How to Buy a Popcorn Popper

Popcorn is a favorite snack for many, and there are several ways to make it at home. There is the old standby microwave bag, but using a popcorn popper gives you more variety with the finished product. You can season it or leave it plain to use in other popcorn recipes. If you're in the market to buy a popcorn popper, here are some things to look for.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Decide what you want to do with your popcorn. A hot-air popcorn popper allows you to pop your corn without oil. You add the popcorn, and hot air circulates from the bottom to keep the corn moving until it all pops. After it's finished, you can then add as much or as little butter as you want. Use your unseasoned, unbuttered popcorn in other recipes, such as popcorn balls and caramel popcorn.
2. Consider the microwave popcorn popper if you want the simplest and most inexpensive way to pop corn without oil. This consists of a bowl made of a material that conducts more heat than glass or ceramic ware. Place the popcorn in the bowl, place the lid on and microwave according the manufacturer's instructions.
3. Choose the stove-top popcorn popper if you don't mind using a small amount of oil. It only takes about 1 tsp. of oil in the bottom of the popper. After you add the oil and popcorn, place the lid on and put it over a source of heat. As it heats up, you turn the handle, which keeps the popcorn moving and prevents it from burning on the bottom of the pan. It takes about 3 minutes, and then you can add butter or seasoning. Most of them make about 6 quarts of popcorn at a time, an advantage over some of the smaller types of poppers.
4. Pick the electric version of the stove-top popper if you want a little more convenience. This popcorn popper works along the same premise as the stove top variety except it does the work for you. Add oil and popcorn to the base, put the cover in place and plug it in. A wiper goes around the bottom of the base to keep the popcorn moving. These are a little more expensive than the other models, and some of them are made in such a way that the top serves as a bucket when your popcorn is finished.
5. Check out the warranty. Some warranties are better than others, and if you plan on using yours quite a bit, you want the best popcorn popper warranty for your buck.