We humans love to stimulate our sense of taste. This simple fact is reflected in culinary techniques practiced throughout multiple cultures across the globe.
Simultaneously, however, we also love our bodies and the ability to find new and healthy ways to prepare and enjoy our food while still enhancing the flavors through less deleterious means to one’s health.
In the late 1970s, an option became available which opened up the door to being able to enjoy popcorn with only five-percent (5%) of its calories derived from fat. This, of course, was the highly renowned Hot Air Popper.
Things to Consider:
Consistency
When it comes to microwave popcorn, one can typically expect to find a crunchy puff or two with some burnt edges, and unpopped kernels strewn about the bottom of the bag. However, hot air poppers pride themselves on being able to evenly pop and distribute popcorn while leaving no kernel behind. When examining hot air poppers, it is important to look at which poppers more consistently yield more tasty popcorn?
Clean-up
One would be safe to say that we are pretty spoiled in this day and age, with our microwaves, dishwashers, refrigerators, and so on and so forth. As such, many people lose their minds at the idea of having to wash something by hand, yet, while many poppers are simple to clean and merely require a wipe-down with a damp towel, some are indeed dishwasher-safe for those who prefer convenience and timeliness.
Timeliness
Not only do we not like to put forth too much effort into cleaning, since we now have machines to do it for us, but we also don’t like to wait very long for completion of whatever task is under scrutiny and question. As such, many hot air poppers promise the heating and delivery of popcorn in less than five minutes! While the time range can vary from appliance to appliance, this is an important factor to analyze when finding the perfect popper for YOU.
Aesthetic Appeal
This facet of the appliances is pretty self-explanatory: we like pretty things. While a perfectly functional, yet ugly, popcorn popper would provide us with tasty popcorn to consume, it wouldn’t be nearly as gratifying as receiving it from a sleek and sessy appliance with colors and funky fonts to grab your attention!
Affordability
With the rising popularity of internet shopping and second-hand stores, ´bargain shopping´ has become quite a trend. It has become much easier to gain access to luxurious things without having to spend outlandish amounts that seem reminiscent of Mr. Gatsby.
Presto 04820 PopLite Hot Air Popper
The Presto 04820 PopLite Hot Air Popper is listed as an Amazon #1 Best Seller, and is noted as such for great reason! The Presto 04820 is white and yellow, equipped with a transparent plastic cover, applicable with North American electrical systems and prepares more popcorn in a shorter amount of time than microwave-prepared popcorn with yielding an outstanding 18 cups in just 2 ½ minutes! Not only does it have a higher yield than other popcorn poppers, but it also pops 30-percent faster than many other brands and leaves virtually zero unpopped kernels!
The Presto also uses both regular and gourmet popcorn which can make for a mean savings of up to 70-percent in comparison to lead microwavable popcorn bag brands! Not only can you buy your kernels in bulk, but in buying the pure kernels you get out exactly what you put in! Since the Presto does not use butter or oil, it produces tasty popcorn with up to 42-percent less calories than microwavable popcorn! You also get your popcorn without all those pesky saturated fats, additives/preservatives, artificial flavors, or added salts!
Now, this doesn’t mean that you can’t add your own salt, butter, or caramel if you so desire, but you can do so however you please in order to achieve the perfect flavor that arouses your taste buds. In fact, the ½ cup measuring cup positioned on top of the popper can be used as a butter melter! Simply put the desired amount of butter or margarine (room temperature works best) in the cup it will melt during the heating process of the popcorn! Not only that, but the plastic cover and cup can both be removed for easy cleaning. Now that is innovation!
While this popper will give you a much healthier product than that of microwavable poppers or oil-based poppers, the State of California has made sure to advertise that this product does contain a chemical that is carcinogenic and can attribute to birth defects, though it’s presence in the product is peripheral. Though this may not be music to your ears, it is quiet in comparison to all the wonderful things about this product.
You are probably expounding to yourself, “Wow, that sounds pretty amazing! It must be expensive!” and this, my friends, is the best part: it is only $20.05! Now that sounds like a price that I can wrap my head around!
TWOBIU Hot Air Popcorn Popper
The TWOBIU comes with an opaque-silver body and a slanted, orange, distribution chute; complete with a clear, plastic cover to ensure proper delivery of the popped kernels. The TWOBIU prepares 16 cups of popcorn in just 3 minutes, and the plastic cover is easy to remove for faster and quicker cleanup!
