Amazon.com: Customer reviews: West Bend Popcorn Machine, Stir Crazy Black

Top positive review

Still going after all these years

Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2012

Amazon reminds me I bought this unit in 2006. It still works perfectly, but here are some points to consider. First of all I never leave the black butter tray on the top when the popping is in progress. The steam needs to get out to get the crispest possible result. It's still not quite as crisp as microwave popcorn, but does a good job of popping all the kernels into big fluffy pieces. I use organic popping corn which I store in a big mason jar to keep it fresh--if that matters with popcorn--don't know, but it's easier to pour from a jar than a plastic bag, and I never have a problem with the quality diminishing over time.

I don't serve the popped corn in the cover (you'd need to replace the black cap if you do) because the inside is damp from the steam and would dampen the corn. I prefer emptying it out into a wooden bowl. That makes a nicer presentation, but in a dorm room, that doesn't matter and the cover serves fine in a pinch.

The stirring arm will reverse by itself if it becomes snagged on heaped kernels or popped pieces and keeps things moving well during the popping. Cleanup is usually just wiping it out with a paper towel after it's cooled. When it's plugged in it begins heating immediately and the arm starts going around. It doesn't go fast, just enough to stir the corn as it pops. If you fill it too full of kernels the popped corn will raise the lid and escape so best to keep to the suggested maximum amount of kernels. I never bother to measure, just look for a single layer of kernels spreading out on the cooking surface. More than that means overflow. When you hear the popping stop, you unplug the unit and turn the whole thing over via the side handles, then lift the base off the bowl, returning it to the counter. It's easy, but the inside surface of the base is hot so it's good to be careful.

If you want buttered popcorn, use butter to begin with as the fat instead of oil. It pops into the corn and flavors it nicely. If drizzling butter on afterward is still important to you, I heat the butter in the microwave and pore it on separately. The butter holder in the top isn't as effective in my opinion. I'd rather keep it free for letting the steam escape.

I've tried several different poppers over time, but was never really satisfied and kept going back to the microwave version, but worried about it being unhealthy. Popcorn can be a good snack if you hold the oil down and don't add too much salt, so I kept searching for a popper where I could control those things and use my own non-GMO corn. This one really fits the bill. It's consistent, reliable and simple--and still working perfectly after six years. Although the popped corn could be a bit crisper, it's good enough that I will stick with this popper and am very satisfied with it. Highly recommended.

One person found this helpful

Top critical review

Critical reviews›

Pdok

Sorry I bought it. Going back to my Kettle Crazy instead.

Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2016

I purchased this to replace the Kettle Crazy model which lasted many years until the teflon wore off. By comparison, the Stir Crazy is terrible. Here are my complaints:

- Cheap, thin metal cooking pan. Heats quickly, but also very quickly burns the popcorn if you don't immediately turn it off and flip the thing over to remove the corn, and I'm talking within 15 seconds or you'll have scorched corn. The Kettle Crazy is heavier metal, and you can therefore wait until the pops die down a few seconds.

- Cheap, thin metal stir rod. Doesn't sit evenly on the cheap plastic center pivot, which means it doesn't move corn on 50% of the sweep. No way to bend it down closer to the pan, because of how it already bends from the pivot. The Kettle Crazy has a thick aluminum bar to stir, and it rocks, plus bendable because the angles are different.

- Cheap, thin nonstick coating. Already at the edges I can see where the coating didn't quite get applied. Seriously? Very poor quality.

- Cheap plastic bowl material. Again, comparing to the Kettle Crazy, the bowl is very flexible at the handles when it gets heated by the machine during popping. The handles and bowl feel like they're approaching putty softness, although I haven't seen them deform permanently. When I take the bowl off, it's surprisingly supple, let's just say.

- There is a gap between the metal pan and the plastic inside edge of the housing for the burner. Predictably, water and popping oil will enter this gap when popping or cleaning. The oil then smokes and burns off during the next cycle, which is a complete house-filler. A ridiculous flaw that should never have survived the first draft of the plans for this unit. Your option then is to wipe down the unit with a wet cloth, and somehow rinse away the residue without subjecting to a stream of water, or to orient the gap so that water runs away from the housing (upside down in the sink). The Kettle Crazy is a continuous pan, teflon coated, and easy to rinse in the sink without fear or water entering the unit.

- Cord needs to be 1 foot longer, at minimum. Another inexplicable decision, probably a result of the corporate legal team and the UL conspiring to reduce wire gauge to a minimum while ensuring no one will be able to pop more than a couple feet from an outlet. Irritating.

