Original Whirley Pop Popcorn Maker - 6 Qt. Popcorn Popper (Stainless Steel), Metal Gears, Wabash Valley Farms Stove Top, Gourmet Popcorn Pot, Culinary Popcorn Popper

I was a little skeptical about spending as much as I did. It makes great pop corn and it’s by far an upgrade compared to the aluminum model that we previously owned. The pot and lid clean up well and we are very pleased with the purchase.

I love it! Now I can have movie theater popcorn made at my home. I do have a gas stove so idk if my popping experience will differ from others, but each kit I have popped I have had 5 kernels or less that were not popped in each one (3 kits so far) and no burned popcorn. A kit will produce more than 1 bag of microwave popcorn will make. If I had to guess I would say a kit makes anywhere between 1.5-2 microwave bags worth of popcorn. Easy to use and not too tedious to hand wash.

I was a little concerned as some reviews had said the stainless steel Whilypop was cheap, had plastic gears, or too heavy. I believe that some may be referring to the silver colored aluminum version which does have plastic gears. I previously owned that model and it didn't have any issues and it was still working but the aluminum residue itself was a concern. And pretty banged up. It was used every week for over 13 years! It was time to replace and the stainless steel one arrived and it was perfect! It has metal gears, NOT plastic. The bottom of the pan is cladded with an extra layer of metal which yes, makes it heavier which keeps it steady as you turn the crank - a plus to the lightweight aluminum which moves all over the place. The popcorn was perfect, no grey aluminum residue, wiped clean. So happy I didn't let the negative reviews deter me. And if you do have a problem it has a 25-year warranty. Just register it on their website. It is made in USA and some parts are made in China and I'm fine with that. Homemade popcorn is healthy and tastes so good. I hate the processed taste of microwave popcorn! I never cook at higher than medium. Yes it takes longer to heat up because it's thick stainless. If you use a higher heat, too little oil or Pam type of spray - it will scald a thin layer of burnt oil that seems impossible to remove. See bottom of the page on how to remove. POPPING CORN! (Have your butter melted and ready). On MEDIUM HEAT (for gas stove) melt about 1-2 Tablespoons coconut or vegetable oil, don't skimp or you may scorch pan. Toss in a few 'test' kernels and once they pop, toss in a half cup or a little more and start cranking. (I only use Orville Redenbacher Original Yellow popcorn kernels). It produces big, fluffy popcorn but go ahead and experiment! When popping slows I immediately open flaps and shake out popcorn into a large bowl, you don't want it to steam in the pan or it gets chewy. Pour on melted butter and salt, toss and enjoy! I use 100% clarified butter aka Ghee. It gives that distinct movie popcorn taste without using hydrogenated or vegetable oils. Yes, you may have to play with the clips that hold the lid but it's personal choice. I adjusted it so the lid stays on firmly but the flaps are both very easy to open. Popcorn needs to be emptied into a large bowl immediately after popping to release steam, prevent chewiness and keeps popcorn fluffy and crispy. SCORCHED YOUR POPPER? If you scorched the inside of your stainless steel popper, the burnt oil will not come off with typical cleanser. Do not use super abrasive scrubbers or comet. Only one thing works for me: BARKEEPERS FRIEND cleanser and a non scratch scrubbie. Add a generous amount of Barkeepers Friend inside a DRY popper. Add a few drops of water and use the scrubbie and elbow grease in the direction of the grain to remove scorched oil. You'll have to repeat. If it still won't budge, use a more abrasive scrubbie. (Don't use too much water with the cleanser, it needs to be a a thick paste.) It will come off! Then use dish soap to wash off all cleanser, rinse and dry. And unless you want to do this again - don't skimp on oil or use higher than medium heat! Have fun, best popcorn ever!

Nice upgrade from the aluminum popper! Update 3-21-2021: The first time I made sugared popcorn in it, it was super hard to turn, and would skip gears. Then I went to pour the popcorn out, and the other side of the lid came unlatched, spilling hot sugared popcorn all over! I was so not happy, and ready to go back to my aluminum one that never gave me problems! Lol My husband looked closer at the lid, and discovered that it is slightly smaller in diameter, and slips around easily on the top of the popper. So if the lid has shifted one way, the lid clasp is not tight, and will open. So he bent the clasp so it doesn't come off easily. Problem fixed. But...the gears still slip during popping the corn; sugared or regular. Also, the vent slots in the top, allow hot oil splatters to come out and on your hand...arm...sometimes face. I have to keep my little kids out of the kitchen, for fear they'll get splattered. I had this problem with both the aluminum and stainless steel popper. So it's just a product design flaw. :( Overall, yes I would recommend this to people. It's so much nicer being able to buy popcorn in bulk and pop how much or little you want! I would advise to check out the lid clasp tho, to make sure it won't open on you! Also, for those wondering, I rarely wash my pepper. I'll wipe it out, and wipe the grease off the lid, but I kind of treat it like my cast iron skillets. Don't know if makes a difference in the long run or not. 🤷‍♀️ And....if you read thru my whole review, here's my favorite Kettle Corn recipe, from my aunt! Lol 1/2 cup popcorn kernels 1/3 cup white sugar 1/4 cup oil (I use olive oil) 1/2-1 tsp salt (depending on your salt taste level) Mix popcorn, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Heat oil in pan, add the rest of the ingredients from the bowl, quickly stirring until corn is mostly done popping (there is 2-3 second between pops...you really don't want to burn it). Sometimes I'll add 1 1/2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice to it. ;) Hope you enjoy!

