First let me start by saying that I no longer own this popcorn machine. When I lived in PA, we had a large movie room and I bought this machine to make popcorn while we watched movies. When we moved a year ago, we got more land and a smaller house, so at the time I didn't have room for a popcorn machine and decided to sell it. Since then, I have often reminisced of when we would pop large batches of popcorn, have leftovers for days where I could just turn on the lamp and grab a handfull to snack on. Mmmmm....those were the days...Review of the machine. - I have read various reviews on Great Northern machines and how the come broke or dented; however, when you ship 1000's of machines, I am sure there are a few that will have issues. I was fortunate to receive mine in pristine condition and assembly was pretty simple. - A few things that set this machine apart from others is: - Metal turning gears. Some machine have plastic gears, and while I am sure they will work for a while, they will not hold up near as long. - Glass doors and sides. If you want your machine to look good, glass is the way to go. Plastic will start to warp and discolor over time. - Warming lamp/deck. Some machines only have an appliance light. Great for ambiance, but not for heating up last night's leftover popcorn.The only issue I had with the machine were the plastic screw receivers (don't know exactly the technical name for them) on the doors. They eventually wear out and the doors start to get loose. A quick phone call to Great Northern and they sent me a pack. I put them on and after a few months they got loose as well. I decided to just put small metal screws, washers, and locknuts in the hinges. That took care of the problem for good.I have also read people commenting about using premeasured packs. When I first got it, that is what I did, because if all you've ever done was microwave popcorn, putting in oil and all the other stuff can be a little intimidating. Fear not, as I am about to take care of that for you. The secret to a great batch of popcorn is below. - 1/4 cup of coconut oil. (You don't have to get real precise here. I would just put in two, large heaping spoonfulls of coconut oil for every 8oz of popcorn I made. If you make less popcorn, use less oil.) - Preheat oil for maybe 60 seconds. - While oil is heating, measure 8 oz/1 cup of popcorn and 1/4 teaspoon of Flavacol. (Dump flavacol on top of popcorn kernels. This is not absolutely necessary, but just makes it easier to dump everything in the kettle.) - Turn on mixer and dump in popcorn/Flavacol mix. Then BOOM, excellent popcorn.**NOTE** Do NOT overuse Flavacol. It is a salty/buttery goodness that you think you can never get too much of. When I first got it, I put it in a salt shaker and kept under the machine. About after the 4th time of someone deciding they were going to sprinkle that over all the popcorn and then ruining a whole batch, I got rid of the shaker because the popcorn was like chewing on a salt block.Latest news. I have decided I an sick and tired of not having the delicious goodness that the Great Northern machines create. I have heard from friends and family, "What did you do with your popcorn machine? That thing was great! I loved that popcorn." So, as of yesterday I ordered the Great Northern Matinee. (Not quite as big as the Paduca, but still retains the 8oz kettle and will fit into a smaller space.)Good luck and happy popping. (Oh, and don't be afraid to experiment with different popcorn kernels. You can order the large bags off amazon or pick up bags at your local store. Both work well. However, some places have various popcorn kernel colors/sizes. These make for interesting evenings with the kids.)