It comes equipped with a one-key operating system, which means that this appliance is so simple to use that ANYONE can operate it! Simply plug in the appliance, turn the switch to “on,” and let the healthy popping begin! Since it is an all-air, oil-free popcorn popper, the end product is much healthier and natural-tasting than it’s uber-processed counterparts! Leaving you with a nude product entirely open to any and all snack-time possibilities. Want it to be buttery and salty? How about sweet and tangy? What about saving it for later and turning it into a trail mix? The possibilities are absolutely endless!
On top of the finished product being a healthier and more fulfilling treat, the TWOBIU’s popping mechanism is made of food-grade aluminum alloy which contains no harmful substances, and is approved by the FDA. This means that you can feel safe and comfortable with the knowledge that your popcorn and lungs aren’t picking up any extra, unsafe chemicals from the popper!
With the TWOBIU, you get all of these perks for $26.96 on Amazon! Simple operation, easy cleanup, little health risk and limitless possibility make this hot air popcorn popper a must!
Cuisinart CPM-100 EasyPop Hot Air Popcorn Popper
The Cuisinart CPM-100 EasyPop Hot Air Popcorn Popper is the most affordable hot air popper of the Cuisinart series at a staggering $31.80 on Amazon! While there are other models that range all the way up to over $50.00, the CPM-100 gives you all of the most memorable features of the Cuisinart poppers at a brilliant price.
The CPM-100 can turn 15 cups of unpopped kernels into 15 cups of natural, tasty heaven in just under 3 minutes! This particular model comes in a rich, crimson as its default color and is equipped with effective cord storage and an on/off switch for easy operation. On top of the simple operation, all of the pieces and parts of the CPM-100 can be disassembled for easy washing in the dishwasher! That beats washing by hand any day!
Though it is a little more expensive than other brands, the extra money spent on this appliance is worth it, for longer-lasting popcorn enjoyment for the whole family, and without having to worry about replacing old parts or having to practice your Macgyver skills and jimmy-rigging it to work with a toothpick and a piece of tape!
West Bend 82418BK Air Crazy Hot Air Popcorn Popper
The West Bend 82418BK brings versatility, simple and effective operation, and a sleek-look and attractive design to the table, as well as delicious and delectable popcorn!
This sexy popper comes with all the bells and whistles that any popcorn lover could ever dream of!
First, it comes in a soft, black as its default color, which diminishes the aesthetic-hassle of discoloration, and is equipped with a simple “on” and “off” switch. On top of this, the power cord is retractable! Allowing for quick and easy storage and operation! However, since the power cord is retractable, it means that, unfortunately, this popper is not dishwasher-friendly.
Second, it comes with a new and improved chute design for more effective popcorn distribution, and can provide you, your family, and your friends with four quarts of popcorn is as little as two minutes! Like other poppers, it too comes with a measuring cup in the top for melting butter or heating oil for one´s popcorn when it is finished! It can also roast coffee for those of you coffee lovers out there, and even provides instruction in the manual on how to prepare popcorn with bacon grease or blue cheese! Talk about gourmet!
Lastly, this popper comes out of the gate at an astonishing $35.78. Though it may not be the most ´bargain´ item, it brings reliability, variety, and convenient storage and operation for even the most frugal of popcorn connoisseurs at a decent price.
Presto 04868 Orville Redenbacher’s Fountain Hot Air Popper
Another hot air popper of the Presto brand, however, it enters the ring with unique design, distribution, and delivery!
The Presto 04868 comes in carnival red, and is uniquely equipped with a stainless steel restrictor to optimize popping performance. The small base expands up into the popping chamber which comes with a dome-shaped lid that doubles up as a bowl after completion of the popping process!
It pops a bewildering twenty cups of popcorn in just 3 ½ minutes! That is more than most leading hot air poppers! Of course, there are some areas where it may seem to fall short in comparison to others. It does not have an “on” or “off” switch, which means that in order to start and stop the appliance one must plug or unplug the device. It also is not dishwasher safe and requires hand washing, which may be an inconvenience to some.
Considering it’s one-of-a-kind design, massive yield, and having Orville Redenbacher´s face on the front, this wonderfully reliable appliance is only $28.95 on Amazon! This makes this popcorn popper one screaming deal, and ultimately worth trying out!
Conclusion?
In the end, it is difficult to say which popper is the best deal or the most reliable. Yet, with all the options, brands and designs, one can find the perfect popcorn popper for themselves, their family and their friends!