Posted on 02/28/2025 5:43:27 PM PST by CondoleezzaProtege
People are opinionated about microwave popcorn brands, and in this instance, I am people. Throwing a trifolded bag in the microwave for a few minutes brings back childhood memories of sleepovers, Blockbuster rentals, and jamming out on my Walkman. I want steaming popcorn that is equal parts buttery, salty, and crunchy—if it doesn’t leave my fingertips slicked with grease, I’m not interested. Nowadays, popcorn is still a top-tier snack in my eyes, though I’ve started dressing it up a bit more for variety. Otherwise, my criteria for a great bag of microwave popcorn has largely stayed the same.
And so I brought these strong, smart, and correct opinions to our latest staff taste test. We tried seven popular brands of microwave popcorn to find the one that best balanced saltiness and butter flavor, while maintaining a yellow-but-not-too-yellow color and an airy, snappy crunch. I admit, I came to this taste test with my biases—both Pop Secret and Act II are brands I grew up with. But the panel of tasters and I went in blind, guaranteeing some upsets, heartbreaks, and disappointments. (Orville Redenbacher, I have a bone to pick.) Thankfully, there was one clear winner that we unanimously agreed on—we just had to get through the flops first.
Firmly in its Flop Era: Skinny Pop
The Hard No: Act II
The Salt Lovers’ Dream: Pop Secret
Strangely Sweet: Orville Redenbacher’s
Desperately Dry: 365 Organic
Good: Newman’s Own
Perfectly Balanced: Jolly Time
(Excerpt) Read more at bonappetit.com ...
The wife bought me this Popcorn gift set recently.
Pre-messured bags that you can microwave or do stove top. So far I have popped two bags via the stove top in a large pasta type boiling pot with a couple tablespoons of Avocado oil. 7 minutes and a bit of pot shaking later wonderful popcorn. I kid you not, at least so far, not one unpopped kernal.
Not to mention the unhealthy ingredients added to the microwave kind.....
Yep, it’s not good unless you can feel your arteries getting hard while you eat it 😂
I’ve found the best to be Kirkland from Costco. But I’ll give Jolly time a try.
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