Ok, so after all your help and two great popcorn machines later I now have a Gold Medal Antique Gays 90's Pinto Pop 8 oz with cart and am very pleased:

http://www.instawares.com/gay-90-s-pinto.gmp-2131.0.7.htm?LID=BZRT&srccode=cii_10043468&cpncode=23-26826659-2

BUT...

We have a movie theater that is going out of business and I can buy a mint, newly cleaned Cretors 48 oz machine with cabinet for around $650. I guess these monsters come with oil pumps and hot air blower to keep the popcorn dry:

http://www.mypopcornmachine.com/cretors-model-48-oz-president-electric-giant-s--in-cabinet-5--enclosed.html?site=google_base

Yes I know it is overkill but the price is killer too. And Cretors is a top brand.

Has anyone actually been crazy enough to put one of these in a large home?

We HT nuts are a strange bunch and most of us do not need $4000 subs either...so let me know what you think.

Sure my 8 oz makes plenty of popcorn and gets the job done but at this price I just had to ask.

Also, in this economy I am sure other cities have theaters liquidating so maybe other members are curious.

I have a pretty sick microwave.

I got to tell you you put one of those big poppers in your house and use it much, you will find that over time your whole house will be covered in a film of oil. That stuff goes everywhere.

Also, in this economy I am sure other cities have theaters liquidating so maybe other members are curious.

Actually, movie theaters are doing better than normal in this economy.

With that much power you could double it as an incubater and raise chickens for your own buffalo wings.

With that much power you could double it as an incubater and raise chickens for your own buffalo wings.

lol

I know someone that purchased one of those biggies and donated it to his son's scout troop - those things are just too big for homes. You also need to vent it to the outside.

I know someone that purchased one of those biggies and donated it to his son's scout troop - those things are just too big for homes. You also need to vent it to the outside.

Thanks for the info. Well I may grab it and donate it to my kids' private school since they are always asking for something.

Would have been cool to get it up an running outside the HT!

But I know someone out there has one us these fired up (no pun intended) in their house.

Can you just pour in the ingredients or do you have to use the oil pump, BIB oil and what not?

At 8200 watts it'll need about 35 amperes at 240 volts or almost 70 amps at 120 volts to power it up!

My dad owned a theater in the small town where we grew up and brought the popcorn maker (24oz) home for a few weeks while the theater was undergoing renos in the 70s. We literally at popcorn every day and really hated to see it go back. My dad actually kept the popcorn maker when he sold the theater in 1980 and in 2005 we dug it out because that same theater was made into a performing arts house and historic site (100 years old) and dad donated the popcorn maker (now over 40 years old) back to the arts society to be placed in the old theatre. Let me tell you what 25 years in hibernation and a 1/4 inch of coconut oil sitting on the bottom of a popcorn maker will do... We actually had to get a cordless drill in order to get started chipping that old oil away. That made me think about my arteries... But that feeling quickly went away once the smell of freshly popped corn came out of that machine.

I inherited dad's Pepsi clock (hung in the theater in 1965) and there was quite a film on it from sitting 10ft away from the popcorn maker. I still plan to fix the clock up and hang it in my HT when I'm done.

I am not sure how they operate but I can confirm it takes 240v.

My dad owned a theater in the small town where we grew up and brought the popcorn maker (24oz) home for a few weeks while the theater was undergoing renos in the 70s. We literally at popcorn every day and really hated to see it go back. My dad actually kept the popcorn maker when he sold the theater in 1980 and in 2005 we dug it out because that same theater was made into a performing arts house and historic site (100 years old) and dad donated the popcorn maker (now over 40 years old) back to the arts society to be placed in the old theatre. Let me tell you what 25 years in hibernation and a 1/4 inch of coconut oil sitting on the bottom of a popcorn maker will do... We actually had to get a cordless drill in order to get started chipping that old oil away. That made me think about my arteries... But that feeling quickly went away once the smell of freshly popped corn came out of that machine.

I inherited dad's Pepsi clock (hung in the theater in 1965) and there was quite a film on it from sitting 10ft away from the popcorn maker. I still plan to fix the clock up and hang it in my HT when I'm done.

Not only informative but a very nice story also. Thanks.

My contribution is no fun.

Ask a good dentist about eating a lot of popcorn - it's not a good idea.

We learned that our projector, screen and sound system worked just as well without popcorn in the room - we haven't eaten any in years. It's like deciding to give up most of the things that make the majority of Americans into big fat folk. Once you decide to not eat that stuff you suffer the consequences of lower weight and feeling better just like not eating popcorn spares your teeth and gums.

Of course please don't bad mouth having a glass of clear diet soda with ethanol mixed in now and then! It's the healthy drink for alcoholics!

'Scuse me - time to pour another adult diet soda.

Did you buy the machine? :D

Did you buy the machine? :D

No, I have not made the purchase. I just do not know enough about the legitimate commercial machines and the ability to assimilate them into a home to make an educated buy. But clearly I would have this unit operating on a floor of my home that does not have HT equipment.

Although I do know enough to realize that it is a heck of a deal. And maybe a little fun....I could be like one of the Lucy soap suds episodes except buried in popcorn.

I am still deciding....

What about this? Keep the cabinet and retrofit it for a 12oz popper? I wonder if you could sell the 48oz popper separately? This way you could use the unit in your house without any problems.