We’ve been enjoying popcorn for generations, and it remains a favorite snack for the masses. The fact that it can provide a very low fat, low-calorie treat is increasing its popularity. Now, great recipes are available beyond the old standby of salt and butter. More people are choosing to make their own popcorn at home, rather than buy the pre-made, with unhealthy additives, or expensive and unhealthy microwave bags. Here are our picks for the Top 5 Popcorn Poppers on the market today.
Contents
1. Nostalgia Electrics Old Fashioned Kettle Popcorn Popper
We like these poppers because they produce much more than high-quality delicious popcorn.
They also bring back fond memories of the days we’d buy a salty, buttery treat from the vendor at the carnival, the movies, the ballgame, or on the city street corner.
These large capacity producers feature commercial quality components that make everything easy from the popping to the serving to the clean up.
They come in two heights and are just right for private use, or as the snack producer for your church, school, business, or fund-raising event. They are a good value for the price.
A Modern Classic that Really Puts Out the Popcorn!
Nostalgia Electrics makes a fantastic collection of classically styled popcorn makers in sizes to meet the needs of the personal appetite and house party. The Nostalgia Electrics Old Fashioned Popcorn Popper is the flagship of the entire family of fun.
This line features several models, including the Old Fashioned Movie Time 59″ Popcorn Cart, and the Old Fashioned Movie Time 48″ Popcorn Cart, both of which come in stylish red or vintage black.
These large units are designed for home use but are also rated for commercial service. So, whether you have a house full of guest clamoring for fresh, delicious kettle-cooked popcorn, or you are supplying the treats at the football fundraiser, these durable poppers get the job done easily.
Each one uses oil to cook in the stainless steel kettle, complete with the built-in stir system and has the capacity to produce 2 full quarts of pleasure in every batch. The early-20th Century era replica carts are easy to maneuver into place and provide lots of storage for all your supplies, while the height and door opening makes for easy serving. Prices vary quite a bit, starting at $189 and ranging above $300.
Features and Current Price
- Pops up to 24 cups of popcorn per batch
- Perfect for use with all Nostalgia Popcorn Kits! (Theater Hot Air & Kettle Kit-KPK400, PCJ30-Soft shelled Popping Kernels, PPB600-Reusable Popcorn Bowls, PCSP5-Pre-Measured Coconut Oil Popcorn Kit)
- Easy-clean 6-ounce stainless steel kettle with built-in stirring system and dual-hinged lids
- Convenient utility shelf for popcorn preparation
- Spoked rubber wheels and pull handle allows for easy mobility
- Plastic glass windows and door with lighted interior for easy viewing and room ambiance
- Compartment in the base to store supplies
- Removable top for countertop use
- Tilt door for easy access and serving
- Kernel catcher for unpopped kernels
- Includes kernel measuring cap, oil measuring spoon and metal popcorn scoop
- Commercially rated
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2. Whirley Pop Stove Top Popcorn Popper
At the other end of the cost and complexity spectrum, this unit brings back the fun of popping corn the old fashioned way. It makes great tasting popcorn with a little manual support from you or the kids – who will get in line to turn the crank and get things popping. The quality design leaves few unpopped kernels, and there’s no burning or sticking.
Old Fashioned, Unsurpassed Goodness!
The folks at Wabash Valley Farms have been making fantastic old-fashioned popcorn for generations, and now they share their timeless secret, the Whirley Pop Stove Top Popcorn Popper. This best seller turns out 6 delicious quarts of perfectly popped corn in just 3 minutes, for you to top as you please and enjoy with family and friends.
The patented, smooth stirring mechanism is driven by a wood handle that will not get hot, and it keeps the kernels moving through the oil until they pop, eliminating burning or sticking. A small amount of oil is all you need, and medium heat does the trick.
The pot is made of high-quality aluminum that can take the heat and is easily cleaned with the swipe of a paper towel, or a bit of soap and water. It’s topped with a clip-on lid featuring steam vents, so moisture can escape. The result is crisp, crunchy popcorn every time. The manufacturer believes so much in this product they offer a 25-year warranty on all moving parts! The highly rated, fun to use Whirley Pop Stovetop Popcorn Popper is available from $19 to $23.
