I haven't been keeping up with this thread in awhile, but to those wondering if Gold Medal is a quality popper: YES!
Gold Medal makes commercial-grade equipment. I have had my 8 oz. popper for 5 years and it still looks brand new. I definitely paid more for it than most of the ones you can buy on Amazon but the build quality is second-to-none. The interior is all stainless. No rust!
I pop around 100 batches a year and the batches are very consistent. I use bulk popcorn, coconut oil, and a couple versions of Flavacol.