I said, I have no complaints whatsoever and am glad I decided to try this type of popper. Easy, perfect results and kinda fun to use.

The best electric stir popper I have used. Far better than air poppers. Popcorn is crisp. Works well with corn oil and is tasty. I prefer the stove top poppers a bit more because I can control the heat and stirring. I've had this popper for 10 years and it still works well.

My review in short: Great and affordable popcorn maker once you establish a working process! See my step by step process below! My Ingredients I use: White Kernels, Coconut Oil, PAM spray, and Powdered Salt (specifically Flavacol seasoning/popcorn salt). Disclaimer: This unit will make noise while it's heating up, but that is perfectly normal. My Process: At the time of writing this review I have cooked at least 32lbs of popcorn over the last 3 years and consistently have 95%-100% success rate of kernels popped, so I'd like to think that my process is pretty successful and hopefully will help you, too! - Step 1: I put 2 tablespoons (tbsp) of coconut oil in the popcorn maker (This is is MAXIMUM amount of any kind of oil you should ever use in one serving!!). Then I turn the popcorn maker on for no more than 30-50secs (without the kernels). Then I will turn the popcorn maker off. This step is simply to melt the coconut oil completely and make sure the oil spreads throughout the surface of the popcorn maker. - Step 2: I add a 1/2 cup of Kernels. This is the MAXIMUM amount of Kernels you should ever cook in one serving!! This serving size WILL fill up the bowl if 90%-100% of Kernels are popped. Then I will make sure all the Kernels are laid flat and then turn the popcorn maker on. - Step 3: I will cook the popcorn until popping sounds have either completely stopped or I hear a pop once every 30-45sec. At that point I will turn it off. If I wanted to make another batch immediately, I would simply pour the cooked popcorn into a serving bowl, add another 2 tablespoons of coconut oil (skip the warming up process as the popcorn maker is already HOT and the coconut oil will melt immediately) and repeat steps 2 and 3. - Step 4: In order to get salt to stick to fresh popcorn you NEED something to make it stick. What I have read/tried and seen success in is using PAM spray. I simply spray the popcorn and then add popcorn salt, which is salt in powdered form, so it's very fine. - Step 5: Enjoy filling my face with popcorn! Cleaning: I am one of those people who like to clean my dishes before I eat my meal. You have to be very careful with washing the clear plastic bowl as it is just that, plastic, and it can break quite easily given enough pressure. I wash this bowl, the top cap, the metal rod and the nut holding the rod all by hand once they cool down some. As for the actual unit, obviously don't pour water on it. Instead I will first wipe it down to get any Kernel shells/oil off it. Then I will take a soapy cloth and wipe it down, then with a clean cloth wipe down the soap and continue this process until the soap residue gone. I will then turn this unit upside down over a paper towel to dry and to allow any oil that may have seeped through the crevices to come out.

We have had this popcorn maker for a couple of months now and use it about 2 times a week. It works well and makes amazing tasting popcorn. It’s quick and easy. It’s prefect size for the three of us. I was looking at a couple different brands but settled on the Stir crazy after watching Popcorn Genius’ review on YouTube. The bowl is not as strong a material as I would hope, but is still acceptable. As long as you are not rough with it, it should last. Also, the top where you melt the butter, the holes don’t seem to allow for good flow through to the popcorn, instead a lot of the butter pools at the top and stays there. I prefer to melt the butter in the microwave, easier to clean up. Over all a good popcorn maker for the price. My son does not complain about bland flavor any more. We had a hot air popcorn piper before.

I have been making popcorn for over 40 years. I started off in college using a big 10 gallon pot on a gass stove. Cheap snacks for frat parties. I would make 30+ gallons. Then years later I started using the “Whirly Pop”. This is a hand crank popcorn maker from Wabash farms. Probably the best popcorn maker ever on the market. Its hand cranked, so it takes a little more effort and it's a little more difficult to clean. Lots of nooks and crannies. So when I first saw the stir-crazy back in 2018, I thought that it might be a great alternative. Let me preface this discussion by saying that I love popcorn. And I make popcorn about four nights per week. So I will admit up front that I give these devices very heavy usage. I have purchased six of these over the past four years. So why am I complaining now? Maybe because I was hoping that the next popper would be better. (wasn't it Einstein who said insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result?) So most of these poppers lasted for me about six months, A COUPLE ONLY A FEW WEEKS. One actually lasted about 18 months. The last one I purchased in January 2022 lasted about three weeks. I returned it to Amazon and they replaced it. The replacement also failed. So although I did not plan to purchase any more, I wanted to see if West Bend would stand by the 1 yesr product warranty and replace it. After all, (1) it failed in only a few weeks and (2) I had documents showing I have purchased six since 2018. And each also failed. OK, so what do I mean it failed? I mean that about halfway through the popping cycle , the non-stick coated heating pan did not maintain a high enough temperature to cook the rest of the popcorn. It's like the heat turns off. Or at least the temperature is lowered to the point where the kernels will no longer pop. So instead of getting a full batch of fluffy popcorn, you get half a batch of dense popcorn and half a batch of uncooked kernels. Talking with customer service was like jumping through hoops. After four emails, they asked me if I would take a video showing how I cook popcorn. Also wanted know about the oil, popcorn, etc. . I had already told them in great detail how I made the popcorn. Orville redenbacher popcorn, safflower oil, etcetera etcetera. So a couple of weeks later I actually made a video, and sent them the link to the video on my Google Drive. About two weeks later I got a response: "I hope you are doing well and I'm sorry for the delayed response. I already forwarded the video that you've sent to my product specialist and was reviewed. I was being informed that you need to let the popper continue to pop until there is a few second delay between pops. At that time the popcorn will be done." Ahh! Been there, done that. If the popper is left on, the remaining kernels will not pop and the corn that pops just sits there. And overcooks into a tough mess. So in my opinion, West Bend is a company that really does not stand buy their product, does not believe their customer saying that the product has a defect. Or consider that I have purchased 6 of these and all failed. (My bad!) I jumped through hoops and created a video showing the problem, but it was rejected. I guess they so make so many popcorn poppers that what is one or two complaints? And who knows, maybe I'm simply using it too often. In any case, if you're only making a batch a week or a batch a month, this is probably great for you. But if you make a ton of popcorn like me, and want a product that lasts for years, then don't buy it.

