7 Best Popcorn Air Poppers
If you are looking for the best popcorn air poppers you've come to the right place. An popcorn air popper is a small kitchen appliance that uses hot air to pop popcorn. Popcorn kernels pop because an outside heat source converts water to steam. When the pressure from the steam becomes too great, the outer hull explodes and the result is a fluffy taste treat. It makes no difference to the popcorn kernels how the heat arrives, as long as it stays hot enough long enough to generate the steam.
Once the kernel has popped, the finished popcorn travels through a plastic chute until it lands in a waiting bowl. A typical air popper may also contain a special compartment for melting butter or adding seasonings. Most models also include a means for measuring additional batches of popcorn. Since no oil is required, this device can generate several batches of popcorn in a row without stopping.
It's easy enough to toss a pack of store-bought popcorn in the microwave for a quick snack, but making your own popcorn from scratch is so much more rewarding. Fortunately, with air popcorn poppers, it's just as quick and easy to pop a batch of fresh kernels—no extra ingredients required.
There are a variety of popcorn makers on the market. Most are easy to clean, convenient to store, and, most importantly, they all make great-tasting popcorn in a matter of minutes. Whether you’re looking for a popper to make large batches of popcorn balls to gift for holidays or a space-saving popcorn maker for movie night snacks, here are the best popcorn poppers based on online reviews from actual customers who used them.
Presto Poplite Hot Air Popper
The Presto Poplite, an oil-free and easy-to-use popcorn maker, is an impressive addition to the kitchen for all your popcorn needs. The upright appliance can air pop up to 18 cups in under 3 minutes and includes a built-in butter melting tray that doubles as a measuring cup. During our Lab testing, this machine made the crispiest popcorn out of all the popcorn makers we tested. The chute directs the pooped corn straight into a bowl you set up to catch your popcorn once the vigorous popping begins. There is no on and off switch which would have made the appliance easier to control but you can just plug it in to start. The oil-free model kept its interior and exterior relatively clean so you can just give it a wipe down and then wash the butter cup in warm, soapy water. It's compact enough to store in any small cabinet and you can wrap the cord around the built-in knob to put away for next time.
Cuisinart EasyPop Hot Air Popcorn Maker
This electric countertop model is simple to set up. You don’t need to add any oil, just dump the recommended amount of kernels (up to half a cup, using the measuring cup that also triples as the lid and butter melting cup) into the fun and bright red base where very hot air heats them up. The popcorn jumps through a plastic chute and into your bowl.
This is more expensive than the Poplite but you get easy cleanup because every removable part on the appliance is dishwasher safe. Also replacement parts for the chute and lid are available for purchase. Plus, there's an on and off feature instead of just plugging and unplugging.
Make sure to empty out the base so that any unpopped kernels don’t stick around and burn the next time you use it.
Dash Turbo Popcorn Maker Machine
This DASH popcorn maker can make a large batch of popcorn in just minutes making it a perfect partner for movie nights with family or friends. This popcorn maker comes with a measuring cup which allows you to portion out your popped kernels to make it easier to control your serving size. It comes with an onboarding setting to choose the type of popcorn you want to make - classic butter or gourmet salt.
The Original Popco Silicone Microwave Popcorn Popper
The easiest to use amongst all the popcorn poppers available in the market. All you have to do is add kernels to the bowl, toss in some oil, salt or flavorings as you please, and put it in the microwave.
The bowl holds up to 15 cups, making plenty for the whole family. The food-grade silicone microwave popcorn popper bowl has built-in handles to make it even more convenient. The bowl is designed to evenly spread heat, so it pops every last kernel. Best of all, the bowl collapses to just 2.3 inches so it won’t take up much space in storage, plus it’s dishwasher safe.
Salbree Microwave Popcorn Popper
If you’re tight on cabinet space, then this is the best popcorn maker for you, since the collapsible design allows it to fit into a small drawer. It comes in a range of 18 colors, giving you plenty to pick from. Since it’s made from silicone, it’ll last forever. That also means it’s dishwasher-safe as well as BPA-free. Easy to use, it even has built-in handles to make it safe to take out of the microwave.
Ecolution Microwave Micro-Pop Popcorn Popper
In addition to making yummy popcorn, this popper also looks really different and cool. The popper makes 1.5 quarts and comes in red. There is also a 3 quart size as well.
Chef'n Pop Top Popcorn Popper
If you’re kitchen space is limited or you would rather stick with an easily storable option, this is the popcorn popper for you. The silicone material is dishwasher-safe, making for easy clean up. There are two small tabs on top giving you something relatively cool to grip as you take it out of the microwave.
All of these air popcorn poppers are available online and ready to be delivered to your doorstep, for that movie theater experience in the comfort of your couch. Here is an article about some popcorn fun facts.
