We’ve had ours for almost 1 1/2 years now and I’ve never spent that effort cleaning our kettle. Wipe it out with a wet cloth every now and then but nothing else thus far. Baked in flavor I assumed. No real build up yet at all as far as I can tell.
Maybe I should be cleaning it more????

NEVER clean the kettle.

(unless something burns it black).

It takes about 10 batches to **season** the kettle for best taste; if you clean it, you have to start all over again.

Once every few batches, wipe out the kettle with a dry paper towel. That's it.

Hell no.

Theaters just wipe them out with a dry paper towel.

That’s what I thought. Just wanted to confirm

I concur. Pryor to this fiasco, I never cleaned it. I just wiped it out with a paper towel between batches.

The old guys at the Detroit Popcorn Co. (now in Redford but formerly on Greenfield in the D.) the Gold Medal distributor for this territory say: Just wipe out the kettle with a Terry cloth after it has cooled down.
That's the predecessor to microfiber for you youngsters.....

FYI, Amazon has a 24-pack of Gold Medal 8oz kits for $27.19 with free shipping. That's the cheapest I've seen them ...

https://www.amazon.com/Products-Coconut-2838-Popcorn-pre-measured/dp/B001D20WAW/ref=lp_2592790011_1_1_a_it

This times one million. I was about to post the same thing. Kettles are like cast iron cookware...properly seasoning them is the key. The only time you would do a clean, like the Gold Medal or Carbon Off, was if the accumulation was so bad the kettle was smoking on use or the stirrers were getting bound up. A nice, seasoned kettle looks dark brown inside - no stainless visible.

I worked theater concessions for six years growing up. I had the "don't overclean" the kettle drilled into me.

BTW - the way we cleaned a kettle was to dump ice in it and run the kettle with the stirrer on until the ice completely melted. Dump water in bucket and wipe out with paper towels. This was on kettles that got heavy use 365 days a year and I never saw one go down for repair or get unneccesary carbon build up.

I can attest to this. My popcorn definitely started tasting better the more I used the popper. That's why I'm kind of bummed I had to clean it. Now I have to start all over.

Pop a bunch and take it to thanksgiving

I have to do that every year, or get yelled at for forgetting

Pop away! Your dogs will love you. Mine run downstairs the moment they hear the kernels popping. Don’t know why they like popcorn so much, but they do.

My dog loves popcorn too. He's always sneaking down into the basement to see if he can find any stray kernels on the ground near the machine.

My cat sits by the machine and munches down any stray pieces that hit the floor while filling our bowls. I think she's a salt addict.

This machine is $115 on amazon today for cyber Monday...

Great Northern Popcorn Black 6 oz. Ounce Foundation Old-Fashioned Movie Theater Style Popcorn Popper https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002YOQ7VG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_A5--BbRXKBRBX

Getting ready for the NYE party......

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How much were those in #50 cans?

It seems weird to have a brand called Butcher Boy and then brag it's "woman owned".

Why not call it Butcher Broad ?

$99.99 street price. $79 food service price. Still more than on-line but no shipping costs if you pick up at Detroit Popcorn Co.

My first go at it.
Big party tonight and tomorrow night.
I’ll report back

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I'll be doing some popping tomorrow as well. I'm curious of your results and proportions. I have a box of Great Northern pre portioned bags and I can't seem to get results as good with separate ingredients. I would think it would be the other way around. The pre portioned bags are cheap enough so it's not a big deal. Disclaimer: These taste tests are never done sober.

1st party Popcorn was a success (Teen Bday Party). Tsp of Flavacol in the Oil. Poured Ghee all over the top. Melted the Ghee for 20 secs in the microwave in a glass dish.
My son's friends kept telling him how good the popcorn was.
The Pop Secret really was Big and Fluffy (hmmm....that might be a sequel pin to Big and Juicy), but I'll need to find a bulk container at a cheaper price if this becomes popular.

Next up, NYE Party (Adults).

hi all,
I have a 1920's/30's wood Excel popcorn machine that I need to find out how to use it. I understand that the oil and popcorn go into the top holes and turn the crank, but I have no idea how/ where the popcorn comes out into the cabinet. The kettle is mounted inside the top roof of the machine and does not have a tilt mechanism. (see pics). How does this work? Thank you, Rick

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That popcorn maker looks awesome! I tried to search on google for instructions but couldn’t find anything. Their was a past auction though tgat had one and mentioned they had a original recipe and instructions. Not sure if you could contact them?

http://www.icollector.com/1930s-1940s-POPCORN-MACHINE-BY-EXCEL-ELECTRIC-837324_i5492622

Thanks Pinballlew for the reply.
I figured it out. You have to lift up that dome with the slots in it (see second pic) and twist enough for the tabs (you can see one at the bottom of pic 2) to keep it up by resting on the cabinet roof. That produces a 2" (or so) gap/ opening inside the kettle area from the walls of the kettle and the stirrer bottom of the kettle (the kettle actually separates in two which allows the popcorn to fall out into the cabinet with the stirrer actually pushing the popcorn out. I guess this is a space saving tactic as most of the popper is above the cabinet and this machine is smaller than most, so there really isn't enough room for a tilt type kettle and the popcorn in the cabinet. Now time to restore this (it actually still works after 80+ years)! Rick

Does anyone have make white cheddar popcorn using your machine? If so any good recipes?

Pop the popcorn, add butter, shake in kitchen garbage bag to disperse the butter, then add the powder from "white cheddar shells and cheese" box.

