Camp Chef Campsite Popcorn Popper

I am reviewing the Camp Chef Campsitell Popcorn Popper. I really an loving this popper. We were recently camping with some friends of our and he had one similar to this one. This one has a 3.5 quart capacity and is larger that the one my friend has. I like this hand better as it seems sturdier. You do have to watch the handle the way it is threaded on when you ar shaking it as mine came a little loose. Now that I know to watch for that, I can shake it back and forth instead to prevent the handle from coming loose. I have only used this at home on my fire pit and the handle did not get too hot for me to hold. We usually make a bigger fire while camping so we may want to have a nice pot holder or something handy in case it would get too hot for bare hands. My first attempt was successful. I just used some of the popping and topping oil to start with, added a few kernels and when they popped I added the rest of the kernels I kept shaking the popper until the popping slowed way down. It was easy to do and easy to clean up! Delicious!

I really wanted a popcorn popper for the fire pit but I was feeling cheap mostly. Construction of this popper is very good, handle is designed to break down and fit inside for camping trips. Heavy gauge sheet metal and hinge are welded and box is tight, i.e. it does not leak oil in fire. Handle could be easily modified for a longer reach if desired, handle screws on and I had no problem with it coming loose or twisting while using. I would say care very easy and just like cast iron cookware. When I got it I just threw: oil, salt, and popcorn in the bottom and stuck it in the coals, shook it when popping started with no burning. My only regret was waiting so long to buy this, now I start fires just to use it.

I love popcorn as a late night snack, so it’s only natural I needed this for camping. It screws together really easy and comes apart for relatively easy storage. Just remove the box from the long handle in order to store it when not in use. I needed to use pliers in order to separate the handle from the popping box. It’s a little awkward? Heavy? If you’re just holding the box (by the handle of course) with the popcorn over an open flame. But if there is a grill or a log to set the box on, it makes the process much simpler. Super sturdy, but double check everything is screwed in tightly. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the popcorn popped in the box. It tasted wonderful, and it made way more than I could eat. Not one burnt kernel. I used oil and I had no issues at all. Directions are included with the item, including directions on how to put the popcorn popper together, and how much popcorn and oil should be used. Pros: it worked really well! Easy to clean. Stores relatively easily. Cons: heavy/awkward (unless placed on a flat surface). Had some difficulty taking apart.

This is the worst piece of junk I Have ever loved, Many thanks to those that went before me,I was warned but just wanted to play with the thing ,warehouse deals had one for $10 that's cheep enough for a toy-so I hit the button ,as reviewed it was a little heavy the hinge was ok the wood handle was crap and the paint burned off .. threw out the first batch, scoured out the paint, wire wrapped the wood handle , didn't get the tension tight enough on the wire so I added some epoxy then i epoxied , the threaded insert in solid and let it kick...back to the kitchen,,, a few scorched flakes on the first try ,,, mmm shake harder ,,,next try was perfect no scorchies and 6 duds out of the 6 table spoons of kernels. the texture is crisp like an air popper but the taste is more like hot oil popped we have made popcorn ball squares,marshmallow treats,and brought it to color night where it was invited back I have used it on a gas stove and a induction hot plate, The trick is the shaking , long strokes hard enough to keep the flakes off the bottom where the heat is the highest ,I cant imagine doing this without a grate, the thing is heavy, occasianal side shakes help but mostly back and forth ,dump it when the pops get past 7 seconds between , shake a little harder at the end ,its a workout but your about to replace the calories so no loss.... I do just love this thing

Not meant to be held over an open flame (too heavy, handle too short), but PERFECT for placing on a campfire grill and occasionally shaking from side to side. Popcorn came out perfectly on the first try. Very pleased.

It's a shame, with a little more effort and quality control this could be a really nice unit! The wood being used for the handle seems to be fairly soft/weak because it snapped in half lengthwise before I even got to use it. After taking it out of the box I assembled it by screwing the wooden handle onto the threaded rod, then threading the rod into the bung on the popper unit. The lid opens and closes very snugly. I held the popper in one hand and opened/closed the lid a half dozen times and the wooden handle split in half lengthwise while I was closing the unit. It also has a number of sharp sheet metal corners, I trimmed the corners of the lid off with some shears and filed them down so my kids don't get cut when they use it. The handle is fairly short and I don't like burned knuckles so I'm planning to cut the handle and weld some additional 1/4in rod to make it longer. I'll then reuse the wooden handle and create a "full tang" handle by drilling a the existing hole in the wooden handle deeper then epoxy the wooden handle onto the metal rod so the metal goes all the way through the wood. This way I won't have to worry about it snapping off again. I also took a pair of pliers and bent the clasp portion of the lid outward some to relieve latch tension to make opening it easier.

I was pretty skeptical about this popper as some of the other reviewers had said it was no good, but i had great luck with it and we had a perfect outdoor movie night at the campground with awesome popcorn! It didn't burn and most all of it popped. I coated the bottom with the oil then added the popcorn and just made sure to shake it every so often as to not burn it and distribute the heat evenly, even at one point i had it over the flame and it still did well as I kept on shaking it. Very pleased with this popper!

When it works it’s great popcorn and fun. But it’s hard. The lid comes off easy while you’re cooking and stuff burns pretty easy.