Movie theater popcorn is the best. And while our Test Kitchen found the best popcorn makers for the average household, there’s something altogether different (and extra) about a movie theater-style popcorn machine. For the last month I’ve been popping corn in my Nostalgia Vintage Popcorn Cart for everyone who’s stopped by, eager to show off this popcorn-producing wonder.

What Is the Nostalgia Popcorn Machine?

The Nostalgia popcorn machine is a vintage-style professional popcorn cart. It adds the perfect ambience to home movie theaters or outdoor movie nights. If you crave movie theater-style popcorn, then you’ll love this popcorn cart.

Unlike traditional popcorn makers, this machine can make up to 32 cups of popcorn at a time. That’s great for families with a lot of kiddos or for people who like to entertain. Why just have a snack when you can have an experience?

How We Tested It

The popcorn machine comes in a large box and assembly is required. Setting up the cart wasn’t too difficult, but it did take a few hours to get all the pieces in the right places. After wiping down the kettle and inside the unit, I was ready for my inaugural pop.

After making a few batches, I quickly got the hang of it. Pro tip from my husband, who worked at Marcus Theatres during high school: make sure to flip the kettle immediately after turning it off to prevent the popcorn from burning. Thank you, March 2004 Employee of the Month!

Once I felt comfortable operating the machine, I invited friends and family over so I could share this whimsical popcorn experience with them.

Nostalgia Popcorn Machine Product Features

The Nostalgia Vintage Popcorn Cart stands 53 inches tall. For such a large machine, I was pleasantly surprised at how narrow it is. It doesn’t take up as much room in my basement as I thought it would. It conveniently tucks into the corner near the outlet, yet is still accessible for making delicious popcorn whenever I like.

Its 8-ounce kettle can pop up to 32 cups of popcorn in just a few minutes. Any kernels that don’t pop fall into a removable tray underneath the unit. The kettle can be removed for easy cleaning, too. Simply pop it off the supporting brackets and wipe it down or soak in hot, soapy water.

There is a storage compartment below the unit, which is great for storing all the popcorn supplies like the popcorn scooper and two measuring cups that came with it. Just one more thing I love about this machine!

Part of the retro look is the wheels—and they’re not just for show. If you need to move your cart to the other side of the room, simply grab the handle and wheel it on over. Speaking of transportation: the top unit is removable, so you can set it on a counter somewhere else and use it that way, too. I haven’t tried that yet, but I’m tempted to bring it over to my parents’ house for a traveling popcorn party.

Last thing: Make sure to turn on the light while it’s running! This creates a nice ambience, and it makes it easier to see your snack.

Pros

What we liked about the Nostalgia Popcorn Machine:

• Makes delicious movie theater-style popcorn
• Retro looks adds a nice ambience to a home movie theater room or wherever you keep it
• Can pop up to 32 cups of popcorn at a time—great for large families or parties
• Easy to move around the room, thanks to its wheels
• Top unit is removable and can be used on a countertop

Cons

What to consider before buying the Nostalgia Popcorn Machine:

• Takes up a lot of space
• Pricier than a traditional popcorn maker
• Not practical for small households

FAQ

What kind of popcorn can you use?

This machine works with any regular or premium brand of popcorn kernels. You can use any popcorn cooking oil, though the brand recommends coconut oil for best results.

To keep things simple for testing, I ordered the brand’s popcorn packs, which include pre-measured kernels, oil and seasoning for 16 cups of popcorn.

Can you make flavored popcorn?

Yes! Besides the classic butter and salt combo, you can make a variety of flavored popcorn recipes. The instruction manual also includes recipes for vintage popcorn balls, chunky monkey popcorn snack mix and popcorn peppermint bark.

How do you clean the machine?

After each use, you should give the machine a light cleaning. After letting it cool down completely, wipe down the inside and outside of the kettle, and inside of the unit. Then, empty the tray of any unpopped kernels. This usually takes me five minutes and hasn’t felt like too much of a hassle.

For a deeper clean, remove the kettle and wash in hot, soapy water. This will remove grease that has built up over multiple uses.

What Other Reviews Had to Say

With 4.6 stars and over 5,000 ratings, it’s clear other customers love this machine as much as I do.

One 5-star reviewer, crazycakes, says, “I purchased this back in December as a Christmas present for our media room. I was really hesitant to get it as I was afraid it would be kind of gimmicky and more novelty, less functional. After looking at several different models and reading reviews I went with this one. My family loves it! We use it several times a week and I am happy to say it makes great popcorn.”

