We had something that made popcorn from the mid 80's that sounded like a jet engine was taking off every time you started making popcorn. I mean, the longevity of the device was impressive, but the noise was outrageous.
Due to this, I decided to invest in something a bit more modern. I have to say, this is far less noisy thankfully & actually is a lot quicker than the old one too.
It doesn't take too long to heat up and make the popcorn & I also enjoy the fact that this is all self contained. My previous popcorn maker liked to violently spew popcorn out of a hole at the front and your kitchen ended up caked in popcorn. You got more on the floor than in the bowl you placed underneath it.
The fact this is all made in that little bowl with no mess, far quieter and is easy to clean is a massive help.
A couple of things to note though - once the popcorn is done, ensure you remove the bowl quickly and flip it upside down. This is because the base is extremely hot and the popcorn will start to burn very quickly. I'd also not leave this unattended at all whilst in operation or even after until you have grabbed all the tasty tasty popcorn.
In summary though, this is exactly what I needed - something self contained, no mess, easy to clean, relatively quiet, simple to use and just works with no faff. the size is also great as it doesn't take up too much room in the kitchen and can be put away and stored elsewhere easily when not being used.
I'd really recommend it & have had no issues after using it for a while now. It feels fairly robust, so I have confidence it will last a long time (though perhaps not 30 - 40 years like the last one). You never know though.