EmailBest Reviewed
Popcorn Poppers
- Best hot-air popcorn popper Presto PopLite Hot Air Corn Popper *Est. $20
- Best stovetop popper Whirley Pop Popcorn Popper *Est. $25
- Best microwave popcorn popper Back to Basics Microwave Popcorn Popper *Est. $10
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Best hot-air popcorn popper
- Light and crunchy popcorn
- Uses no oil
- Makes 18 cups
- Build quality
- Popcorn tends to be dry
- No on/off switch
- Kernels may fly out
Reviewers agree that the Presto PopLite is the best hot-air popcorn popper. With its yellow plastic air chute and white-and-black base, it won't be winning any design awards, but it's quick, reliable and sturdy. Popcorn comes out light and crunchy, although it's not nearly as flavorful as popcorn cooked in oil. A number of owners posting to Amazon.com say that their PopLite popcorn poppers are still going strong after four years or more, but this popper lacks an on/off switch, and the blower can sending kernels flying (use a big bowl). Several owners offer useful suggestions, including preheating the machine and using a larger-than-usual bowl to catch errant kernels. For the taste of popcorn cooked in oil, reviewers recommend the Whirley Pop Popcorn Popper (*est. $25).
We read reviews of the Presto PopLite Corn Popper in Slate.com and The Wall Street Journal. At Slate, the PopLite earns the highest possible rating. To gauge owner satisfaction with the PopLite, we turned to Amazon.com and Epinions.com, where we found more than 200 owner-written reviews.
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Our Sources
1. Slate.com
Bosch tests six popcorn poppers, rating them on ease of use, taste and the number of unpopped kernels left behind. The Presto PopLite works quickly and turns out fluffy and crunchy popcorn. It's highest rated overall.
Review: Pop Off: What's the Best Popcorn Popper?, Torie Bosch, Mar. 27, 2008
2. Wall Street JournalDetails/Subscribe
Editors evaluate five popcorn poppers for popcorn taste and ease of use. Although the Orville Redenbacher by Presto (a popper that's nearly identical to the PopLite) is easy to use and clean, editors say the popcorn "tasted like air."
Review: Catalog Critic: Popcorn Poppers, Editors of The Wall Street Journal, Jan. 10, 2003
3. Amazon.com
More than 200 owners have reviewed the Presto PopLite popcorn popper at Amazon.com, the large majority of which give it perfect scores. A few reviewers note that it can shoot hot unpopped kernels out of its spout.
Review: Presto 04820 PopLite Hot Air Corn Popper Reviews, Contributors to Amazon.com
4. Epinions.com
Top-ranking popcorn poppers at Epinions.com include the Presto PopLite, which earns 4.5 stars (out of five) in almost three dozen reviews.
Review: Presto 04820 PopLite Popcorn Popper Reviews, Contributors to Epinions.com
