Our store owns a gold medal #2656 popcorn popper but now it will not pop but few kernels. is it not getting hot enough or is it something else?

The elements could be loose if element clamps are not tight or missing. check Check the amp draw on both the red and black and compare it to the other side. that will tell you if the wattage is equal. If it is and the elements are tight check the circuit board. The circuit boards on Gold Medal poppers are also ajustable for the over shoot temp and kettle dump temp. check the setting with the faster kettle.

Sounds like the kettle isn't getting hot enough. The thermostat is usually at fault in this situation which can be determined by checking the amp draw on the kettle. the common complaint is the kette is too hot and burning but what really is going on is it's not hot enough so the seed won't pop. Because of the heat that is there it will loose it's moisture, dry out and burn instead. You will end up with lots of old maids . Really stale corn seed will act the same way because all the moisture in it is gone and thats what is needed to pop it.

do you put a half a teaspoon of oil in first before the corn kernels
other than that have the unit checked by an electrical appliance shop for problem thermostat or heating element

Order a new switch from Gold Medal. The number is 42532

The kettle temp is not getting hot enough so your seeds dry out and have no moisture left to pop. Very stale corn seed will give you similar results.

Any Gold Medal dealer will be able to find one. There are 3 different styles depending on the age of the popper.
It is always cheaper to repair Gold Medal kettles, replacements are very expensive. That model they run $750-$1100.

Contact Gold Medal to find your local dealer for service. 1-800-543-0862

http://www.concessionpalace.com/concession-tutorials/P-60_60_Special_Uncle_Walts-1866_2085_2086_2656-popcorn-machines.pdf

I hate to put this as a solution because it really isn't. I have an old popper needing a new kettle and was told it was almost as much to purchase a new kettle than the whole machine. The kettle is almost the entire cost of the unit. I will be purchasing a new unit.

The problem you are having is the thermostat inside the kettle is getting weak these can be ordered from Star Manufacturing or a concessions supply place that does repairs Also Gold Medal Product has a similar thermostat that will work in your kettle pt# 47082 Just a FYI

Hints for getting the best popped corn: Don't pop popcorn in butter as the butter will burn before it can get hot enough. Popcorn pops best in temperatures of 400-460 degrees F. If your oil starts to smoke which happens at 500 degrees F, you've got it too hot. Any oil will work. Use enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. For your health, you should choose a light cooking oil or better yet, skip the oil all together and use an air popper. The movie houses use yellow dyed coconut oil which does a great job of popping the popcorn although there are healthier oils you can use than coconut oil. To see if you have the oil hot enough, drop a couple of kernels into the hot oil. If it's hot enough, they should pop in just a few seconds. If you don't have a popper, any thick bottomed, high walled pan will do. Popcorn can even be easily made in a Dutch oven over a camp fire. When your oil is the right temperature, pour in your popcorn, shaking the pan to cover all the seeds in oil. Do this with the lid on to prevent burns should the hot oil try to splash out of the pan. Using a lid helps the kernels to heat more evenly and keeps the popping corn from flying all over the place. (If you are using a popcorn popper, shaking it isn't necessary because of it's rounded bottom.) As it begins popping, it's important to continue to shake a flat-bottomed pan. This helps any un-popped kernels to settle to the bottom of the pan where they can pop. As soon as you hear the popcorn stop popping, pull the pan off the heat and pour the popcorn into another container. It will burn if you leave it in the hot pan.

What can you do if you've done everything right but your popcorn still doesn't pop very well? As mentioned above, popcorn must have about 13.5 to 14% moisture to pop properly. This is because as the popcorn kernel is heated, the moisture inside the seed is turned to steam creating a huge inner pressure. As this pressure continues past the shell's strength to keep it in, the skin ruptures and the inner starchy layer of the kernel greatly expands and turns itself inside out. If the moisture isn't there, this pressure build-up can't happen. If you find your popcorn has excessive old maids (un-popped kernels) in it, the problem might be that it lacks moisture. Place 3 cups of un-popped popcorn into a quart bottle. Add a tablespoon of water, put the lid on and shake it to get water on all the kernels. If the water puddles in the bottom of the bottle, shake it again every 10 minutes until enough of the water has been absorbed to prevent puddling. Now let it sit for two or three days while the moisture is evenly distributed into the kernels. If it still doesn't pop correctly, repeat this process but add no more than 2 teaspoons of water the second time. Yes, it's also possible to get it so moist it won't pop, so definitely, don't add water a third time. Lastly, you can even take your old maids that didn't pop, rejuvenate them with water using the above process and re-pop them. (With a measurement of three cups un-popped popcorn, 1 tablespoon of water will increase the moisture content 2.5%. A teaspoon of water will increase the moisture level almost 1%. Air dried popcorn will probably never get below a 10% moisture content on it's own, so adding even two tablespoons of water would be pushing it, raising the moisture content to 15% - that is if it started out at a moisture level of 10%.)