Another 5-star reviewer, K. White, says that “firing this baby up is guaranteed to turn around the bleakest of days or enhance any movie. The best part is that it’s just the right size, is easy to assemble (took only one person), looks genuinely cute, and functions perfectly after heavy use.”

As for the taste? People are pleased. According to Amazon reviewer Kelly, “I use mine at least 4-5 times a week. My boys and I love it…To me it tastes way better than microwave popcorn…”

Final Verdict

Does the average person need this popcorn maker? Probably not. But large families, people who love to entertain or movie buffs who can’t get enough popcorn would be very happy with this purchase. It’s a splurge, sure, but it’s super fun and makes tasty popcorn—lots of it!

Where to Buy the Nostalgia Popcorn Machine

You can purchase the Nostalgia Popcorn Maker Professional Cart on Amazon and the brand’s website. It is also available at Walmart, Wayfair and Home Depot, though it is currently out of stock at those retailers.

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Bonus: The Best Popcorn Accessories

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The post I Tried a Retro Popcorn Machine and Now Movie Nights Are 100% Better appeared first on Taste of Home.

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Goes Great with: Caribbean Chips with Apricot Salsa

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While browsing the Pioneer Woman’s recipes one day, I ran across her Knock You Naked Brownies. With a name like that, I had to know if they’d knock off more than my socks. These gooey, layered caramel brownies look absolutely divine and people love them. As a self-proclaimed chocoholic, I couldn’t wait to try the recipe myself!

See what ingredients the Pioneer Woman can’t live without.

How to Make Knock You Naked Brownies

Ingredients

• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1/3 plus 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1 box German chocolate cake mix
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans
• 60 caramels
• 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• Powdered sugar, for dusting

Tools You’ll Need

Initial Thoughts

Looking at the ingredients, I could tell these were 2.0 brownies. I love how Ree turned a box of cake mix into a gooey, decadent brownie filled with creamy layers of caramel and chocolate. You can’t go wrong with a classic chewy brownie, but dressed-up brownies are irresistible.

Getting Started

First things first, I greased and floured an 8×8 pan. The Pioneer Woman’s recipe called for 9×9, but I didn’t have one. An 8×8 works great; you may just need to increase the baking time a little bit. I mixed the cake mix, 1/3 cup evaporated milk, melted butter and pecans. The batter was thick, so splitting it in half was easy! Using my fingers, I pressed half of the batter into the pan. Then, into the oven it went for 8-10 minutes at 350°F.

While that baked, I started on the caramel sauce. I recommend starting this as soon as you put the brownies in the oven because the caramels take a while to melt. Using a double boiler, melt the caramels and 1/2 cup evaporated milk (read more about the difference between evaporated and condensed milk), stirring occasionally.

When the caramel has melted into liquid gold, pour it over the first layer of brownies. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Ree suggested 1/3 cup, but I added a few more chocolate chips to cover it entirely.

Use up any evaporated milk still left in the can with these evaporated milk recipes.

Then comes the hard-ish part. Since you can’t spread the remaining dough on the caramel layer, you’ll need to make a free-form dough square on a sheet of wax paper and transfer it to the pan of brownies. I recommend forming the square right before you top the brownies, otherwise, it may stick to the wax paper. (Read more about common brownie baking mistakes.) This happened to me, but it wasn’t a huge problem. I simply moved it over piece by piece. That second layer of brownie looked like chocolate icebergs floating on a sea of caramel. Wowza!

The Big Reveal

After 25 minutes, the brownies came out of the oven looking spectacular and smelling amazing. They were a little jiggly, but a toothpick came out clean, so I knew they were done. (Learn more brownie baking tips from our experts.) I was not looking forward to waiting for them to come to room temperature and then chill for a few hours in the fridge until they were set. But wait, I did… and I’m glad because these puppies were well worth the wait!

Cold brownie + gooey caramel = perfection. This is NOT for people who don’t have a sweet tooth. These are very sweet brownies for the chocolate-caramel-loving soul. If you’re up for another chocolate challenge, work through our most decadent chocolate desserts. I don’t know why Ree cut them into six extra-large pieces—I cut mine into 16, and friends said even those were a little too big. You only need a little square to experience dessert bliss.

The Unexpected Twist

Not surprisingly, I LOVED Ree’s over-the-top brownies. But wait! I’ve had these before. Midwesterners call them Illini bars, so named because people bring them tailgating at U of I football games. On her show, Ree mentions that she received some “killer brownies” from a friend of hers, and this was a re-creation of the recipe. I bet she received a big ol’ batch of Illini bars!

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