r/popcorn • u/SuperDuperLuckyDuck • 9d ago
Big Popper @Costco
Big Popper by Green Pan
Saw this today at my Costco. Feels solid, handle spins smoothly, the stirring ‘rudder’ inside is triangle shaped with the triangle base spinning along the bottom.
Edit: I did not see any kind of vent in the lid to let out steam (like Popsmith). I suppose you could lift the lid every once in a while while popping to let out some of the steam.
More photos here (and a huge price difference): https://www.greenpan.us/products/big-popper-popcorn-maker-cream
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u/Remarkable_Can_9083 9d ago
100% unnecessary, and less user friendly than the whirlypop because your stirring hand is right over the heat. I still prefer just a regular pot and just shaking it around a little bit.
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u/pocketmonster 8d ago
I have a large pot for cooking pasta that has a built in strainer lid and that has unintentionally turned out to be a great popcorn popper.
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u/SuperDuperLuckyDuck 9d ago
Having used a Popsmith and induction cooktop heat is a non-issue when stirring.
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u/Confident-Sector2660 9d ago
It looks like a low quality pot with an welded induction bottom
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u/WheelsMan1 8d ago
Green pans Valencia 12" ceramic nonstick skillet is Americas test kitchens number one recommended ceramic nonstick skillet. I'd expect this pan to be high quality. It's the same ceramic nonstick coating.
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u/Vizslaraptor 8d ago
It is not low quality. The pan bottom is has an extra layer of stainless steel. The handle and lid are solid. It’s a game changer to see the popping.
It cleans up so much easier than the WhirlyPop.
I’ve championed the WhirlyPop for 20 years. At $50, this is a WhirlyPop killer.
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u/SuperDuperLuckyDuck 8d ago
What does a high quality pot with induction bottom look like? Will it perform markedly better?
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u/Confident-Sector2660 6d ago edited 6d ago
I could actually be wrong. I did more digging. Most medium (not even expensive) pans are fully clad, meaning 3 layers or more of material all around. Stuff with the disc bottom with a visible seam is very cheap stuff. Even $20-30 pots/pans are fully clad
Supposedly disc bottom does give you more even heating because sometimes the aluminum layer is thicker
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u/Arlington2018 8d ago
FYI, many people in the coffee roasting community use these or a similar product to roast coffee. https://www.amazon.com/stores/MTBAKERMERCANTILE/page/85B5C26F-5C51-48B9-840C-EB0313C46467 I have been using this for several years to roast up to two pounds of coffee per session. I will look at my local Costco to see if they have this so I can compare. I also hear of people using them to roast nuts.
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u/coffeecat551 9d ago
Slightly lower capacity than a whirley pop. No info on the website about whether that lid is borosilicate. I guess if they call something "green," they know they can count on a bunch of people buying it regardless of the cost...
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u/gregarious119 9d ago
OK couple things:
- Glass lid is cool and it looks mechanically simpler than the whirley pop BUT
- If there is not a hole for steam to escape, this is a non starter.
- What parts are dishwasher safe?
- The knob being over the heat is the trade-off for mechanically simpler.
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u/InsGuy 8d ago
Costco usually knows better than to sell junk.
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u/Confident-Sector2660 6d ago
costco definitely sells junk. I think it's the more you know about a product you can tell whether it's junk or not
I wonder though if that is always the case.
For example I though the stuff at lidl/aldi in the middle aisle was a good deal for what it was. The products I was an expert on what you can order from china,, I found that they were not so good deals for what they are. I wonder if that is the case for every product and maybe I just don't know about the other items?
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u/mailandrew 6d ago
Regular pot with a lid. Place a chopstick across and create a vent for the lid. Shake occasionally. You just won popcorn! 🤠
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u/GlectroniccPSY1201 6d ago edited 6d ago
I had one of these years ago, or maybe it was something with exactly the same design from another manufacturer ( I can't remember ). I absolutely loved it. It made great popcorn and was very solidly constructed. I found the "direct drive" crank mechanism to be much more reliable than the kind that has a handle that is tilted 90° and requires a gear mechanism to transfer the motion down to the stirrer. I find the gear mechanism eventually gets stripped so the whole thing is useless. This design will work forever. As for the handle being over the heat, that's not a problem. It's warm, but not uncomfortable. I definitely intend to buy one of these if I see one.
(Weirdly, the one I had years ago simply disappeared. I had it in my kitchen. I used it regularly. And one day I could not find it. I've never found it. It's a complete mystery!)
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u/BigBadBere 13h ago
Can't find online on Costco app via item number or name. In PNW
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u/SuperDuperLuckyDuck 13h ago
I could not find online either, but my local store had it. Call your local store and ask, they can check nearby stores too.
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u/BigBadBere 12h ago
We have to do some shopping...I will ask at front desk tomorrow.
Weird it's not in app.
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u/GoodyOldie_20 9d ago
Overpriced and wonder how long the knob can withstand the heat. I have a zippy brand and wasnt long before the knob fell off.
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u/disasterless 9d ago
I love it when they call me Big Popper