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The Mainstays 18-Cup Popcorn Machine is a countertop electric popper with a 700W heating base, a clear popping bucket and a built-in rotating stirring rod. Its 2-in-1 lid flips over to become a serving bowl, and the whole unit nests inside that bowl once cool. It suits families and movie nights that want one big batch without a stovetop or a kettle-style theater machine. Against hot-air poppers it trades crispness for volume and oil-based flavor; against kettle poppers it is simpler and lighter but less sturdy. Owners like the one-touch start and the big batch, and many find the plastic lid and thin stirring rod the weak points.
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Lowest price we've seen: $24.88 on Nov 11 at Walmart. Tracked across 1 store since Nov 11.
Buyers rate it well for easy one-touch popping, fast batches and the large 18-cup capacity. Complaints center on the flimsy plastic lid, the butter vent that will not stay on, and the thin stirring rod that misses kernels near the edge.
The Mainstays 18-Cup Popcorn Machine is an electric popcorn popper that makes up to 18 cups of popcorn per batch. It is built of plastic and has a clear bucket, so the popping can be watched as it happens. A built-in rotating stirring rod turns through the kernels during popping to help improve popping performance.
The machine starts with one touch and runs on 700W. The 2-in-1 lid flips over and detaches to become a serving bowl. Once the unit has cooled, it nests inside the serving bowl for storage, which helps save cabinet space.
