There are many options to recognize when buying your popcorn popper. Primarily, it is important to understand that your popcorn popper is an investment. You do not want to spend a lot of money on an appliance that will break within months of your purchase.

We will now go over our list of aspects that are crucial to finding the best popcorn popper for your money.

Type

By knowing the right type of the popcorn maker for your needs, you can easily find the best-suited popcorn machine for your theatre that not only look great but also serves the purpose of providing you the fresh popcorn as per your needs. So, make sure that you choose the correct type of popcorn machine for yourself.

Microwave popcorn popper

The first popular type of popcorn makers is the microwave popcorn popper. Unlike the traditional looking popcorn machines, the microwave popcorn popper is compact easy to carry and a brilliant performer. By relying on it, you can be assured of getting the best quality popcorn with great efficiency.

The best thing about the microwave popcorn popper apart from the size is the ease of using. Just fill the box with the kernel and turn the microwave on, And within a few minutes, your perfectly popped popcorns will be ready for the show.

Unlike the traditional and other types of popcorn makers, the microwave popcorn poppers are much easier to clean and maintain. And above all, they are extremely affordable and reliable too.

So, if you were after a reliable, easy to use, and efficient popcorn popper for yourself, try finding a perfect microwave popcorn popper for yourself.

Tabletop popcorn maker

One of the most reliable and best ways to get the perfectly popped popcorn right in your home theatre is to have a tabletop popcorn maker that can be placed in your theatre and helps you to get the freshly popped popcorn in minutes. Although the tabletop popcorn makers are harder to clean than the microwave popcorn popper or the stove top popcorn makers, but they are perfect for providing your home theatre a complete look.

So, if you are looking to establish a perfect home theatre look at home, then you should look no further than an ideal tabletop popcorn maker for yourself.

Stove top popcorn maker

Just like the microwave popcorn poppers, the stovetop popcorn makers are meant to be used over another source of cooking. And in this case, you will be using the stovetop. These popcorn makers are equally efficient as the other popcorn makers and the things that make it better than the competition is  the ease of using and low maintenance cost.

So, if you were after a reliable and easy to use popcorn maker for yourself, then you should have a look at the available options in the market for the reliable stovetop popcorn makers. Believe us, you will love the performance and efficiency of these popcorn makers.

Hot-air popcorn maker

Hot air popcorn makers are the fastest and amongst the most efficient popcorn poppers available in the market. With easy operation and brilliant design, it is one of the best popcorn makers you can buy for your theatre.

So, make sure that you are choosing a perfect popcorn machine according to your looks, capacity, usability,and budget.

Material

The material that your popcorn maker is made out of will have an effect on the cooking time of your popcorn, the weight of your maker, and the price. There are many options when it comes to the materials that are used for your popcorn machine, including glass and stainless steel popcorn poppers.

There is no ideal material used to make a popcorn popper; it simply depends on your needs. If you prefer a model which is more lightweight, you would be better off purchasing an aluminum popper.

Aluminum popcorn makers also have the advantage of improved heat distribution when compared to other materials, such as stainless steel.

Materials such as glass, are transparent and allow you to see the kernels popping. This makes for a good looking appliance in your kitchen. The material will have more of an effect on the aesthetics of your popcorn popper than anything else.

Kettle Size

Another consideration before you make your purchase is the size of the kettle in which the corn is popped. You will want your kettle to be big enough to make sufficient amounts of popcorn for your needs, and maybe a little bit more in case you have guests or you are throwing a party.

On the subject of parties, popcorn is an excellent party food. If you wish to add a little bit of novelty to your parties with some homemade popcorn, you can always opt for a kettle which is bigger. This will allow you to make a decent amount of popcorn without having to resort to making a larger number of batches. However, this also means that the product may cost more.

A smaller kettle simply means that you will have to refill the kettle with unpopped kernels more often. This choice depends on two aspects: how much popcorn you imagine yourself making regularly and how much you are willing to spend on your new popcorn maker.

Capacity

Popcorn maker sizes range from as little as 15 cups per batch to 3 gallons. The large theater-style popcorn poppers are the machines that make as many as 3 gallons, so you can continue making batches for a big crowd and never feel like you might run out of popcorn. Many of these theater-style machines do allow you to make smaller batches in the kettle if you want to, so you do not have to wait to use your popper until you have a lot of people over. Stovetop poppers and air poppers typically make a smaller amount (in the 15-18 cups/batch range) and are better-suited for smaller gatherings or families of 2-4 people. The smaller stovetop and air poppers are also more convenient if you have limited storage space. Air poppers in particular are popular with college students, who do not always have access to stovetops.

Popping speed

After knowing how much popcorn a popper can make, your next concern is likely to be how fast the popper makes that amount. Most poppers are very fast and can make their full capacity in 3-4 minutes, with the larger poppers taking longer. This makes poppers comparable or even faster than using a microwave, and the popcorn is of a higher quality, like what you would find at a fair or movie theater. Some smaller air poppers (designed for 4-6 people) are extremely fast because you do not need to heat any oil first; these makers can take under 3 minutes.

Measuring cup

Many popcorn makers (especially air poppers) come with a measuring cup that also doubles as a butter melter. You can measure out the exact amount of unpopped kernels that you need, and then set the cup on top of the popper (or in the designated spot) to melt a pat of butter. Melting the butter and seasoning your corn this way is very convenient, and results in richer flavors, which is especially important for air-popped corn, which is often criticized as being bland.

Construction

The construction of a popcorn maker is very important because they are exposed to extremely hot temperatures, hot oil, and so on. The cheaper popcorn poppers, which include many air-poppers, are often made of plastic with plastic gears. The problem with this construction is that the plastic is prone to warping and even melting if you use the machine a lot. The best stovetop poppers will be made of stainless steel or aluminum. Stainless steel is the prefered metal because it holds heat more consistently and is easier to just wipe clean. Many stovetop poppers include stainless steel cranks with wooden handles to move the popcorn in the kettle.