Microwave Popcorn Popper

So you are a fan of popcorn but don’t want to take the time to pop it in a pan on the stove. Your choices are either to buy microwave popcorn, which is expensive, or to buy a popcorn popper. With popping popcorn on the stove and using bagged microwave popcorn, the chances to burn your popcorn increase. There are so many popcorn poppers on the market, so where do you start? Why not try a microwave popcorn popper that is faster and easier to clean than a regular popcorn popper? There are many types of microwave popcorn poppers so you can find one that easily meets your needs.

What is a Microwave Popcorn Popper?
Many people know about bagged microwave popcorn, but most people believe their only options to cook popcorn kernels are on a stove or in a hot air popper. A microwave popcorn popper, however, makes it possible to cook popcorn in a microwave for faster cooking times. They consist of a bowl and a lid that sometimes has a sieve for the melting butter. Many poppers are constructed to allow a person to pop the kernels and then eat the popped corn from the same bowl.

Glass & Clay Options
Microwave popcorn poppers are made of many materials; perhaps the oddest materials used would be glass and clay. I say odd because glass usually gets quite warm in the microwave or is prone to shattering, and clay takes a long time to heat up. An example of a glass microwave popper is one made by Catamount. It pops two and a half quarts of popcorn in less than three minutes. If you want something that looks fancy for parties, I would suggest going with the Pomaireware Clay Pop-O-Pot. This popper is a lead-free clay pot that is from Chile and is only sold online. Each pot is handmade making every pot unique. You do need to keep in mind that because it is clay, it takes some time to get to the temperature required to pop the kernels. Both of these poppers are available online at Amazon.com.

Best Poppers
According to Good Housekeeping, the best microwave popcorn popper is the Presto PowerPop. The PowerPop leaves few kernels unpopped, which is always an annoyance of bagged popcorn. This popper uses an insert that helps concentrate the heat to pop the kernels.  This insert has to be replaced every so often. The replacements, however, are fairly cheap and you should only have to replace it one or two times a month if you eat popcorn every day. Another good popcorn popper, again according to Good Housekeeping, is the Back to Basics Microwave Popcorn Popper. This one does not use inserts and is almost ten dollars cheaper than the Presto microwave popper. The bowl is large enough to act as the serving bowl after the kernels have popped.

Costs
Microwave popcorn poppers can vary in price from ten dollars to just over forty dollars. One of the cheapest poppers is the NordicWare Microwave Popcorn Popper. Consumersearch.com has found it to be a top-notch popper and is priced just over ten dollars. The fact that it is lightweight, cheap and holds twelve cups of popcorn helps it to jump above much of the competition in ratings. The most expensive popper is the earlier mentioned Pomaireware Clay Pop-O-Pot, because it is imported from Pomaire, Chile and is hand crafted. Regardless of the price, popcorn kernels have been found to pop the same in all the poppers found on Amazon.com, so look for one that meets your needs.

How to Select?
So, with over ten different popcorn poppers on Amazon.com alone, how do you choose which one will work for you? First think about what type of material you want to own. There is plastic, cookware, glass and even clay. Then, decide whether the cleaning method will play a part in your decision. Clay pots are not dishwasher safe, while most glass and plastic poppers are. Is time a factor? Then the Pomaireware popper is not for you because it takes a long time for the clay pot to heat up, so look at a glass popper. Finally, you need to think about whether you want to purchase the popper online or in a brick and mortar store. There are several poppers that are only available online at Amazon.com, but many retail outlets (such as Target and Bed Bath & Beyond) have microwave popcorn poppers that you can touch and see.

With popcorn being a great, healthy snack, getting a popcorn popper is a very good investment. Air poppers and popping corn on the stove can lead to many frustrations and extra dishes getting dirty. So next time you have a craving for popcorn, why not think about a microwave popcorn popper?