WoW! This is the best popcorn machine...ever. It's very easy to use. I followed the directions using fresh Orville Redenbacher's popcorn and popcorn oil. I did not use the butter well in the machine. I prefer to use real butter on popcorn that I melt in the mircowave and add later in a rather generous amount. I add a bit of Real Salt too. The machine quickly popped all of the corns and it was delicious. The machine was very easy to clean with having the non-stick surface. Washed the bowl by hand. I would not recommend washing in a dishwasher.

This thing is a classic! I grew up on one of these, and it’s still far superior to pretty much anything else out there. I have serious memories baked into my mind—like movie night sleepovers, watching movies with my parents before they discovered the joys of separate living arrangements, and the time I put way too much popcorn in it and it lifted the dome right off the base and started spinning like a top. I was half-expecting it to take flight! Good times! But seriously, these machines are fantastic. The stir stick keeps the popcorn from burning, and the dome is designed to allow steam to escape—because no one wants popcorn that’s soggier than a wet sock. And let’s talk about that lid! It prevents any popcorn from doing a Houdini act and disappearing all over your living room. In theory, you can drizzle a little butter on top that melts and drips down to flavor the popcorn. I’ve never really found this too useful, but hey, it’s a clever design feature—like the design equivalent of saying, “Sure, I can totally use this for something!” Spoiler alert: I usually stick with my trusty FlavorCol butter-flavored salt, just like they use in movie theaters. Just add it at the same time you put your oil down on the base for that perfect buttery taste. You’ll feel like you’re sitting front row at a blockbuster, minus the sticky floors and overpriced snacks! One great thing about this machine is how well it stores. I didn’t realize until I was an adult that you can nest the main machine inside the top dome, saving you precious counter space. I mean, who needs more clutter when you can have more popcorn, right? Just a word of caution: when flipping the machine over after it’s done, be careful! There’s some seriously hot steam inside, so always remember to flip away from you. Nothing says “movie night” like a face full of hot steam! In conclusion, if you’re looking for a reliable and nostalgic popcorn maker that brings the magic of movie nights back into your home, this Stir Crazy popcorn maker is the way to go. With its thoughtful design and ease of use, it makes popping popcorn a breeze—unless you’re like me and have a tendency to overfill it like it’s a food challenge. So grab one, gather your friends or family, and create your own movie night memories. Trust me, you won’t regret it—unless your popcorn-loving dog steals the show!

We had a stir crazy 8 quart for for then 10 years. atleast once a week. Loved that thing. It finally failed and needed to be replaced and they only make the crazy 6 quart now. The unit has a new feature of a switch and detachable stirring wire. I don't like this new unit. The resulting popcorn is almost stale and/or overcooked. Like the burner was not hot enough to properly pop the moisture in the kernels. It could also be the stirrer not working well. Problems: 1) The wire to stir the popcorn kernel is uneven in the popcorn maker. It is straight on the counter, so I'm not sure what is wrong. The wire appear properly set in the center screw holder. I have not been able to fix the resulting problem. Bending on side is not the easy solution. The ultimate result is that one side goes over the kernels and the other side touches to hot plate of goes under them. You therefore get all the kernels in the popcorn maker being pushed by one side in a big pile and not evenly. The higher side tends to get stuck with a kernel under it and scrapes it around the hot plate. 2) The popcorn tastes stale. This is slightly improving over time, along with the oil smoking more (showing the oil is hot). So maybe this is a startup issue (over maybe 20-40 uses). We make popcorn in the following manner to ensure the oil is hot and almost all kernels pop. We put in the oil and 3 kernels and turn on the machine. When the three kernels pop, we figure the oil hot enough and put in all the remaining kernels to pop. I then shake the kernels around in the oil to coat them. When the kernels slow their popping, we unplug the unit and wait a few seconds for final kernels to pop, and then flip it over to remove the heat. This also minimized the stirrer crushing the already popped kernels. We find this made better popcorn in the crazy 8 than putting all the kernels in at once. Kernels were bigger, fluffier, and tasted better. Since we make popcorn so frequently, the kernels are always fresh. On the crazy 8 we had a design issue that is likely the same with the crazy 6, but we have not seen it yet. Over years, the oil gets past the hot plate edge and down into the internal electronics/heating element. And then drips out the bottom vent holes. This is a very dangerous situation. In addition, your flipping the unit over to put the popcorn into the plastic cover. This means the oil is flowing from the top and bottom onto the electronics. We were just careful when using it and expecting/ready for something catastrophic to happen.