Nothing on earth is better

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I use this stuff. Delicious! I pop the popcorn like normal and then shake it on. I even have people shake it on their own bowls, because not everyone likes my heavy hand!

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Thank you!

Looks good but not available anywhere near me...can’t even find it available online.

I just found this on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Hoosier-Hill-Farm-Cheddar-Cheese/dp/B01INI4QA0/ref=sr_1_4_a_it
I have not tried it. One of the reviews suggests it's a good substitute for the Cabot. I really don't want 2 lbs of it, but you only save a couple bucks by buying the 1lb.

Here are more pics of my antique popper As you can see in the pics, I need to reglue the cabinet seams and reattach some of the metal bracing before stripping off that silver paint to bring it back to a natural wood stain like it should be (I would imagine that paint is full of lead, yummy!) Any info. or thoughts on this popper would be great There is not much info. on it. Rick

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I'm celebrating National Popcorn Day today. Who's with me?

I’m in!

I celebrate almost daily, but I'm totally with you today.

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Made Kettle corn...First time I have used Coconut oil but now that I have I am never going back...way good! I also added more sugar then my previously posted recipe. Another plus...best batch yet.

I adjusted my recipe after reading reviews of the flavorcall normal and caramel where for the caramel most recommended doubling the amount suggested.

My review of their caramel is not great...it’s similiar to Cracker Jack popcorn. I will be looking for a better Caramel corn recipe and post what I learn here.

Happy Popcorn Day everyone!

check out my post #199 for a sure fire hit caramel corn recipe.

piss poor planning.
extended weekend, single digit temperatures, and I'm down to my last coconut oil packet (gold medal #2638 96 ct/ 2oz)

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Alright I printed out the recipe and I will give this a go and post my report back here. What is the soft ball stage of Caramel and what are you looking for when you test a few drops in ice water?

if you have a cooking thermometer it's 235° F. Soft ball is sort of what it sounds like, the droplet pretty much holds it shape while it sinks to the bottom, then slowly dissipates. 5 minutes from when the syrup starts a moderate boil is usually the mark to start checking. If you undercook, it makes the corn a little sticky, if you over cook, it crystallizes too much and gets too hard to eat. A good "do" on the caramel sauce and this stuff melts in your mouth. Don't be afraid to add a little more salt if you're a fan of the current "salted" caramel trend. Candy making is a bit of an art. This recipe makes a pretty huge batch and can be a bit to manage if you don't have the pans. This is a doubling of the original version I received in high school foods and nutrition class 40 years ago, but those portions never met demand.

That sucks! You should be able to get some coconut oil or ghee from Amazon in a day if not locally to you. Lot of Whole Foods places should have either too.

I found one dealer on Amazon for the exact same Gold Medal product I've been buying and it doesn't qualify for Prime so they stick you $$$ for shipping. I found a home theater vendor that sells it for $50/case including shipping. It will be here Thursday. I have other plain white coconut oil in the kitchen if push comes to shove, but it just won't be the same. (I'm spoiled) While it's available locally, not interested in large buckets or cans of the stuff. I'll pay for the mess free convenience of the pre-measured pak, plus it keeps really well in this manner of packaging.

I hear you on the convenience too. The little tubs do make a mess when making it. And too lazy to make up kits myself.

Wow, just got through the entire thread (read most, but skimmed a bit). I've been looking into buying a machine for a while, and just pulled the trigger the other day. This is what I bought (Paramount 6oz):
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I understand this is not the top of the line, and that it may rust a bit, but has anyone tried this perticular model? If so how did it work?

I purchased this machine and the prepackaged kits before reading this thread. As such, I think I made a mistake with the prepackaged kit as it says soybean oil. Is this no good and should I throw it away when it arrives? Here's a link to the kit:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00472MN70/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00__o00_s00

When I realized my mistake I looked up my local concession stand supplier and found Butcher Boy Coconut oil with butter flavoring. It does not say pure coconut oil, but was wondering if it should be used. They do not have a product that says pure coconut oil. I'd hate to buy a gallon of the wrong stuff. Picture of the oil below:
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I've seen that in theaters, so it can't be terrible.

It looks like coconut oil with the normal Carotene added so it pops yellow - but it looks like they added **butter** flavor to the oil itself.

Let us know how it tastes!

I heard these oil/butter machines are a nightmare to clean, or at least are time consuming to clean every time you use them?

1st:

You don't put any butter in the machine.

You only put oil and salt in the kettle - that's it.

2nd:

You NEVER clean the kettle.

It gets seasoned like a cast iron pan or BBQ grill - and you don't want to ever clean that seasoned surface off.

There is an "old maids" drawer that catches any unpopped or under popped kernels. You empty this every 5 or so pops.

Sorry not actual butter hah. I really meant just the oil or whatever oil you use.

So, you never have to clean the machine at all?

I was just worried that someone would put butter into a 500* kettle and.....yeah.

No, you never clean it.

You might wipe the inside of the machine out once in a while with a dry paper towel, but really that's it.

If you do something crazy like put butter in it, you will have to get some de-carbonizer spray to clean the burnt butter out - then you have to re season the kettle again.

Are you referring to a separate butter/oil dispenser, or the popcorn machine itself?

The machine itself. Something like this for example:

https://www.ht-express.com/Paragon-Theater-Pop-4oz-P19.aspx

or this:
https://www.htmarket.com/allstred4ozp1.html

It says easy to clean kettle, so I'm assuming you have to clean the kettle? I just brought this topic up to my wife and she said these machines are time consuming to clean every time you use them.