Great Northern Popcorn Stovetop Popcorn Maker

Curated from 120 real Reddit conversations

Refreshed on: April 17, 2025

Great Northern Popcorn Stovetop Popcorn Maker

Brand: Great Northern Popcorn Company
Price: $34
Snoop Score:
6.7
Sentiment
6.9
Popularity
9.4
Technical
5.5

Snoop's Take

The Stovetop Popcorn Maker by Great Northern Popcorn is a high-quality popcorn popper designed to bring the theater experience right into your home. With its 6.5-quart capacity and durable stainless-steel construction, this popcorn maker allows you to create fresh, delicious popcorn quickly and efficiently, making it perfect for movie nights and gatherings. Consumer feedback highlights several strengths of this popcorn maker, including its ease of use and cleaning. Many users appreciate that it pops quickly and effectively, with feedback noting, "it pops quickly" and "super easy" to clean, which adds to its convenience in busy households. Users also mention the quality of the popcorn, saying that it produces high-quality popcorn compared to air poppers, and the stirring handle effectively prevents scorching during the popping process. Overall, the Great Northern Popcorn Stovetop Popcorn Maker comes highly recommended for anyone looking for an efficient and durable popcorn popper. While some users have noted minor issues such as the crank being difficult to turn when full, the positive feedback significantly outweighs the negatives, making it a strong contender in its category.

Not for you? Check out our other rated Popcorn Poppers

Pops quickly.

Positive Feedback

They can’t be clean with standard soap can’t be put in a dish washer.

Negative Feedback
Product
6.7
Great Northern Popcorn Stovetop Popcorn Maker
Movie Night at Home
10 / 10
Healthier Snacking
2 / 10
Small Kitchens & Dorm Rooms
3 / 10
Gifts & Entertaining
10 / 10
See how this compares to all Popcorn Poppers

What it does well!

Key strengths users can’t stop talking about.
Pops quickly and efficiently.
Pops quickly.
We have this exact setup too. We even used the machine at our wedding reception and it kept up just fine!
Thanks to u/queenlegolas and u/soayherder for suggesting this BoRU
I saw 298 movies in theaters in 2024. Here is my full ranking.
Easy to clean without soap
I find the quality is a lot better than an air popper, and doesn’t take up much room in the kitchen cabinets!
That’s the best part in my opinion! It’s a different story if you do seasoning in the pot, but oil, salt, butter are all fine :)
I have the Great Northern, have owned it for two years now. My only complaint is that I wish it had
WIBTAH if I press charges on my brother's girlfriend after she called my family "white trash" and co
High quality popcorn compared to air poppers
No regrets.
Stir stick is the proper length
including the stir stick being the proper length
it smokes a little prior to popping and during where the smoke escapes the unit.
Works well and holds a lot of popcorn
I've got the GN popcorn pot and it works well, the screw holding the handle gets loose sometimes but you just retighten it, easy enough to clean too and holds alot of popcorn.
Now, popcorn like the theater. The key is flavacol, as you have above PLUS coconut oil and not the yellow or orange pre flavored stuff.
Pops quickly and efficiently
The coconut oil was smoking after about 2 minutes, so dumped the popcorn in and it popped beautifully.
Pops all kernels effectively
No cracked molars or busted crowns.
Heats evenly and quickly
It heats evenly and quickly.
Easy to clean with minimal effort
Super easy.
I'm just using oil day in and day out.
Metal gears are preferred for durability.
It has metal gears.
It has metalic gears.
Easier cleaning compared to other models.
I sliced my fingers open attempting to clean oil off the top of a Whirley Pop several times before I gave up.
Easy and fast to use.
Using the Whirley pop was easy and pretty fast.
Durable metal gears preferred.
They will last a lifetime.
Stainless steel is better for longevity.
Considering my first Whirley Pop - which one? Thinking about giving a Whirley Pop a try. Is there a consensus between the aluminum and the stainless steel one? My assumption would be the stainless steel would be better for longevity and cleaning.
Stainless steel is preferred for longevity.
Happy to spend the extra for SS but don’t want to dismiss the aluminium too quickly in case they are somehow better.
Stainless all the way.
Using flavacol with oil improves popcorn flavor.
Add a small amount of flavacol in with the oil and kernels before popping.
Flavacol goes into the oil when popping. NOT on top as a sprinkle.

Where it needs some work!

Areas to watch—feedback on possible improvements.
Difficult to clean without soap or dishwasher.
They can’t be clean with standard soap can’t be put in a dish washer.
Crank can be difficult to turn with full pot
I’ve found the problem with the Whirly Pop is that if you pop a full pot of popcorn, the crank gets difficult to turn and the crank gear starts to skip.
Quality issues with construction
Welp, I'm just gonna swap it out for another, will see if the next one is better made.
Replacement kettle not available
This chord is very specific and there is not plugin port on the roof of the inside area.
Unfortunately, we have discontinued the individual sales for the type of popcorn machine version you have and are no longer in stock as well as the parts.
Popcorn can turn out chewy.
No matter what I do I cannot seem to make popcorn that isn't a little chewy.
immediate smoking during pre heat cycle….and consistently chewy popcorn.
Small cabinets confine vapor, affecting popcorn texture.
They confine the vapor and the popcorn captures its making everything chewy.
Warranty length is short
I’d say the biggest difference is the warranty length - one year for Great Northern vs. twenty-five for Whirley Pop.
Popcorn comes out chewy
I cannot get crunchy popcorn from great northern Roosevelt popcorn machine.
Most of those popcorn machines have a thermostat adjustment for heat within the unit itself, though it's sometimes behind pieces you have to take off.

