The 5 Best Popcorn Makers, Tested And Reviewed Electric fashions are more hands-off and generally produce popcorn sooner than stovetop fashions, however they require an outlet and room on the countertop. Microwave popcorn makers are an easy approach to produce better-than-store-bought popcorn, though they do not make it fairly as tasty as stovetop and electric machines. If you favor making popcorn with out oil, go for an electrical or microwave option; either one works properly with unadorned kernels, whereas a stovetop popper wants slightly added fat for finest results. The three major styles of popcorn makers are air, stirring, and stovetop poppers. Air poppers require no oil and have upright columns with wells you add kernels to. The wells sit instantly on high of sizzling air blowers, which warmth and pop the popcorn. Presto Poplite Popper Popcorn makers take the guesswork out of popping popcorn at residence, but can value around $40 on average and require additional storage and cleansing. Making microwave popcorn requires much less equipment, however does not always lead to uniform popcorn, corresponding to burnt popcorn or uncooked kernels, and requires some troubleshooting to get one of the best results. Technically you would make popcorn in a lidded pot that you already own, but it will require you to shake it while blistering sizzling oil and kernels hop round within the pot. It includes a hand-cranked mechanism on the deal with that stirs the kernels and oil within the backside of the pan in order that they don’t burn. The small measurement is great for single servings or miniature microwaves, and we respect its large deal with for simple carrying. Other Popcorn Makers We Examined The popped popcorn is then blown up and out of the chutes and into awaiting serving bowls. ✔️ Stovetop popcorn makers seem like odd lidded pots, however the lid features a geared stirring mechanism that turns to maintain the kernels from burning and sticking to the bottom. Stovetop popcorn makers are made from sturdy and long-lasting stainless-steel and aluminum, yet they are relatively inexpensive. One Of The Best Popcorn Makers, Reviewed By Specialists The popcorn blew up their chutes and into serving bowls—there was no have to babysit either model. The Presto completed in slightly below two-and-a-half minutes with 2% unpopped kernels, whereas the Sprint was about 20 seconds slower and averaged 4% unpopped kernels. The Whirley Pop carried out exceptionally nicely, too, leaving solely three unpopped kernels behind—though, of course, you do have to look at over it on the stovetop. Stovetop popcorn makers—like the Whirley Pop—have steel constructions and stirring arms. They require oil to pop popcorn and so that you simply can manually rotate their arms by way of handles to make sure even popping. For do-it-yourself popcorn, simply add your go-to kernels to this silicone bowl, fit the lid on prime and microwave. In just some minutes, you have mild and crispy popcorn—made with out oil or fuss. You might prep this snack while the fam debates which film to watch (we wager the popcorn might be accomplished first). In the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Home Equipment and Innovation Lab, we've been testing small kitchen home equipment like rice cookers and air fryers for many years. At the time of testing, the popcorn makers ranged in value from $13 to $200, with a median of $49. Our Take A Look At Kitchen staff not solely checks lots of of reader-submitted recipes every year but additionally focuses on testing kitchen devices and different merchandise. As a group of snacking fanatics, popcorn poppers popped proper to the highest of our list. It Is not a real movie night until you could have a big ol' bowl of popcorn. Get things popping by picking up top-of-the-line popcorn makers according to our Check Kitchen experts. Air poppers blow popped popcorn right into a serving bowl instantly, stopping it from steaming. We counsel instantly eradicating popcorn from a stirring or stovetop popcorn maker as quickly as it finishes popping. As A End Result Of air poppers don’t use oil, they had been the easiest to clean (surprise!), requiring only a fast wipe down. The stirring poppers had been essentially the most troublesome since the electrical, nonstick bases couldn’t be submerged, but there was nonetheless oil to deal with. While the Whirley Pop’s skinny metal development means it should be hand-washed, that is easy sufficient to do with soapy water in the sink.