Nordic Ware 365 Indoor/Outdoor Campfire and Stovetop Popcorn Popper

*after several uses, this popper does not seem to be wearing well ... the non-stick coating is beginning to look damaged and it is not performing as well as it did when new ... this has turned out to be more of a disappointment over time ... so, as an addendum, I am not happy with the lack of quality with this popper and would not recommend it ... so I now rate the popper 2 stars mostly because the concept and design are good but the quality is lacking ... this degradation over time is particularly concerning since I have not used it over a campfire (one of the uses touted by the manufacturer). So if just with gentle stove top use, it degrades this quickly, I cannot imagine how dissatisfying it would be for camp use ...

Here is my slightly revised original review that was written after about 3 uses:

This popper makes good popcorn (at least when new) ... if the manufacturer would address these 3 issues, it would be better:

1) Balance: with the lid off, the handle is just slightly heavier than the cooking bowl which means it easily tips over when empty (or even when there is nothing but oil in it which is worse); this is not a problem except when it is sitting on the stove before adding the popcorn kernels ... if the cookng bowl were a few ounces heavier, that would solve the problem ... just a little extra weight in the cooking bowl bottom would do it.

2) The cover which doubles as a serving bowl is surrounded by a mesh (nice to watch the corn pop). I suppose it is intended to double as a grease screen; however, I have found that the weave is too open and grease does come through while corn is popping ... it may not be bad enough to produce a hazzard but it is concerning, especially when you are the one that gets hit with the grease ... :)

3) As I said, the cover doubles as a serving bowl, but beware. While the mesh stays cool the metal ring that connects with the cooking bowl gets very hot. To a lesser extent so does the top. So, if you plan to use it as a serving bowl, you better have a towel or something to insulate your lap or to keep it from damaging a sensitive surface. Note, the the ring gets hot enough to hurt you so be careful.

Last things:

1) This may be a no brainer, but make sure you use medium heat. Higher heat with this popper will ruin your popcorn no matter how much you shake it.

2) I did not have great success on the grill and didn't try it on the campfire (it is harder to regulate your heat in these scenarios so I think it may require some trial and error to get it down). I wound up using it on the stovetop and it makes good popcorn the above issues notwithstanding.

3) Reread the addendum note above -quality is poor and does not hold up over time ... quality of popped corn has lessened over time due to degradation in the cooking bowl and non-stick surface (very disappointing)

Not recommended.

We plan to use this over a campfire but were excited to give it a try. We used it on a gas stove. The paint scraped off the bottom from sliding it across the burner. Even with the use of oil, a burn spot developed on the non stick surface. I could not remove the spot even after soaking in soapy water over night. The mesh on the lids does not seem to be attached well and I anticipate it coming apart within a few uses. I would return it but the shipping is just too cost prohibitive. I guess cost is not always an indicator of quality. I recommend going cheaper and tossing it sooner.

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