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Core Power Plays

The specs and strengths that make it shine.
Pre-measured popcorn packs simplify the popping process.
Buying premeasured packs isn't much more than buying generic kernels and coconut oil etc. and it's easier.
Discussion on popcorn toppings and flavors.
I use plain popcorn (fine) salt, and melt Irish butter on the stove.
Nice. Thanks! What other toppings do you like to use?
Discussion on alternatives to stovetop poppers
The silicone microwave poppers are super fast and easy to use.
Great northern or popsmith
Discussion about the benefits of stainless steel vs aluminum.
Does anyone have a link to the stainless steel one I’d want?
Discussion on the effects of spicy ingredients on popcorn.
It does clear the sinuses
Poor kitties. With their enhanced sense of smell, they may take revenge by leaving Tootsie Rolls on your pillow for the next few days.
One time I forgot to wash my hands afted cutting jalapeño peppers and decided a wank was in order. Not fun times.

Hidden Hero Hacks

Unexpected tricks and side‑door uses you’ll love.
Alternative uses for popcorn makers, like roasting coffee.
One of the best for roasting coffee; the reason you don’t find them all over the place in Goodwills.
Using fresh popcorn and preheating kettle improves results.
Use fresh popcorn and indeed preheat the kettle with 3 kernels or so in it.
Discussion on oil heating and popping technique
The smoke is not all smoke, it is mostly steam.
there’s a sticker on the front of mine that says let heat for 3-4 minutes, once heated add kernels and switch on stirrer.
Question about seasoning a popcorn maker.
Do I need to season the whirley pop? I never really season my pans.
Spraying flavacol can help achieve better flavor.
I wouldn't call it 'movie theatre' good, but it was Flavacol flavoured, and very good.
Suggestions for seasoning popcorn with spicy ingredients.
tl;dr: I popped stovetop popcorn in seriously intense capsaicin oil and fumigated myself and my apt with pepper spray.
Jalapeño salt is a thing, my dude. And it's awesome on popcorn
My hubby does stove top and adds butter and tobassco sauce to it's afterwards, you should check it out.
I do butter and Tapatio. Delicious.

Buyer’s Cheat Sheet

What to check before you click ‘Add to Cart.’
Using different oil and kernel ratios affects popcorn texture.
Too much and you get oil soaked kernels, too little and I suspect you end up steaming a bunch of them.
Tips for achieving crunchier popcorn shared by users.
Comes out crunchier.
Good hack! Need to try!
Salt and butter application can be tricky.
Or you sprinkle salt and none of it sticks and it all falls down to the bottom of the bowl.
Using pre-measured popcorn pouches enhances convenience.
Don’t add anything additional.
Replacement parts are affordable and available
Stainless steel whirly pop and never look back. If something breaks for some reason, they have very affordable replacement parts also.
Replacement parts availability concerns
I would contact the maker of the machine. I’m sure they’ll sell you the kettle direct, or point you to a distributor.
This is a common two prong power cable for appliances like pressure cookers etc. Search eBay for sunbeam popcorn power cable and measure the distance between holes to make sure it will fit.
Fakespot analysis tool helps detect fake reviews.
This is a Fakespot Reviews Analysis bot. Fakespot detects fake reviews, fake products and unreliable sellers using AI.
Comparison to other brands like Whirley Pop
Made warranty claim but have not even heard back after a week.
Whirley pop all the way. They are in stock on the website, www.whirleypopshop.com, and Lowe's, and Target.
Discussion about sourcing replacement parts for popcorn makers.
My girlfriend and I picked up a lovely Lincoln Popper from a yard sale and have been slowly trying to get it fully functioning for our use.
If you know the model, you can find the exact part number of the switches.
Discussion about cleaning methods and preferences
How do you clean it? Is it dishwasher safe?
I clean it by hand with hot water and soap. For me it's not a big deal to clean since I'm usually the one washing dishes anyway.
Comparison to standard pots and other methods
Easier to use than a standard pot, much easier to clean than a popcorn appliance.
Discussion on the best popcorn popper options.
Whats the very best Whirley Pop out there? I've got the 30 dollar one from Amazon but have a wedding coming up so I thought I would put a nicer one on our registry.
Induction stovetops require stainless steel.
If you have an induction stovetop it must be stainless otherwise it will not work.

Cautionary Callouts

Know the pitfalls before they catch you off guard.
Older popcorn makers can still perform well over time.
It's a bit older than I am, and still going strong.
My parents still have a Poppery.
Some popcorn makers have durability issues with replacement parts.
With the new ones, they won’t sell replacement lids/tubes. I hated having to toss mine because they designed the clear plastic to melt and crack.
Fakespot analysis of product reviews
This is a Fakespot Reviews Analysis bot. Fakespot detects fake reviews, fake products and unreliable sellers using AI.
Mimicking movie theater popcorn can be challenging.
usually, the end-result is either bland or unsatisfyingly salty (extremely salty, but not in a good way).

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