A marinating machine rotates a drum containing the food to be marinated. The drum is positioned on a pair of rotatable shafts only one of which is drivingly engaged to a motor rotating the drum. The pair of shafts is spaced far enough apart from each other such that the vector of force applied by the wall of the drum against the drive wheel is sufficient to ensure that the drum will rotate with the drive wheel. Within the drum is a pair of spaced apart paddles to agitate the food product being marinated. The two paddles are joined to each other by a compressible member, and the compressible member is compressed to allow insertion of the paddles into the drum. The compressible member applies sufficient force against the inner surface of the drum to cause the paddle assembly to rotate with the drum.