When it comes to Popcorn Machines, there’s really one question to ask: “Where was this unit manufactured?” While many machines sold over the internet today look beautiful from the pictures, the less expensive generic machines are often made in China and suffer from a multitude of quality and reliability issues compared to American made units.

If you physically compare popcorn machines side by side like we do, you can instantly see the difference in terms of quality and craftsmanship. The American manufactured poppers, like the Paragon Machines we carry, have perfect seams, seals and fits whereas the Chinese made units typically have obvious marks of poor craftsmanship which are plainly visible upon close inspection.

More importantly, it is nearly impossible to obtain replacement parts for the Chinese machines while the American made units have parts readily available. In addition, many of the units from China are claimed to be approved for Commercial use yet are NOT UL/ETL/NSF listed!! Also take the time to look at the power ratings as most generic Chinese machines are only 700 watts while the Paragon units are 1100+ watts for the exact same size machine.

Finally, the generic Chinese machines often have NO WARRANTY whatsoever while the Paragon machines come with anywhere from 1 year to a LIFETIME warranty! While it is often tempting to pass up quality for price, in this case we do NOT recommend going the cheaper route! Before buying ANY popcorn machine, save yourself a million future headaches and ask one simple question: where is this unit manufactured? If the answer is China, BEWARE. When it comes to popcorn machines, we STRONGLY recommend buying American quality as you will save in the long run and get the peace of mind you deserve.