I can't believe the difference between this product and the Kettle Crazy, both by West Bend. Obviously not a collaborative effort.

Here's what I do like:

- Pops quickly and reasonably few unpopped kernels
- Bowl shape on this has a little more side bulge than the Kettle Crazy, which allows the popped corn to expand and the unpopped kernels to fall back down more easily. It's a minor difference, but I did notice it during use.
- It is somewhat lighter overall than the Kettle Crazy, undoubtedly due to the inferior quality of materials chosen, however.

11 people found this helpful

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From the United States

C. G. King

Still going after all these years

Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2012

Verified Purchase

One person found this helpful

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John the Iron Hearted

Buy it! Lives up to the hype and more!

Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2010

Verified Purchase

I don't like microwave popcorn. The stuff has some sort of heavy oil that coats my mouth afterwards and I'm turned off by all the warnings I've read of many health concerns over microwave popcorn, the stuff they use to coat the bag and the unnecessary added chemicals. I became a stalwart stovetop popper, generally requiring that I use too much oil, making too much mess with spattered oil all over the stove, unavoidable burning of at least a few kernels and smelling up the house that brought complaints from the rest of the family.

I finally bought the Stir Crazy popper after looking around a bit for a plug-in self-contained table-top unit. I was heartened by all the positive reviews here, on Amazon, and once it arrived, I eagerly fired up my first batch.

2 tablespoons of oil and a half-cup of popping corn (and I've only used the store-brand supermarket popping corn) yielded a huge batch of popcorn in four minutes with either one or two, or more often, none at all, un-popped kernels. It works perfectly every time! No burning, no big mess, just excellent popcorn!

For a unit under $30, it is a wonderful value. I would not hesitate to buy another.

My only concerns are minor and they would not deter me from buying this again, but I'll state them nonetheless, The dome cover gets very hot. It rests directly on the perimeter of the cooking surface. Although I don't smell any chemical odors, I wonder about the risk of the plastic becoming unstable when heated and possibly out-gassing chemicals. The domed cover is a little thin and flimsy feeling. The cover that presses onto the top (which would be the bottom if you were to use it as a bowl) is just a press fit, it doesn't snap on or screw on or anything. That cover is left off during popping so that the released steam can escape and can be pressed on to use the domed cover as a bowl. I've resigned myself to not using it. I do not use the dome as a bowl and put the press on cover back in the box.

The unit is not immersible. It would be nice if the cooking surface were removable for cleaning or if it was better sealed to the base so that water could be sprayed onto it without the fear of water leaking into the electrical area where the motor and heating element is. It does clean up easily by wiping with a damp sponge or cloth but I'd still feel better being able to give it a periodic washing.

Aside from my minor criticisms, it's perfect. It performs flawlessly and my greatest concern now is that I'm now eating too much popcorn as a consequence!

3 people found this helpful

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ChristyK

Does a great job and easy cleanup

Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2011

Verified Purchase

I bought this for my popcorn-loving husband for Christmas. He really wanted one of the large kettle poppers, but not only were they expensive, I think he would have hated the clean up required. Actually, he probably would have left it for me half the time and I know I wouldn't have liked the clean up lol. He eats a lot of microwave popcorn and not only am I concerned about what's in that, I also can't stand the smell. I didn't want to get an air popper because I wanted something that could get the taste close to movie popcorn taste and these type of poppers seem to get better reviews for that when using things like coconut oil.

Yes, I'm one of those people who researches every little detail before buying something new. I rely heavily on Amazon reviews. I'm sure I spent way too much time deciding on Christmas gifts, but this one paid off. I read lots of reviews. It came down to this Stir Crazy or the newer one that also does nuts. I really didn't like what I was reading about a gap between bowl and heating element on the newer popper, so I went with this one. He is very happy with it. It's fun to watch it pop (I'll try to get a video up), it pops almost all kernels (that of course also depends on popcorn), and I love just flipping over the bowl and serving. He made so much the first time, he was able to easily split it into two large bowls. Clean up is super easy and it's set up and ready to go the next time.

One thing that was not so good, but was not the fault of the popper. My husband said the popcorn was stale. It was a brand new large bottle of Orville Redenbacher. Though I'm not much of a popcorn eater (gasp!), I had to agree. I never would have expected unpopped popcorn to go stale. I think I need to go back to the popcorn we buy through the Boy Scouts.