It's a good item-- you can tell the stainless steel is heavier and more solid than the aluminum. Unfortunately the rod inside the handle was bent when it arrived-- and it wobbled when cranked. I managed to bend it straight enough-- so no need to send it back. But still-- for the more expensive version-- make sure it's in top shape and packed well please!

I grew up eating stove popped popcorn. When microwave popcorn came out, I ate it because it was convenient, but it was not better than stove popped popcorn. When I heard that microwave popcorn was unhealthy, I immediately started popping popcorn on my stove again and continued doing that for years. Well, this year I got an induction stovetop. Since my popcorn pan would not work on the induction cooktop, I bought an air popper. Air popped popcorn is not for me. I was desperate to find a way to make stove popped popcorn again. Shaking my popcorn pan on my glass cooktop would damage my cooktop, so I bought a single electric burner specifically for popcorn. That didn’t seem to heat as well as a regular stove, so my popcorn would not pop fully. So… I went back to Amazon to find a different solution. I found multiple popcorn pans that would stir the kernels. I decided to try one, assuming the stirring would do away with the need to shake my pan. There were options that were much more expensive than this one, but the reviews on this one were so good, that I decided to take the risk. I purchased the stainless steel pan so I could use it on an induction burner. I could not be happier! At first I didn’t read the instructions, and I had kernels that barely popped. I broke down and followed the instructions, and now my popcorn is perfect every time! I have been making popcorn on the stove for decades, and this is easier, and the popcorn is perfect!! Buy this one!!! Save your money for popcorn kernels! I can’t imagine that there is any other brand that could be better in any way.

After years of disappointing popcorn from our air popper, I decided to give the Whirley Pop popcorn maker a try. I went with the stainless steel model for the thicker base that works better for kettle corn and is also equipped with metal gears for durability. Following the included directions, I seasoned the pot and proceeded to make our first batch with the included all-in-one popcorn packet. After a short period of time the wonderful sound and smell of movie theater popcorn was in the air. The Whirley Pop worked wonderfully and produced great popcorn with only a few kernels left unpopped. The next batch, I decided to try my hand at kettle corn, using a simple recipe of 1/4 cup neutral oil, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup Amish XL popcorn. Setting the stove heat level to medium, I added the oil and three kernels, when those popped, I then added the rest of the popcorn and waited until I heard those kernels start to pop before adding the sugar. After dumping into a bowl, I added a little salt and tossed to harden the sugar which produced a delicious kettle corn, just like you get at the fair! The Whirley Pop is a great product. It is simple to use, cleans up easily and spinning the handle is quite interactive and fun! I would highly recommend the Whirley Pop as a gift to family, friends and especially yourself. Get one, you won't be sorry! MW

I could not be more pleased with this popper. I purchased the stainless version and it arrived nice and shiny packaged in a sturdy box. I seasoned it as the directions instructed, let it cool a bit, and then wiped it out with a paper towel. I placed the pot on my scale, zeroed it out and poured in110 grams of popping corn and 20 grams of olive oil. I placed the lid on top and put it on my stove, set the dial at 6 on the 1 to 10 scale. I started turning the crank and l think I may have been turning it too fast because as soon as i slowed down a little, it started popping like crazy. Very soon, the crank started to get harder to turn and the popping slowed down to just a very few pops, so I pulled it off the burner expecting it to be half full of burnt kernels, but to my amazement, it was nearly to the top. I poured it out and not a single burned kernel. Put some salt on it and started to enjoy some of the best popcorn I have ever eaten. I highly recommend this product. So much better than air or microwave popped corn.

This is certainly 5 star. We love it! We tried the packet of popping corn it came with first. Then popped our own plain corn with some coconut oil. Absolutely perfect! Very happy with this and highly recommended, we have the induction model as true to the instructions popcorn done in 3-4 minutes. You just wipe out after and it’s ready for the next use.

This is an amazing popcorn maker. We are using it on our induction stovetop. About 4 minutes total. Cleanup is easy. Bullet proof popcorn! Delicious texture and pops every kernel.

I love my Whitley Pop! It is great quality and works well with my new induction stove.

Makes the best popcorn and every kernel pops. Great machine.

Best popcorn ever!