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

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!

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!

I really wanted to love this stovetop popper for movie-night glory, and for the first few uses it did deliver: plenty of fluffy popcorn in under 5 minutes, even popping, and none (or very few) burnt kernels thanks to the built-in stirring gears. But here’s the catch: if you let the aftermath sit — butter, oil, or seasoning remnants clinging to the stainless steel — cleaning turns into a small war. The “wipe with a paper towel and done” pitch is only true if you wipe immediately. Wait more than an hour, and that delightful popcorn pot becomes a crusty, sticky beast. Bottom line: for quick cleanups and fresh batches, this popper rocks. But if you’re lazy about wiping down afterward, brace yourself — scrubbing and soaking will soon become part of your popcorn ritual. However, it will undoubtedly, make you the best batch of popcorn you've ever had!

The Original Whirley Pop Popcorn Maker - 6 Quart Popcorn Popper, Popcorn Maker with Metal Gears will last us a lifetime. We upgraded to this popcorn maker from the lighter-weight Whirley Pop with plastic gears that we have used for 20+ years. We are popcorn eaters - we eat roasters full several times a week; we're not casual popcorn makers and think Whirley Pop Popcorn makers are THE BEST of the best. This model with metal gears is incredibly nice and does a fantastic job popping corn without burnt and extra kernels. The popcorn comes out fluffy and perfect every time. I rinse the pan and then put it in the dishwasher - the top I wash and dry by hand. Both clean up perfectly and maintain their shine.

Pros: -- Pot is solidly constructed with a thick bottom and reasonably thick sides -- No problems with burning at medium-high temperatures [7.5 setting on my burner at home] -- Pot cleans easily -- perhaps more easily than normal pots & pans I have around the house -- Stirring function works reasonably well esp. when used as instructed -- Flavorings like "popcorn salt" or similar are well distributed esp. when stirring as directed -- The oil is well distributed as well so you don't get any esp. heavy or non-oiled pieces. Cons: -- The stirring mechanism can jam or have problems if you let the kernels pop without fairly frequent stirring. -- Be careful of the type of oil used. Any oil [like grapeseed?] that leaves a residue after cooking at a high temperature will cause problems when it comes to cleaning the lid. The lid has many tiny grooves in it that makes cleaning out of "gummy oil residue" difficult to get to. So far Ghee and Coconut Oil [when used at lower temps] seem to work well for me. -- I suspect that the pot can last a lifetime with minimal care however the lid [for me] is likely to have a substantially shorter lifespan. Not surprising but something to be aware of.

We have been using a Whirley Pop to make popcorn for many years. The popcorn quality is excellent and can be made with very little oil. The poppers are very well made and I heartily recommend them.

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

The Whirley Pop is sturdy and has a nice heavy stainless steel bottom. The overall quality is great. I had previously purchased the Great Northern popper which was cheaper but I returned it since the quality was terrible. Cheap and flimsy. Pay a little more and get a great popper. I highly recommend.

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.

Best popcorn ever!

We purchased this particular Whirly Pop Popcorn Maker to use on our new induction stove top. Being stainless steel it is heavier than our old aluminum Whirly PPM but this is not a problem. It is well built and makes wonderful popcorn in minutes. Cleanup is quick and painless. You won't be disappointed.