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tgtech

Fast and furious

Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2011

Verified Purchase

Great popper! Like many others know, popcorn from a hot air or electric popper (such as this one) is probably healthier than using the microwave bags which vaporize chemicals in the lining of the bag as well as the chemicals in the 'flavoring.' Put the words 'microwave popcorn health' into a search engine and browse through the 179,000 hits. This is the primary reason I switched to an electric popper.

First, the 'bad'...
- The stirring rod needed some manual bending so it didn't rub the non-stick surface (noted by other reviewers)
- Even after adjusting the stirring rod, popcorn kernels get caught between the rod and the heating surface causing a 'screeching' sound. The stirrer seems to reverse motion after encountering too much resistance. I guess this problem is a function of the size of the popcorn kernels and the space between the rod and the surface
- The plastic threaded nut which holds the stirrer onto the motor will probably strip if you take it on and off too many times (also noted by other reviewers)
- The plastic cover, which is also usable as a bowl, is pretty thin and flexible, making me worry it might break in the near future

The 'good' ...
- It heats and pops quickly and efficiently; almost every kernel pops!
- It is easy to clean
- The size is just right for 1-3 people as you can vary the amount of popcorn you put in
- Cheaper per serving than microwave (and healthier)
- Very little oil is needed and you can use almost any high temperature oil you want (canola, peanut, etc)

Helpful

JeriOwl

Perfect Popcorn, everytime! No chemicals, you control the ingredients!

Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2011

Verified Purchase

Since my husband's heart attack and since we learned how to reverse his type 2 diabetes, we avoid *all* food chemicals as much as possible. We both loved popcorn, but we tossed out the door the chemical laden microwave convenience popping brands. The past few years we've used the Nordic Ware 60120 Microwaver Popcorn Popper 12 Cup and were satisfied.. until our microwave died. Once we went through the hassle of replacing our over the range microwave, my husband admitted popping popcorn was very hard on a microwave. Just Grrreat. So we were again on the search for a healthful solution to having our favorite healthy snack - popcorn! without destroying our microwave. We knew we did not want a hot air popper - we like the taste of the oils and we realize the important roles of healthy fats in the diet.

Growing up his family had a West Bend. I had experienced the delicious popcorn at a friends house, but had never tried one myself. The West Bend arrived last week. We immediately unpacked it, washed the plastic bowl and ensured the prongs did NOT rub the non-stick coating (thanks to comments from previous reviewers!) With nothing to assemble it was mere minutes before we began experimenting with batches of popcorn (we have german shepherds who enjoyed the fruits of our endeavors!) We found the perfect mixture is simply: 1 cup popcorn, 2 tablespoons peanut oil, 2 tablespoons butter. (We realize per the manufacturer the butter is supposed to be in the butter cup above the popcorn - but we don't like any unnecessary mess to clean up!) Plug it in and monitor until the kernels slow / stop popping. We found for the most efficient pop was to warm the kettle for a couple minutes before loading with ingredients.

Our granddaughters were coming over, so of course we had to experiment with "kettle corn". It came out amazing! We simply added a small amount of sugar to the above ingredients. There are a number of other recipes in the West Bend Popper manual that we still intend to try. Happy Popping!

Update: The popper is still going strong! We have not experienced smoking issues when adding the butter directly to the kettle when adding the oil and popcorn (as has been otherwise indicated). We also add a bit of sea salt (good source of trace minerals!) for perfectly flavored popcorn, every time. We simply warm the kettle a few moments (since it's currently winter here in the Midwest), unplug, add the ingredients and start the popper - perfect results every time. One cup of kernels perfectly fills a Plastic Popcorn Tub - 8.5" Square however ours was very inexpensive from the local dollar store ;-) My husband has limited use of his hand, yet he finds this popper relatively easy to flip when finished. Pr-adolescents may need assistance to flip the hot popper over, but most older adolescents should be able to use this popper - with adult supervision of course!

3 people found this helpful

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Pdok

Sorry I bought it. Going back to my Kettle Crazy instead.

Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2016

Verified Purchase

11 people found this helpful

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Carl Wellman

We just threw out the Whirley Pop, this popper is excellent!

Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2012

Verified Purchase

Yep, the Whirley Popper went out to the recycle trash contrainer this week! I believe the tough corn we were getting was because the Whirley didn't eliminate the steam as well as it should, tough corn almost everytime.
Enter the Stir Crazy. After reading the reviews I decided to order one and we sure are happy with ours.
We use coconut oil (I know I know) which makes excellent tasting corn. I use about 1.5 table spoons of coconut oil and .75 teaspoon of popcorn salt and that seems to be just about right. The grand kids enjoy watching the corn pop in the plastic lid and the steam comes out the top, a lot of steam, and with that, we get very fluffy non rubbery popcorn with excellent flavor.
The metal stir rod is easy to take off and put back together after cleaning.
After making the first batch of corn, my wife told me "honey, we've been missing out by using the Whirley Popper, this corn is the best we've had in years!" She's right, as alway ;>)
Easy to use, 3/4 cup of corn will fill the bowl and pops pretty much all the kernels, the corn is fluffy and crunchy, we love this popper, order yours and enjoy it too! ;>)

UPDATE: Ooops, we must have gotten a lemon here, 6 months after we purchased this popper, it would no longer work and the Teflon had all but rubbed off in the center of the pan. I did order another one and the newer ones have a "B" in front of the serial number and
they have a deeper pan, so this one is working well and popping the corn very quickly and without removing the Teflon from the pan ;>)

Still a happy customer, what's $28 with free shipping, that's about the cost of 3 large popcorns at the movies ;>O

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Glenn Sobotka

Wanted to love it

Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2012

Verified Purchase

When we first got this popper we couldn't be happier with it. It popped all the corn and didn't ever burn it. However it does have some cons.
Cons:
First, the way the thing is built makes it very difficult to clean it properly. If you don't clean it immediately after using it, the oil gelatinizes and pretty much refuses to come off the teflon surface. It wouldn't be that big of a deal if you could soak it for a little while but that just isn't possible with how it's constructed. It takes much more than a quick wipe to clean properly. If you don't mind popping your popcorn, then spending the next 5 minutes cleaning your popcorn machine, then this won't bother you at all. However, I find it an unnecessary annoyance.

Second, the butter melting port is completely useless, we used it probably three times and then gave up on it. The melted butter just sits in the top and doesn't fall through the holes.

Third, after just a couple months of use (used probably 15 times) the teflon surface has started to scratch off. When the spinning arm rotates it can grab corn kernels and they can become lodged between the teflon and the arm and scratch the surface. I wasn't a fan of teflon for this reason but I didn't think it would be an issue with a popcorn popper. However I was wrong and now the surface of the popper is scratched and I don't want to eat off of it anymore because ingesting teflon is very bad for you.

Fourth, and this may not matter to some people, but the popper requires ALOT of oil. If you don't put enough in, the corn will start to pop and then stop halfway though wasting a ton of corn. I emphasize the amount of oil used because I wanted popcorn to be a healthy snack, and with the amount of oil required to run this machine it makes it just as bad as something fried. Also it's very disappointing to only get a couple cups of popped popcorn and then have to throw out a bunch wasted popcorn because it didn't pop because there wasn't enough oil. I buy organic, non GMO, popcorn that's very high quality and it's painful to throw out the expensive stuff.

Fifth, while the corn is popping, there seems to be a lot of condensation build-up inside the dome. This is really annoying because once the popcorn is done and you go to flip it into the bowl, the popcorn absorbs the condensation on the dome and gets soggy. Just a minor complaint that didn't always bother me, but it was annoying.

So all in all, I wouldn't buy this popper again or recommend it to others. It doesn't last or make healthy popcorn that I wanted. I've invested in a cheaper air popper. I also say this because I do not believe that I received a lemon. I received exactly what they're advertising with no defects. This is simply how the machine is designed and I did not like it.

4 people found this helpful

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shakin_jake

Buy this Popcorn Popper, Now!

Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2014

Verified Purchase

For the record, I've only used this popcorn popper once. That said, I spent a lot of time reading reviews before spending the $28 that I did to buy it from Amazon. I also researched the other ingredients I needed to make the Movie Theater popcorn experience I was after, and found using the right ingredients. First of all, what almost no one mentions, or perhaps they don't think about is this has a 1000 watt rated heater, which means it pops the corn quick and efficiently. I looked at the professional models of popcorn poppers and the best (IMO) made in the U.S. uses a 1200 watt heating element, in all of their commercial poppers, so for this consumer model to have 1000 watts, that's saying a lot

