Popcorn Makers

Today, most people think of "making popcorn" as putting a bag in the microwave for three minutes and waiting for the popping to stop. While this is easy and convenient, some people still enjoy making it in more of an "old fashioned" way -- by popping it on the stove or in a popcorn popper, which I think tastes better because you can salt and butter it to your tastes.

There are two kinds of popcorn makers available for home use -- hot air and oil poppers. No matter which you choose, popping your own corn is both fun and economical.

Hot Air Poppers

Using just hot air, these machines allow you to make fat and salt free popcorn, which is the healthiest way of making popcorn. You can control how much butter, oil, salt or other toppings go into a given batch of popcorn. Many hot air poppers  are relatively inexpensive -- some cost as little as $20. An air popper and a jar of regular popping corn  can produce many cups of popcorn at a cheaper price than the microwavable bags, and with fewer unpopped kernels. If you eat a lot of popcorn, a hot air popper will very rapidly start saving you money! A cup of plain, air-popped popcorn has only 31 calories, is low in fat, and even has some fiber to boot! Recommendation: The Presto 04821  was well-rated on both Amazon (4.5 stars, 57 reviews) and Epinions.

Hot Oil Poppers

Oil poppers  use heated oil or fat to cook the popcorn. You can try your hand at a stovetop popper,  the oldest method of popping corn still used today. Also the most difficult, as burning the popcorn is not hard to do! Other models use electricity  and sit on a counter top. You can control the amount of toppings that go into a batch of popcorn, just as you can with an air popper. However, with an oil popper, the resulting popcorn is never fat-free. Despite the added fat calories, oil-popped corn is still a fairly healthy snack. Oil poppers are in the same price range as hot air poppers, usually around $20 to 50. Recommendation: The West Bend Stir Crazy  (pictured) was well-rated on both Amazon (4.5 stars, 196 reviews) and Epinions (4.5 stars, 23 reviews).

Alternatives

• There are a few microwave poppers  which are basically plastic bowls with lids designed specifically for popping corn.
• You add the right amount of popcorn and flavorings and throw it in the microwave for a few minutes.
• As fast as microwave popcorn, but you can customize it just like home-popped corn.
• You can also manage with a brown paper bag and a single staple. Directions can be found here.

Other Things to Consider

Cooking method is the main factor in deciding which popcorn maker to buy, but there are other features to consider as well.

• Efficiency: Will the popper cook all of the corn that you put in?
• Speed: What volume of popcorn can it produce in a given amount of time?
• Size: Will you be able to store it easily? Does it make enough popcorn to suit your needs?
• Ease of cleaning: Does it come apart? Is any part of it machine washable?
• Extra features: Do you want a melted butter compartment? Will it shut off automatically? Is it an "attractive" model?

Related Products
Popcorn Bowls	Popping Corn	Gourmet Popcorn	Rice Cookers	Ice Cream Makers

External Links

• MetaFilter -- important information about staples in the microwave and making your own popcorn.
• Recipe Goldmine -- ideas for popcorn toppings, from Bayou Popcorn to Victorian Pink Peppermint Popcorn. (Click the links at the top to see the sweet recipes.)
• Cook's Illustrated -- requires subscription; suggestions for homemade microwave popcorn.