Pros: Large capacity, good stirring action, easy to use and clean.
It is very versatile
Cons: The only thing this popcorn maker could use a style upgrade, not the coolest looking.
The Bottom Line: Buy this machine. Do not hesitate. It seems too good to be true. Buy it before they discontinue it. It's almost impossible to find in Canada.
samsonbeta's Full Review: West Bend 82306 Stir Crazy® Popcorn Maker
I would go on a North America road trip, selling these popcorn makers if I could.
They single handily have saved Popcorn's slow descent into Microwave hell.
It takes a beating, it is family friendly, and it's just amazing.
Popcorn has been too long neglected because of the lack of good machine. At home, most people have that vicious machine gun firing air popcorn maker...
"WHWIIIRRRRRR>>>>>>>> PTOO PTTOO PTTOOOO WHIRRRRR>>>>>"
or the packs of microwave popcorn "mmmn....extra greasy or extra burnt today?"
This old school popcorn maker, is the BEST popcorn maker I have ever had. Hand's down, it sits in my Home theater room in a place of honor. It is the centerpiece of my LOBBY concession. Why is it there? Why not a fancy stand up machine that costs a few hundred dollers? It's not the cost, because I love my Home theater and have spent mucho dinero's on it.
It's the fact that this machine is the BEST.
Easy to Clean. The machine consists of 2 parts. The top piece is a lid that just snaps off and becomes a serving bowl. The bottom part unplugs from the electrical cord. Both pieces are really easy to wash. You cannot put the bottom part into the dishwasher.
How much popcorn can this hold? The Stir Crazy holds the equivalent of 8 bags of standard microwave popcorn. It doesn't take very much kernel corn to make it either.
In my experience of 4 years .... it has never made more than 3 burned kernels.
And those 3 burned kettles were only because I forgot to put in enough oil.
It takes about 7 minutes to pop completely, but it's fun to watch as it makes popcorn.
"POP POP POP... bounce Bounce BOUNCE ... Pop"
My little 5 yr old niece loves helping to make popcorn and watching it pop with the clear plastic though.
How easy it to use? Well, besides having to supervise my niece she can use this machine herself.
There are NO controls. It's 3 steps.
Step one pour in oil of choice, step two pour in a scoop of popcorn, step three put lid on machine, step four plug into outlet.
That's it. This machine is a true work horse it has lasted over 4 yrs of hard use for me. I'd say I've made popcorn with it over 1000 times with no problems...
Some other features that make this popcorn maker amazing....
You can put in any kind of oil to make popcorn,
It's true, and each one will make a different tasty popcorn.
For my friends the dieters,
Popcorn popper with motorized stirring rod to ensure all kernels pop Produces up to 6 quarts in about 5 minutes; built-in butter well Stops automatica...More at Amazon
The Westbend Stir Crazy 6-qt popcorn maker is designed with an exclusive motorized rod which stirs the popcorn kernels, yielding 25% more popcorn than...More at QVC
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.