Paragon Contempo Pop 8 Ounce Popcorn Machine for Professional Concessionaires Requiring Commercial Quality High Output Popcorn Equipment, Black and Chrome

So, do you enjoy popcorn? Do you love the smell when you walk into a movie theater? Do you love the taste of movie theater popcorn? Well, you get all of that and more with this machine. This is hands down the best popcorn machine I have ever used and I have never had popcorn that tastes this good in a home environment. My home theater room smells like a movie theater and I cannot tell the difference in taste! No one else can either. This machine works fantastic, makes perfect-tasting popcorn, and cleans up easily. It is super high quality and I expect many many years of use. We have tried different brands of popcorn but the best way we found for the best tasting "movie theater" experience is using popcorn kits. We buy "GreatNorthern" popcorn kits, 10oz bags and it is the best tasting popcorn period. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075KM235K/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 The machine comes with a very handy scoop. It is kinda cheap looking so I bought a pro metal scoop but I must admit, I use the plastic one the most. I prefer this popcorn just has it comes out of the machine, the perfect amount of salt and butter already in it from the kit. But for those that just have to have extra butter (movie theater style) then my wife and daughter love Snappy Butter Burst. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AXK9ROC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I will admit it does taste just like the theater but I was never an extra butter guy myself. Now this is a butter-flavored oil just like the theater and it is NOT real butter. Tastes super though! I also use this pump with it, and it works perfect. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006R9DO1U/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Do yourself a favor and buy this machine! Thank me later!!

It's not cheap but it's a beautiful unit that will make your home theater feel like a real theater. Cooks popcorn quick and easily. The construction is second to none and I think it will last forever. Well long enough for me to enjoy it at least :) I've used it several dozen times already and found clean up super easy. All sides are glass except for the front two doors which are plexiglass (I assume to protect against accidental breakage if you open the doors into something). All of the rest of the unit is stainless steel. The built in warming light AND warming floor keep the popcorn warm as you'd expect. If you are looking for the best in a popcorn machine this is the unit. The red unit has the same construction so either should do the trick. I find the black less obtrusive in the living room than the red would be. For a dedicated home theater you may prefer the red.

I have been using a stir crazy for years, but now I need to make a big batch for when people come over. This works perfectly and makes great popcorn. The flip switches are crisp and the overall quality is superb. It fits perfectly on a small cabinet/countertop run that I had. Well worth the investment.

This replaced a 4 oz. Waring popcorn maker we've had for 6 or 7 years. Only paid around $100 for the Waring, so we were a bit reluctant to pay over 4 times as much for the Paragon. But this machine is way nicer than the Waring. It heats quickly, keeps the popcorn hot and crispy for a couple hours, and leaves very few old maids (could be because the kettle is twice the size as our old one). The aluminum kettle is SIMPLE to clean. Simply wipe with a paper towel once it's cooled off a bit and it stays looking brand new. The kettle on the old machine was stainless steel, was a royal pain to clean, and looked horrible. VERY well made, solid, heavy, and modern looking machine. Couldn't be happier with the purchase. Oh, and we changed our recipe to butter flavor coconut oil, Flavacol salt seasoning, and kernels. JUST like movie theater popcorn.

it's a popcorn machine, the better quality ingrediants gives better popcorn. the silver popcorn decal is a sticker, not painted. the kettle has a kind of black nonstick but not the best nonstick coating. the first time i fired it up, the coconut oil burnt on the bottom and is impossible to get off, i know i tried. i have used it for about 8 months and it's still woking just fine though. I use it about once a week on the weekend for redbox movie night, makes just enough for 4 adults with appetites can go through several pops in one night. the quality of materials is good the doors are made of plastic and non tinted some of the Chinese poppers have glass doors so was I shocked to see they were plastic but they serve their purpose . the stir motor sounds mechanical and strong. it's a nice popper but not perfect but it works so I'm happy.

We borrowed this exact model from my brother for a party. We decided that we wanted one ourselves as we entertain a lot. We have great results. We use coconut oil and white popcorn with half a stick (2 oz) of melted butter per kettle and Morton popcorn salt. Sometimes I'll have some popped as our guests are arriving to snack on while socializing, or after a meal while playing games or Karaoke or just visiting. This is extremely popular. I don't really worry about popping too much too soon because the popper has a heated floor and heat lamp so it tastes fresh popped for a long time. It's easy to clean as our guests lick it clean, just kidding, but it is easy to clean. Everything can be removed easily. The floor is laser cut (perfectly) and is easy to lift out. The kettle unplugs and with the pull of a pin can be removed also, although we usually just wipe it out with a paper towel. It has drawer for the old maids, but it pops so well that there aren't many of those. It comes with a plastic scoop that belongs in a sandbox somewhere. We bought an aluminum scoop like they use for french fries, but we bought a bag of those paper boats and sometimes just scoop up the corn with the edge of those; Scoop serve scoop serve. I like that they're built in Iowa by a family owned company. Jim

I am a self proclaimed popcorn aficionado and had a good machine that lasted me the last12 years. When that bit the dust, I bought a $200 machine off Amazon that I was hoping would be better. That was not the case. Thank God Amazon took it back. I did some research and found Paragon is an amazing company that’s been around forever, is known for their impeccable quality, and is from Iowa. (Love the Midwest!) Yes this machine is pricey, but it’s SO worth it! Don’t waste your money on a cheap machine. Spend the extra money... trust me. You won’t regret it! *Update 12/21/20. Here we are over a year later and this machine is still going strong. I buy the 10.6oz Vogel All-In-One combo packs from GFS (24 in a case) that includes seasoning and solid coconut oil. The popper handles it with ease. It’s truly amazing and leaves little to no unpopped kernels. It’s also very easy to keep clean. Guests and visitors always compliment that I have the best popcorn on the planet! I look forward to many more years of flawless use.

I finished our basement in 2018 and couldn’t wait to watch that first movie in the media room when the basement was all done. I wanted this popcorn maker, but was skeptical when I saw the price. Instead, I bought a $180 Great Northern machine (8 ounce) in September 2018 and the galvanized coating on the panel above the kettle started corroding after about eight months of weekly use. I bought a Paragon Contempo in December 2019 ($500 then) and have had zero mechanical issues or corrosion inside the machine. Build quality is solid. The hard anodized kettle is easy to clean as is the rest of the machine. It is a bit labor intensive to get it spotless, but it will help the machine last longer. Addressing those who have commented negatively about build quality and durability, the description does not say that the doors are tempered glass. The back and side panels are tempered glass. And as far as the plastic swinging doors go, we’ve had no cracks in the doors or misaligned door hardware. My original kettle is still going strong. Perhaps quality control and attention to detail has suffered in more recent years, but I’m not seeing it in our particular unit. I have occasionally made 10 ounce batches in the 8 ounce kettle without overwhelming the machine, but I pop at least one 8 ounce batch per week because Friday night is movie night in the basement. The aroma of fresh popcorn really helps set the mood for the evening. 1/2 to 2/3 cup coconut oil 1/8 to 1/4 cup butter flavoring (to taste) Flavacol to taste (I use a half tablespoon) Heat oil and butter flavoring in kettle until oil starts to give off wisps of white smoke—this step is critical to avoid chewy popcorn. Add Flavacol along with eight ounces of your favorite popcorn. We use Paragon coconut oil along with Orville Redenbacher popcorn and butter flavoring. Popcorn should start popping in about 90 seconds. Turn off kettle once kernels are only popping every four to five seconds Immediately empty kettle Mix/toss popcorn with scoop Serve and enjoy!