Anyways, I doubt once the corn kernels started popping, it didn't take but a minute to pop all of the 1/2 cup of white popcorn kernels I added. When I bought this popper, I also bought these ingredients in the same order:
Flavacol Seasoning http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004W8LT10/ref=oh_details_o00_s01_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
4 lbs. Snappy White Popcorn Kernels http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00382UXU4/ref=oh_details_o00_s01_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
1 gallon of White Coconut oil (Snappy's) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A2A88ZW/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
And a Gallon of O'Dell's Super Kist Two Topping http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002YLNUL4/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

the O'Dell's product is a butter topping you add after the popcorn is popped. I bought a plastic mustard squeeze bottle to pour the O'Dell's topping into then I ran it in my microwave oven for about 45 seconds to heat the oil up. This oil is soybean oil with flavor enhancers added. As I read others say and I agree with them, you use this topping for the texture it gives the popped corn, and you squirt it on like you would add melted butter to your popcorn, but this has no water content like butter has so your popcorn wont get soggy

I also followed the advice of others when I made this first batch of popped corn. What I did was to add 3 tablespoons of coconut oil directly to the popper before plugging it in. I then added 1 teaspoon of Flavacol Seasoning on top of the coconut oil, then I plugged the machine in which turns it on as there isn't an on and off switch. When you plug this machine into a wall socket, it's running and wont stop until you unplug it. That said, I did a short dry run with my popper by plugging it in and observing how the wand rotated in relation to the bottom of the popper. Some have had the turning wand arms touch the base of the popper and remove the non stick coating after so many uses. Mine did not touch but if they did, the gage of the metal wand is light enough you can bend the metal to eliminate a rubbing possibility. On that note, on these newer Stir Crazy corn poppers, the center nut which holds the wand in place is a threaded cap, is spring loaded, and enables the metal wand to not touch the popping surface, so the new models like this one have been improved

Okay so the dry test run was completed, making sure the popper got hot and the wand wasn't rubbing...I added the 3 tablespoons of coconut oil, 1 teaspoon of Flavacol and only 4 kernels of popcorn. I then plugged it in. I didn't add the entire 1/2 cup of popcorn as I read it's best to get the machine up to operating temperature before adding the popcorn, and by adding only 4 kernels of corn while it warmed up, once the 4 kernels popped, I knew it was hot enough to add the rest, which I did and that 1/2 cup of pop corn popped in under a minute. Yeah!, it went that quick. Pre-heating your popper eliminates the possibility of over cooking your popcorn

I want to mention. You don't want to leave the center removable lid on the clear inverted bowl/cover on while the corn pops. The top of the bowl with the holes drilled in it acts as a vent so steam from the corn kernel can vent. If you keep the cover on the vent, that moisture wont escape and you will have soggy popcorn, so leave that lid off while you pop your corn

So how did the popcorn taste? IMO?....it tasted better than what you buy at the movie theater. I was concerned that 1 teaspoon of the Flavacol seasoning might be too much, giving it way too much of a salty taste, yet my biggest critic (Mrs. Jake) told me (when asked) how my popcorn rated on a scale of 1 through 10 with 10 being the highest score. She told me she rated my popcorn a 20. It doesn't get any better than that, and she's hard to please

Another point worth mentioning...you want to add the Flavacol to you oil and not shake it on the popcorn after it's popped. It's flavoring salt (giving the popcorn a buttery salty taste) but this salt is flaked salt and not granular. It's designed as a cooking salt and meant to be added to the oil while the corn pops

Seriously, if you research how to make Theater Popcorn at home, you can do it with this Stir Crazy popper and it only costs $28 and not $300 like the better home theater popcorn machines start at. Plus, the Stir Crazy has a smaller foot print, and is much easier to store in a cupboard than a professional popcorn popper for the home, which most leave out in their home theater. I thought about all of this before deciding to buy the Stir Crazy instead of a home theater popcorn machine. I like quality cooking gadgets, but I also like simplicity in my life and I doubt you can get any simpler than a Stir Crazy corn popper, if you want a plug and play corn popper and not the type of machine you have to attend to every second while it's running like you do with the hand crank poppers you use on top of your stove

I also researched what type of oil to use and my research led me to use coconut oil. I also bought the white instead of the yellow coconut oil as I didn't want the beta carotene food coloring that comes with yellow coconut oil, the type that is used for popcorn popping. I'm sure the yellow colored coconut oil is fine for popcorn but I will also use this coconut oil for other cooking tasks, hence the desire to not have yellow enhanced coconut oil for other types of cooking

In closing, it might seem on the surface that buying a gallon of coconut oil and a gallon of O'Dell's Super Kist Two topping is a bit over board, and you can buy smaller containers, but the smaller sizes end up costing a lot more per ounce and if you like to make popcorn, you will be using all of these oils up before they go bad. Same with the Flavacol Seasoning, but I have not seen a smaller container of it for sale. Coconut oil will store for two plus years if stored correctly. Even if I don't use up the entire gallon of topping within the year pull date it comes with, it's still cheaper buying it by the gallon than buying the 16 ounce container of it. I'm totally happy with all of these Amazon purchases

