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!

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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.

Original Whirley Pop Popcorn Maker – Wabash Valley Farms Gourmet Popcorn Popper, Aluminum Pot With Nylon Gears, 3-Minute Stove Top Popper, Home Movie Night (Silver)

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$39.99 (as of May 5, 2025 02:40 GMT -07:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

Perfect Popcorn in 3 Minutes – The Original Whirley Pop Popcorn Maker takes the guesswork out of creating perfect popcorn. Spin the handle to make up … read more

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.

Orville Redenbacher’s Gourmet Popcorn Kernels, Original Yellow, 5 lb.

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$10.99 ($0.12 / Ounce) (as of May 5, 2025 02:40 GMT -07:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

Contains (1) 5 lb., 12 oz. container of Orville Redenbacher’s Original Yellow Gourmet Unpopped Popcorn Kernels Use these gourmet Orville Redenbacher’s… read more

Orville Redenbacher’s Popcorn Oil, Butter Flavor, 16 fl oz

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$4.22 ($0.26 / Fl Oz) (as of May 5, 2025 02:40 GMT -07:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

Contains 16 fl. oz. of Orville Redenbacher's Popping & Topping Buttery Flavored Oil Use this butter-flavored popcorn oil along with Orville Redenbache… read more

Nostalgia Popcorn Maker Machine – Professional Cart With 8 Oz Kettle Makes Up to 32 Cups – Vintage Popcorn Machine Movie Theater Style – Red

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25% Off $239.99 $179.99 (as of May 5, 2025 02:40 GMT -07:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

POPCORN CAPACITY: Whether movie time or snack time, this vintage popcorn machine stand pops up to 32 cups of movie theater popcorn per batch to keep e… read more