Popcorn poppers

3'senough

3'senough

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 14, 2010
Posts
2,210
Location
New York
Any campfire popcorn makers out there? My kids love to make the microwave stuff but I wanted to look into the campfire poppers for an alternate to the traditonal smores nights. I've seen several out there with some mixed reviews and I'm looking for a good model for Christmas for them. Any feedback welcome good or bad. Jiffy pop is not an option due to milk alergy in the family.
Thanks in advance.
 
Our popcorn maker is similar to the posted link - except ours is round not square. We have had great success with ours. Got it several years ago at Bass Pro.
 
I have a round one also but it seems like the microwave popcorn wins out all of the time...I plan to take the grandkids dry camping next spring where they will have to do it the "old fashioned" way.
 
Thanks for all the replies above. I am a big fan of the microwave popped but I do a fair amount of dry camping so wanted something else for the kids to cook over the nightly fire without all the sugar kicks the smores deliver late in the evenings.

I see there are only a few options either round or square, cast iron (which seems too heavy), or non stick. Otherwise they all seem close in design with the exception of size.

What's entailed in the messy cleaning? Do you get some of the popped corn burning to the bottom of the pan?
 
Actually i wiped my popper out when finished - kinda like proper (in my mind) cleaning of cast iron - NO soap.
 
I coat the outside with dish detergent and let it dry, then all the soot washes right off. Been lucky and haven't burned the inside yet!!! In my previous link to amazon, that is the same model, I bought it from a local retailer. It's not cast iron, just some form of thin metal so the soap works fine.
 
Use your campfire grate and a Whirly Pop, Theater II, Old Fashioned, etc. Multiple names, but all do the same thing: They make perfect popcorn.
 
That's the one I settled on based on reviews and it's stowable with the removable handle. I'll post results in two weeks after the first outing and hopefully give kudos to Santa for a great gift ;)
 
Thats the one I got for Father's day a few years back. We love it. It makes enough for about 3-4 people. Make sure to keep the pan moving as everything heats up or else you could get some burned pop corn. Make sure the handle is tight as it will spin if not in all the way.

Enjoy!
 
We are going to get a campfire popper as well. Kids prefer "real" popcorn, but we eat our fair share of microwave as well. Wal-Mart and other stores are now selling coconut oil. If you have not eaten coconut oil popped corn, you are missing out. Coconut oil melts at about 76-77 degrees, is very light and has a distict flavor for popcorn. I hear it is also good for fish.
 
I have the round popcorn popper made by Rome. It is not cast iron (it would be way to heavy) and cleans out pretty easily. A few tips for popping corn over the campfire. Pop the corn over the hot coals, not the flames of the fire. Heat the oil with 2 or 3 kernels of corn in the popper. When the kernels pop add the rest of the popping corn. Buy your popping corn from the Boy Scouts, it is a good brand of popcorn and it supports a great program.:)
 
We have one just like the Amazon one, but I think it is a Coughlin's brand. It is made of steel and seems pretty well made. Just add some oil and watch the heat and shake oft en so the popped corn doesn't burn. We've never had any problems, it just wipes clean with paper towel. If you pop your corn over coals (instead of a roaring fire) you don't even have any soot to clean off the outside.

There was one problem - when we used it with our kids and they tasted the result, the first thing our youngest said was: "Can't we make microwave popcorn? It tastes much better!" Now that the kids grown up and the wife and I camp alone, we still have and use our popper and we enjoy it.
 
My beefed-up battery system for my OFF-ROAD POPUP doesn't allow for the high powered microwave to be used so always bring along one the cheap white faced low powered manual controlled $35 WALMART SPECIAL microwave units It will run from my trailer inverter system off the batteries just fine. Warming up coffee cups and making microwave popcorn is about all we use it for when camping off the power grid. We also use it to make up our wrapped up baked potatoes.

I gotta have my fresh made bean coffee and popcorn no matter where we end up at...

Roy Ken
 
dewey02 said:
There was one problem - when we used it with our kids and they tasted the result, the first thing our youngest said was: "Can't we make microwave popcorn? It tastes much better!"
Click to expand...

I had a dog that would not eat microwave popcorn. I didn't blame him, as I also prefer "real" popcorn. At home I make it in a pot the same way I make it camping.:)
 
A little off topic but we have a child with allergies and up until about 4 years ago had no idea that a microwave popcorn existed without whey or milk in it until I found Cousin Willies all natural. I can order it online and let me tell you this stuff is great! I have not tried any other varieties due to the additives but the all natural is all I need.

The Rome round unit is what I went with and it did a great job all season over the fires. Once the popcorn gets popping I take it way up from the fire and that usually gets it perfect without burning. Easy cleanup.
 
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