This is my new favorite camp kitchen item.
I got Joyce this super cool 6 quart camping appliance for her birthday, and it’s become her absolute favorite! We’ve already used it a whopping 20 times, and it’s not just for camping — it’s perfect for home use too. It’s a game-changer!
This website may be compensated for linking to other sites for sales of products. As an Amazon Associate I earn a small fee from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to the purchaser.
I Bought It At Great Risk!
Joyce has this rule that appliances and similar things are meant for the whole family, so they’re not really gift ideas. Gifts should be personal, right? So I took a big risk and bought this for her.
We’re both huge popcorn aficionados. We’re not fancy popcorn connoisseurs, but we just love it. And guess what? Unlike a lot of the food that the media says is cancer-causing, popcorn is actually a whole grain that has antioxidants and other good stuff that might even help fight cancer.
We bought this cool theatre-style popcorn maker (above) for at home popcorn over 10 years ago, but for camping, we need something that works on a stove. Jiffy Pop just doesn’t cut it! Plus, you can’t control the ingredients in this type of popcorn packages.
We’ve made stovetop popcorn with just a pot and lid, but it is a bit of a pain to get all the kernels to pop evenly. What works great, like our theater-style popcorn maker, is a popcorn maker that has a built-in stirring system to stir the kernels in the oil while popping the corn.
Whirley Pop Stovetop Popcorn Maker
The Whirley Pop popped the perfect popcorn the first time, and it was a breeze to use. The secret? It has a built-in stirring wire. Let’s follow the steps from the User Manual.
- Do not preheat popper and oil
- Place popper with added ingredients on gas stove and turn on the burner. Medium heat is best.
- If using electric range, heat range only to medium-high; place popper with added ingredients on heated unit
- Stir slowly, adjust temperature as needed so popping is complete in about 3 minutes
- Continue stirring through entire process until there is only an occasional pop…pop, or until the handle becomes hard to turn. Do not force the handle.
- Remove from heat immediately
- Transfer into a serving bowl
- Add butter and salt or your favorite seasoning
Purchase Options
Metal or Nylon Gears
The lid of the pot has two small gears that turn the stirring wire at the bottom. You can choose metal or nylon gears. I got a unit with nylon gears, which was a bit cheaper than metal. It doesn’t really matter which one you pick, since you don’t use much pressure when turning the crank. The only thing that matters is when the handle starts to feel hard to turn, stop turning it because the pot is full. Then, take the pot off the stove and the last few kernels will pop out.
Other Options
Several different popper pot designs and colors and other options are available and can be found on the manufacturer’s (Wabash Family Farm) Amazon store.
Popping Kits
Whirley Pop Popcorn Makers come with their own optional “popping kits.” These kits include pre-measured popcorn kernels, oil, and seasoning. But they’re a lot more expensive than buying the ingredients separately. These kits also include coconut oil for popping and the seasoning. We tried five Whirley Pop Popcorn Kits and found that we preferred buying the ingredients separately better.
Our favorite popcorn is Orville Redenbacher’s Gourmet Popcorn Kernels. And for oil, we like Orville Redenbacher’s Popcorn Oil, which is made from Soybean Oil. Maybe not the healthiest choice, but for us it is a good mix of price, convenience, and taste.