Features and Current Price
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3. Nostalgia Electrics Retro Hot Air Popcorn Popper
Join the trend toward healthy snacks with this high-quality tabletop popper from an industry leader. It’s a highly rated unit, both for the quality of the corn popped, but for durability and ease of use. Add the corn, turn it on, and in just a few minutes you and your guests are enjoying a delicious treat you won’t regret eating in the morning!
Retro Healthy Popcorn!
Back in the day, you could eat anything you wanted without adverse effect, and a trip to the movie theater proved it every time. Now, you’re looking for healthy snacks, but still want the great flavor you enjoy, and not something reminiscent of bird seed.
The Nostalgia Electrics Retro Hot Air Popcorn Popper is a deluxe popper that will take you back in time to the delicious treat you enjoyed decades ago, delivering it in a healthy way you can enjoy guilt-free today. This table-top unit employs hot air rather than oil to pop fresh, tasty, wonderfully textured popcorn in minutes.
The Nostalgia Electrics Retro Hot Air Popcorn Popper features an easy-to-measure fill top that holds 7 tablespoons of kernels, producing 10 full cups per batch. And it does it so quickly it’s easy to keep up with the demand from a large family or living room full of friends. Fire up this stylish popper, keep the kernels coming, and indulge yourself with a delicious, healthy handful or two…or three. This quick and easy popcorn popper runs $35 to $59.
4. Presto Poplite Hot Air Popcorn Popper
Hot air poppers are popular because no oil is required, essential to those looking for a very healthy, low-calorie treat. Some hot air units produce wooden-textured kernels that taste like packing popcorn, but not this one. The popcorn is fresh, crisp, tasty, and good for you. This is a durable unit that makes 18 cups in 3 minutes, then will turn around and do it again, as long as you need it to. Not much to look at, but then your taste buds don’t really have an eye for aesthetics, just fantastic taste. A good value popper.
It Lets the Popcorn Do the Talking!
Popping popcorn is not rocket science – get the kernels hot enough and nature will take its course.
When you’re looking for a straight-forward popper that will pop virtually every kernel, and do it with hot air for a healthier snack than is produced with oil, the Presto Poplite Hot Air Popcorn Popper is very hard to beat.
Its simple design means there’s little that can go wrong, and that produces the excellent durability that Presto has long been known for.
Turn this unit one, add popcorn with the handy measurer/butter melter, and in less than 3 minutes you’ll have 18 cups of tasty, low-calorie goodness to share with the family or a room full of friends. The Presto Poplite Hot Air Popcorn Popper is great for regular popcorn or your favorite gourmet brands and is a money saver when compared with the cost of microwave bag popcorn. This highly rated workhorse just keeps poppin’, and very affordable at $14.99 to $19.
Features and Current Price
- Pops faster than a microwave- up to 18 cups of gourmet corn in less than 2 1/2 minutes
- In test after test, the Presto Pop Lite hot air popper out popped other leading brands, popping up to 30-percent faster with virtually no unpopped kernals
- Uses regular or gourmet popcorn for a savings of up to 70-percent over microwave bags
- Pops without oil for up to 42-percent fewer calories than microwave bag popcron, no artificial flavors, saturated fats, preservatives, or added salt
- Product Built to North American Electrical Standards
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5. West Bend Stir Crazy Popcorn Popper
West Bend updated their old original popper, loved by a generation of popcorn connoisseurs. Now a new generation will enjoy the experience, made better with the addition of a stirring mechanism to reduce burned popcorn and scorched kernels. The non-stick coating on the popping plate is durable and easy to clean. Add a little guilty pleasure to your snack with some butter, melted in the convenient well on top of the unit.
A Better than Ever Classic!
West Bend has been popping fantastic popcorn for a generation or two. If you liked their original popper, you’ll simply love the improved West Bend Stir Crazy Popcorn Popper.
This one features a motorized stirring rod that keeps the kernels moving, preventing them from burning before, or after, they pop. Add a bit of oil, your favorite regular or gourmet brand of corn, watch the pop-show, and the results will be very satisfying.
Add butter to the melting well on top, and increase your pleasure.
The unit shuts itself off when the action is complete, and six quarts of great tasting popcorn is yours to enjoy.
Turn the unit over, detach the lid, and you’ve got the perfect serving bowl. This highly rated unit features a non-stick popping surface that cleans up easily. This legendary brand delivers a freshly popped approach to a quality classic and runs $32 to $45.
Features and Current Price
- This product is highly durable
- The product is manufactured in China
- The product is easy to use
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