I've been living without popcorn for many years; but given the fact that I now have Amazon Prime with it's movie channel, well, that just demands popcorn. I chose this unit based on the excellent reviews, and I will admit that I'm quite impressed. I mixed up 3/4 cup of popcorn on my first go, and that was a mistake; I'd recommend somewhere between half a cup and 2/3rds. After 4 minutes the machine was absolutely stuffed with popcorn, and I was left with perhaps 20 or 30 unpopped kernels. I think that, had the machine not been stuffed with popped corn, those kernels would have popped. The idea of turning the lid into a built in popcorn bowl is an excellent idea, and it worked out quite well. Cleanup requires dish detergent (or just run it through the dishwasher, if you have a load). The butter melter simply doesn't work, and I'd recommend that you either put your butter in the machine with the oil at startup, or do what most people seem to be doing; melting it in the microwave, and pouring it on later. The plastic lid strikes me as a bit flimsy, and I worry that it might crack easily. I would have preferred a thicker, more sturdy lid that could stand up to the occasional oops. Plan on being very careful and gentle. And while I'm picking nits, the cord is really short. Less than two feet from machine to plug. I wound up plugging the machine into my stove, simply because I couldn't find a spot on my counter where it would reach a plug. An extra foot would have helped a lot. The machine is very compact to store, with the base nesting into the popcorn bowl. This is very smart engineering, and makes it easy to put away in a compact kitchen. So in closing, I am quite satisfied. Yes, the popcorn from an air popper is healthier; but it doesn't taste as good, and popcorn is not regarded as a health food at the best of times. So I recommend this machine, perhaps with some seasoned salt (there's a whole industry of seasoned salt manufacturers just for popcorn. Who'd a thunk it?) and quality popcorn like Orville Redenbachers product. Select a movie, and away you go - theatre quality popcorn, right at home. Enjoy!

Ürün herşeyi ile harika, malzemesi kaliteli ve çok şık görünüyor ama sipariş verirken 110V olduğu bilgisini atlamışım, kutuyu görünce eşim burada kullanamayacağımızı söyledi. Çok çok üzülerek iade ettim. Umarım en kısa sürede 220V içinde üretilir ve satılır 🙏🏻😊

Been a fan of popcorn for years, but have been wanting to move away from the bagged microwave stuff, as they're all fairly garbage and tend to be much unhealthier. Looked into getting one of these StirCrazy units after watching several videos and learning about the ingredients needed to get that movie theatre style taste at home. Main ingredient you'll want is some Coconut Oil, particularly ones that include "beta-carotine" as part of its ingredients. That's what gives it the very "orange" texture within the oil, and helps add that "yellow" colouring onto the popcorn itself. It does give a slight buttery taste aswell, but nothing too significantly. Next ingredient is some seasoning salt, particularly "Flavacol". This is the key that gives that taste that pops out and really drives it close to the movie theatres. Its the same stuff they even use in the theatre! Apply about two tablespoons worth of Coconut Oil, a half teaspoon worth of Flavacol, and mix with around 1/3 or 1/2 a cup of Popcorn, and let it pop! The Stir Crazy does an excellent job at popping the popcorn within a span of a few minutes. I usually like to let it run first to melt the oil down into a liquid state, than stop to give it a bit to cool off before applying the kernels and seasoning salt. Turn back on, place the dome over the machine, and within just a couple minutes, perfectly popped corn! Cleaning can be a bit of a nuisance, especially the dome since it will be rather oily, but the base can easily be cleaned with a wet sponge. The stirring rod can be removed and screwed back into place with the plastic knob that houses it, which helps for cleaning up. Overall, highly satisfied. No more microwave popcorn for me!

ネタが半分も弾けないまま焦げて終了。 こんなマシンに１万円以上もだすのは無駄です。 それから販売する方も、自分たちで使ってみてから販売してください。 いかにダメかわかります。

The popcorn popper works fine. I'm now in India and I have a voltage step-down device for using this machine: If you have a different voltage than in the USA (120) as in India (240), be sure to use a voltage regulator or the popper will die an instant death. If there is a power-cut (happens in India all the time), just wait and it will begin when power returns. Oh, the popcorn? It's great. I've used it a few times and really enjoy it.