9 people found this helpful

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Evelina

I love it. But lasts only 2 years

Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2013

Verified Purchase

I purchased this two years ago exactly. I had owned one previously, back in the 90's which I gave away when I moved. This is why I purchased it several years later online two years ago. Despite this I am purchasing a new one. Now, about the item:

It is fairly easy to keep clean. But, after time oil works its way down between the hot plate and the plastic shell, and with lots of use you'll have drips of old oil leaking out of the bottom and a sticky mess on your counter top under the popper. I was very, very careful. There is nothing you can do to prevent this that I know off. And the hulls also sink down into that gap. I plop the bowl, stir rod and the little screw knob that holds it down into the top rack of the dishwasher without bad results. The settings it has survived is "extra hot water, steam sanitize."

Do be careful how you handle the bowl, it could crack a little when hot and it wobbles. Especially during hand washing. Better to put in the top rack of the dishwasher. The edges of the bowl tend to get little cracks over time, but it still is pretty solid regardless. Just handle it with care as it gets older so as not to crack it. The little lid you put on the bottom of the bowl still stays on after all this time! One note: Do not fill the bowl up with water when washing, then try to move it, or pick it up, to dump out the water - that's how I cracked my bowl, about a 2 inch crack by one of the handles. Even so, I was surprised, with basic gentle care, how the cracked bowl held up for another year. :) The crack did not get an worse. Thank-goodness! If you immerse the bowl in a sink full of dishwater - be very careful when picking the bowl up. Even with the holes in the bottom, and water leaking out, the weight of the water could cause your bowl to crack.

I have made kettle corn in this. Place a warm wet rag on the cooking plate while still hot to prevent the sugar from glue on to it. Remove the stir rod and the screw down knob and plunk those in some water till you wash them. Also, it would be best to use a separate bowl for serving so you can quickly wipe off the sugar from the popper's bowl because if you don't, melted clear miniscule sugar drops will stick all over it and harden by the time you finish the bowlful of corn, and be very, very difficult to remove when you wash it. Especially since you can't fill the bowl with water and leave it to soak. The bowl can't handle the weight of the water. You could immerse it in a sink of sudsy water to soak, just be sure to gently turn it sidewise to remove the bowl from water!

The instructions say not to add salt to the oil. If you do add the fine pop corn salt I noticed that there is a drag of the stir rod, and even the fine pop corn salt sounds like it is scratching the popper's cooking plate. Because of that I do not add salt and spices to the oil unless I need a certain flavor through out.

Using butter on the top works, if you cut the butter up into small little bits and distribute it evenly over the holes. My butter was cold and hard, straight out of the fridge. I would help it along by moving the parts that were melting too slowly over a hole every once in a while. Eventually I decided it was much easier to melt the butter in the microwave and mix it in after popping.

We used this frequently - sometimes twice a day but also had several months go by when we didn't use it, and decided to use a hot air popper. So, I can honestly say it didn't get used daily over the two years I had this. I was quite sad when I had to chuck the popper out with the trash.

What happened is that the popper started having more and more unpopped corn kernels. Over the past month I would sometimes have a failed pop, and when I did a second batch, it was okay. Then one day, I had to pop corn 5 times in a row, and leave it popping even when normally I would have stopped it, (left on even when it popped once ever couple of seconds). I ended up with 1/2 a bowl of popped corn accumulated from the 5 poppings. About 75 percent of the kernels didn't pop. Normally the popped corn would scorch when popped so long. This time not a bit of the corn burnt at all. To me this indicated that the heating elements were not heating the pop corn enough. And out in the trash it went that very day.

It seems that the old one I had in the 90's kept better than this one I bought two years ago. I must admit, it probably didn't get as much use as the one I bought two years ago. I did buy a similar, very good brand name pop corn popper,(not a hot air popper type), and it broke after a week or so. It was very poorly designed. I probably have a review of that somewhere on Amazon. So, in comparison with that - I feel this popper held up fairly well. And at the price, I feel it is worth purchasing it again.

I am keeping the old bowl, lid, and removable parts and cord as spares for the new one I am ordering given the flimsiness of the bowl. And it will be nice having two bowls when family comes over and wants lots popped corn!

5 people found this helpful

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West Bend Popcorn Machine, Stir Crazy Black

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