Popcorn popper making popcorns, the most famous of snacks while going to the movies. It is more than just seeing a new film. Having a bucket full of popcorn makes it feel like seeing, which is one of the exciting part of a trip to the movie theatre.
Besides being a staple of the movie- trip, you will find popcorn to be far more healthy. It depends on the method of preparation that you use. Popcorn will be unhealthy if it is all drenched in salt and artificial butter, as mostly found at the theatre, of course.
If prepared without any additional unhealthy ingredients, it is one of the least fattening foods you may find. Consider how a small average piece of popcorn is and how light it is, yet makes sense that popcorn would not be overly fattening.
This is why it is essential to be able to pop in and make it in a manner that you most prefer, rather than purchasing it premade. This introduction brings us to today’s topic, the best popcorn popper you can buy for a reasonable price and here’s the buying guide for you.
Whether you are making a fun snack for the kids, or you want to enjoy the popcorn at home, finding the best popcorn machine is not such an uphill task as you can get them online.
Great Northern Popcorn Original Spinner Stovetop 6 1/2 Quart Popcorn Popper
This Whirley Pop from Great Northern Popcorn Company lacks the black exterior finish—so it’s a truly old-timey-looking aluminum pot. While this popper still produces some great, flavorful popcorn, it was more inconsistent between batches and after accidentally leaving it on the stove for a minute without anything in it, the bottom could be burnt so badly it becomes nearly impossible to clean.
Colonel Popper Popcorn Popper
The colorful Colonel Popper performs well to save for a faster cook. The thin silicone bowl collapses down to nothing when not in use, making it easy to store and transport, and it’s dishwasher safe—but also tends to get too hot to hold and use as a serving bowl.
Cuisinart CPM-100 EasyPop Hot Air Popcorn Maker
This electric air popper from Cuisinart produces some of the biggest, fluffiest kernels of popcorn. This air-popped popcorn lacked the crispness and satisfying crunch of popcorn made via other methods. And although it popped basically every kernel, it made a loud whirring noise and spread a lot of hot air into the room while doing so. Considering all this, plus its awkward shape and size for storage, I would choose other methods over this air popcorn popper almost every time.
West Bend 82505 Stir Crazy
This cumbersome, clunky, and downright difficult device was a pain to use, requiring you to literally flip the entire unit upside down to remove the bowl after the popcorn was popped. Because it allows you to melt butter directly into the popcorn as it pops through a grate on the top, flipping it upside down could result in butter on you and your table if you forget to put a small lid back on, a mistake I inevitably made during one of the batches. Kids might enjoy watching popcorn pop in the dome, but their entertainment is sincerely not worth this hassle and potential hazard.
Nordic Ware Microwave Popcorn Popper
This extremely fast, extremely ugly microwavable popper from Nordic Ware forgoes the popular collapsible silicone design in favor of a hard, plastic-like bowl. While this popcorn machine popped each batch quickly and without burning, the bowl was quite hot coming out of the microwave, with no separate handles for safe handling. The shape of the bowl is also not conducive to pouring if you want to move the popcorn into another container to mix or serve.
Cuisinart Pop And Serve Popcorn Maker
This microwavable popcorn popper from Cuisinart might not look like anything special, but it consistently produces the best popcorn in the least time of all the products. The Pop and Serve’s cheerful, cherry red silicone bowl is collapsible for easy storage, it’s thick and sturdy enough to hold its shape as a serving bowl. Its small handles are handy for removing from the microwave, too, when the base is still hot to the touch.
Franklin’s Gourmet Whirley Pop
Thanks to this popper’s lightweight aluminum construction, it heats up quickly and evenly, and the crank handle is easy to move. While there are a number of lightly burnt kernel shells at the bottom of the pot after popping is complete, the popcorn itself tastes fresh and is free from burnt spots. Because it requires oil, this Whirley Pop produces some very flavorful, crisp popcorn, but can’t achieve the oil-free results of air poppers or microwavable bowls.
Lékué Popcorn Maker
Despite looking just like the other silicone microwavable models, this popper had issues with consistency—some batches with oil had burnt areas, and some dry runs had lots of unpopped kernels. The Lekue also lacks the small handles that make it easy to take the other models out of the microwave. It has collapsing and overheating issues of its thin silicone bowl.
Presto Orville Redenbacher’s Hot Air Popper
While this Orville Redenbacher-branded hot air popper from Presto produces kernels on par with the Cuisinart model, Presto’s design leaves much to be desired. Namely, this popper completely lacks an on/off switch, meaning it needs to be unplugged to be shut off. This is a huge inconvenience for some people, and it is incredibly irritating to deal with throughout testing. It’s as loud as other air poppers, and also gave off a chemical smell during its first use. The only highlights are its speed and efficiency in popping kernels.
Small Popcorn Popper
While purchasing you must be spending a little bit of extra money to ensure that popcorn maker will last longer. If you spend some extra bucks on popcorn machine to get more years of functionality, it is good to say that it is a good investment.
Beyond durability, it is also vital to ensure that you get a good quality popcorn popper that has active functions. You can have the most long-lasting and durable popcorn machine in the world, but the emphasis should be on, not burning popcorn every time. If it is so, it is not the right product to buy.
As it is hard to judge effectiveness without having used them before, reviews become far more crucial to find the right product.
You must research for the right amount and find decent reviews as it is an integral part.
Pay Attention To
- Type
- Material
- Kettle Size
Type
There are different types of machines which you can purchase. Knowing the best type for your requirements is necessary to find the ideal popcorn popper. You might prefer a commercial popcorn popper or a stovetop model depending on your requirements and budget.
Commercial popcorn poppers
- Typically very large and expensive
- Machines that you see at movie theatres
- Over expensive
- Not usable at home
Electric popcorn popper
- Good functionality
- Vary greatly depending on the price.
Stovetop popcorn poppers
- Similar to ordinary pots
- Feature gears and stirring mechanisms
- Ensure that popcorn does not stick to burn while cooking
- Typically excellent
- Convenient
- No need for electricity
Vintage popcorn makers
- Function either with electricity or on the stovetop
- Level of authenticity
- Feature colourful vintage designs
- They resemble the popcorn makers in old movie theatres
- Add a bit of nostalgia
Professional popcorn makers
- Similar to commercial popcorn makers
- Typically more expensive
- Smaller than business models
- More convenient for home use
- Decorative feature for the room
Material
The material that your popcorn maker is made out of will affect the cooking time of your popcorn, the weight of your maker, and the price. It comes in :-
- Glass
- Aluminium
- Stainless Steel
But there is no ideal material used to make a popcorn popper; it merely depends on your requirements.
- Aluminium Popper
- More lightweight
- Advantage of improved heat distribution
- Stainless Steel Popper
- Bright and nice
- Less equal heat distribution
- Glass Popper
- Transparent
- Allows you to see the kernels popping
- Suitable looking appliance in the kitchen
- Effect on the aesthetics of popcorn popper
Kettle Size
Another consideration before you makes your purchase is the size of the kettle in which the corn is popped. This choice depends on two aspects:
- the popcorn you imagine yourself making regularly
- how much you are going to spend on the popcorn maker
You will want your pot to be big enough to produce sufficient popcorn for your requirements. On the subject of parties, popcorn is a portion of excellent party food. If you want to add a little bit of novelty to parties with homemade popcorn, you can always opt for a bigger kettle. A smaller kettle means that you must have to refill the pot with unpopped kernels more frequently.
Now, after going through these above facts, you must be able to buy a good popcorn popper for your family.