Hot-air popcorn popper - a recommendation?

[Doctordestiny]

Most hot-air popcorn poppers are crap. Years ago we went through this and the popper we bought then has given up the ghost and now needs to be replaced.

All I want is a popper that pops as many of the cornels as possible, does it in two to three minutes, gets them nice and fluffym and doesn't give me any trouble. Apparently we can put a man on the moon but appliance manufacturers can't seem to handle that simple task.

Has anyone tried to find a good popper lately? We're bought two now and will return the second one because it's crap. The one we tried last night did one bowl in about six minutes (too long, but it gets worse). The second bowl never got made because it wouldn't even pop anymore (we ran it for 10-12 minutes and virtually nothing popped).

If anyone has a good popper that is still on the market I'd appreciate knowing the brand and where I can buy one. Last time we bought a popper a friend was buying also and she tried several and returned them all before settling on a good one.

Can anyone help me find a popper that actually works?

[Mike Oxlong]

Ours sucks as well......I don't think they actually make good ones. To be honest I like microwave popcorn better. At least it is somewhat crunchy. Our air popper makes it a weird texture that almost squishes rather than crunches. Not very good popcorn at all.

I suppose ours pops it fast enough but it fires popcorn all over the kitchen, only cooks about 70% of the kernels you put in and as I said before just doesn't taste that good.

I am all about microwave popcorn now although my wife still likes the air popper.

Try Kettle Corn microwave popcorn, best stuff ever.

[FireFly]

Popcorn is super healthy... unless you go the microwavable route. It's just not that great for you then. My popcorn popper rocks. It's a Kenmore. I'd recommend it. Biggest thing to keep in mind though, you cannot overfill the scoop or it won't work.

[Claeren]

Get yourselves one of these:


The Whirly Pop is FANTASTIC!


My best friend is a popcorn fanatic and he refuses to eat microwave or air-popped popcorn - only eating stove top style. The problem though is that it would burn his pots slightly, took a while and left a lot of kernals unpopped.

In comes the Whirly Pop as a christmas gift. We were all skeptical but it was like magic! No buring, fast popping, dry & full puffs and uses virtually every single kernal. IMHO it cannot be beat. (Do not use more kernals than the instructions though; while it seems like too little, because it uses every kernal, it really really grows into a mess if you add a little extra... )


We bought ours at Williams Sonoma at Chinook Mall for about $30.



Claeren.

[return to the red]

we have an Oil popper similar to this one

http://www.etronics.com/product.asp?...6x&svbname=293

that we got for our wedding. Simple to use and makes great popcorn. I think you can pick them up at home outfitters or something like that. Not hot air but good stuff nonetheless

[Dion]

By yourself a bunch of brown lunch bags. Put 1/4 cup of kernels in the bag and staple the end shut. Microwave and a few minutes later you have healthy popcorn. Works great for me.

[Log]

Originally Posted by return to the red

we have an Oil popper similar to this one

http://www.etronics.com/product.asp?...6x&svbname=293

that we got for our wedding. Simple to use and makes great popcorn. I think you can pick them up at home outfitters or something like that. Not hot air but good stuff nonetheless

I have that dumb thing.... I hate using it. Most of the time, only half the kernels pop. Not sure the problem???? Too much oil? Don't let the popper warm up enough? Letting the popper warm up for a minute, instead of putting the kernels in when it's cold?

What is your secret?

[Bobblehead]

My hot air popper spits out almost as many unpopped kernals as popped. I actually use 2 bowls, and take the popped kernals out of the first bowl so I can then put all the unpopped kernals in for another try.

[droopydrew19]

Originally Posted by Dion

By yourself a bunch of brown lunch bags. Put 1/4 cup of kernels in the bag and staple the end shut. Microwave and a few minutes later you have healthy popcorn. Works great for me.

The staples have to be doing wonders for your microwave. Do you get a lightshow inside when you pop a bag?

[thatguy]

Originally Posted by Dion

By yourself a bunch of brown lunch bags. Put 1/4 cup of kernels in the bag and staple the end shut. Microwave and a few minutes later you have healthy popcorn. Works great for me.

Yes this works great tastes just like air popper popcorn. I just tape the end shut though no staples. It's easy so i suggest you try it before you go out and buy any popcorn maker.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by droopydrew19

The staples have to be doing wonders for your microwave. Do you get a lightshow inside when you pop a bag?

None what so ever. The staples are too small.

Been doing this method for over a year now. Other people are doing it as well. In fact I discovered this method on the net. Got tired of hot air poppers that spewed out just as many hot kernels as popcorn.

[GreenTeaFrapp]

Awhile back my wife bought a microwave popper that if it's not this one, it looks pretty much identical:


http://www.cooking.com/products/shprodde.asp?SKU=129205

I haven't used it often enough to really get the hang of popping every last kernel but the kernels all stay in the bottom and, unlike paper bags, it's reuseable.

I prefer it to the bags of microwave popcorn that have all sorts of crap added along with the actual kernels.

[Gugstanley]

I have about a 15 year old wear ever popcorn pumper that is always doing a great job for me. By the sounds of it I better hope this baby never breaks down.

[flamesin07]

Bottom line is that most air popper are just plain bad. I have a theater style popcorn machine at home. While it may set you back a few hundred bucks it's defenitly well worth it as the popcorn is just so damn good.

[FireFly]

Popped some popcorn in my Kenmore last night. A total of 11 kernels were flung out of it before they could pop. Not too shabby.

[killer_carlson]

I totally hear your pain. My wife and I are going through this problem now. Without exception any hot air popper we have purchased at the store has been absolute crap and we have now donated 3 seperate name brands because they just don't work.

I don't like the kettle corn thing, which we purchased a rather expensive version of. The popcorn just tastes too greasy. The whirlybird thing is also not too popular at our place as it is really tough to clean.

My thoughts are that the only way to get a good hot air popper is to go the garage sale route and find someone (like my parents) who had a hot air popper sitting in their cupboard for 20 years without using it so they sell it for $2.00 at a garage sale. I know the thing worked and I'm kicking myself for not buying it. That's my recommendation.

Alternatively, if you do find a good name brand out there, let us know and we'll go get it.

(I may try the Kenmore that Firefly recommends).

[FireFly]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

(I may try the Kenmore that Firefly recommends).

11 kernels is a pretty decent rate, IMO.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by FireFly

11 kernels is a pretty decent rate, IMO.

It definitely is. I get more than that on my "re-pop" attempt.

[Doctordestiny]

Does Sears sell Kenmore? I may try one but don't know where to get it.

[FireFly]

Yes. Kenmore is exclusively a Sears brand.