I hope that whoever came up with the idea of pairing popcorn with watching movies knows exactly what a massive impact they’ve had on the cinema experience. Movie theaters are practically incomplete without popcorn machines, and I can’t think of a single time in my entire life when I’ve wanted to have popcorn MORE than I have while watching a movie. Designed to capture the beauty of this relationship, LEGO builder Dimexart decided to create the iconic movie theater popcorn machine. A standard fixture at any concession stand, this popcorn machine is synonymous with cinemas. Sure, we can make our own popcorn at home in Dutch ovens or microwaves, but there’s just something different about popped corn that comes from this machine. The machine comes with a rotating kettle encased within a glass chamber. With a height-adjustable lid, the kettle constantly churns out popcorn, which falls out and fills up the glass chamber directly. It’s a hypnotic process that’s so embedded into everyone’s memories that looking at this LEGO recreation will probably remind you of the theaters and make you imagine the smell of butter!
Designer: Dimexart
Apart from building with LEGO bricks, Dimexart has also built a reputation for himself for recreating retro machines almost immaculately out of LEGO blocks. His functional antique cash register and vintage toaster hold a special place on this website, and the Popcorn Machine is soon to be a favorite too! The machine is styled in all its retro glory and comes with a 955-piece build, although whether that includes the LEGO popcorn is unknown. Yes, the popcorn is made from LEGO bricks too, and each individual kernel pops out of the machine’s built-in kettle, sliding down the ramp and into a popcorn bucket.
You can load the kettle by accessing it through a door in the back, and an M-Motor powers a rack and pinion mechanism, causing the LEGO kernels to pop out and slide down into the bucket for you to munch on later. While the machine originally was designed for LEGO popcorn, you could theoretically fill it with actual snacks too, like M&Ms and other hard candy, making for an interesting Halloween treat-deploying gadget!
With over 5000 votes, Dimexart’s Popcorn Machine is dominating the LEGO Ideas forum. If it gathers 10,000 votes, LEGO’s internal team will turn it into a box-set that all of us regular-folk can buy! You can cast your vote for Dimexart’s Popcorn Machine here.
