Orville Redenbacher Smart Pop 94% Fat Free Butter

We found the best evaluation of Orville Redenbacher Smart Pop 94% at Consumer Reports. Usually you'll need a subscription to read CR's evaluations, and you'll need one to see the actual ratings chart here, but there's a free synopsis online. We also found a good taste test at Cook's Illustrated, but the magazine reviews a different Orville Redenbacher variety and not the low-fat version. There were helpful reviews in Men's Health and The Miami Herald, but the testing appears less thorough than in Consumer Reports.

Each serving of Orville Redenbacher Smart Pop 94% Fat Free microwave popcorn has zero grams of fat and 15 calories. As with any low-fat choice that doesn't add sugar or spices to compensate, there's going to be less flavor than in higher-fat products. Even a review in which Redenbacher Smart Pop 94% Fat Free placed second in a taste test noted that the "natural" taste is "blander." However, when considered in context against other low-fat and low-calorie popcorn brands, Smart Pop often comes out slightly ahead of other 94% fat-free brands. Not every reviewer is a fan, however. A Miami Herald review gave Orville Redenbacher Smart Pop 94% a grade of "D," and a comment that said it tasted like "Styrofoam" with no butter or salt flavor. Another option among lower-calorie popcorn is Smart Balance Light Butter (*est. $3.50 for three 3.5-ounce bags), which also has 120 calories per serving, but twice as much fat (4.5 grams compared to 2).