The Popcorn Popper Shop came about for a number of reasons. One was the surprise we had when visiting the stores in search for a traditional popcorn popper. There weren’t any to be found. No hot air popcorn poppers. No oil popcorn poppers.

A recent blog post at Quoteflections (a source of inspirational quotes and writing) lamented the loss of the air popcorn popper:

“Now where is the air popper? Lost to the convenience of the microwave, and often found at Saturday morning yard sales.”

That’s what my wife and I thought as well. However, popcorn poppers didn’t disappear, they just went online. A search online uncovered a treasure of popcorn poppers, some traditional, some down right creative, some just plain fun. That discovery began the birth of the Popcorn Popper Shop. We thought we’d make it easier for people to find popcorn poppers. It’s been a fun project for us and a source of discovery as we’ve delved into the secrets of the popcorn industry.

So, to the question posed by the title of this post: What have we lost with the microwave popcorn? Sure, the microwave does provide convenience, but at what cost?

Certainly, not at the loss of calories. Microwave popcorn bags can contain enormous amount of calories per serving. According to Calorie-Count, Orville Redenbacher’s Movie Theater Butter Mini Bags (yes, mini bags) contains 213 calories per serving. Their Smart Pop Butter Mini Bags contain 110 calories per serving.

As accurately discussed in the Quoteflections blog, air popped popcorn contains about 30 calories per serving (about a cup). Oil popped popcorn contains 55 calories and lightly buttered 90 to 120 calories per serving. Yes, adding flavor to popcorn does increase calories; however, by popping the corn yourself, you gain control on the amount and type of popcorn seasoning you use. With microwave popcorn, you’re eating what they’ve chosen to put in them.

Another loss, we feel is the magic of popping popcorn. Quite honestly, there’s enchantment watching that first popcorn pop in a popper, followed by another, then another until finally an eruption of all the corn bursting into fluffy white. We miss this performance when the corn pops anonymously in the microwave bag.

It’s amazing how such a little popcorn kernel can explode into something as fluffy and tasty as, well, popcorn. So, how does this delicious tranformation take place? Here’s the simple explanation:

Each kernel of popcorn has an amount of moisture and oil in it. As the oil and moisture heat inside a popcorn popper beyond the boiling point, the moisture turns into a superheated pressurized stem. The heated and softened kernel hull becomes pliable. Once the hull ruptures, the steam expands the starch and proteins inside the kernel into airy and crispy and delicious foam. POP!

Now just add butter and salt or another favorite seasoning and you’ve got a delicous snack.

Watch a popcorn kernel pop in slow motion

In our family of four children and a large flat screen TV, popcorn is always being eaten. And for our fast-paced family, the convenience of the microwave popcorn bag has made it a favorite in our house.

However, recent news on the dangers of microwave popcorn is giving us and other families across the nation something to think about.

Fumes from the butter flavoring chemical diacetyl

Diactyl has been linked to cases of a rare life-threatening disease called popcorn lung. Major manufacturers of Microwave popcorn have announced they will no longer using the butter flavoring chemical in there products.

Other Microwave popcorn health issues

One of the issues of concern is that you just don’t have any control of the ingredients in you Microwave popcorn. The fat content of a typical serving is as much as 12 grams (5 grams of dangerous trans fat). And don’t forget the sodium content. Microwave popcorn often contains twice the sodium found in most potato chips.

Getting back to basics with popcorn poppers

With a popcorn popper or a popcorn machine, you can control what you put on your popcorn. And, most importantly, what you put in your body. If you’re concerned with using oil to pop your popcorn, then look for a hot air popcorn popper.

According to a report in the May 2008 Journal of the American Dietetic Association, people who eat popcorn have approximately 250% higher daily intake of whole grains and 22% higher daily intake of fiber than those who don’t eat popcorn.  This study is great news for those of us who love to eat popcorn.

The report promotes the idea that “a high intake of whole-grain foods has been linked with reduced risk for coronary disease, stroke and various types of cancer and may protect against type 2 diabetes.”

The report concludes:

“Popcorn may offer a healthful alternative to energy-dense, low-nutrient-dense snacks, and may have the potential to improve nutrient status in Americans of all ages and help them meet dietary guideline recommendations to consume three whole-grain servings per day.”

The American Dietetic Association recommends popping popcorn with a hot-air popcorn popper to ensure “a low-fat, low calorie snack.” 

You’ll find these terms: popcorn poppers, popcorn machines, and popcorn makers often used interchangeably. Sometimes you’ll find them combined, like popcorn popper machines or popcorn popper makers, and popcorn maker machines.

Is there a difference?

Well, basically, they all perform the same function: heat the popcorn kernel until the moisture within reaches the boiling point…then pop!

In general, the difference is in size and use:

Popcorn Poppers: These are the guys that sit on your counter, stove top or in your microwave when you want to pop popcorn and then get returned to your kitchen cabinet when not in use. Their use is pretty straight forward: heat and pop. They come in a variety of styles - bubble shapes (retro 70s), cones, bright colors, stylish black, etc. You’ll find four different popping methods:

• Oil popcorn poppers: A popular brand is the Cuisinart Stainless Steel Easy Pop Popcorn Maker
• Hot air popcorn poppers: Presto PopLite Hot Air Corn Popper and Presto Orville Redenbacher Hot Air Corn Popper are popular products.
• Stove top popcorn poppers: Whirley Pop Stovetop Popcorn Popper is a popular and simple popcorn popper that uses a hand crank to prevent sticking and burning of the popcorn.
• Microwave popcorn poppers: Healthy alternative to microwave popcorn bags.

Popcorn Machines: When you walk into the movie theater, these are the machines you see popping the popcorn. In recent years, bar style (table top) popcorn machines and popcorn machines with carts have become popular decorative and fun additions to home theaters and game rooms. Popcorn machines can range in the following sizes:

• 4 oz. popcorn machines: These make four 1oz. servings every 3 minutes and are appropriate for small home theaters and game rooms
• 6 oz. popcorn machines: Makes six 1oz. servings every 3 minutes and are appropriate with home theaters and game rooms and for mid-sized gatherings.
• 8oz. popcorn machines: Makes eight 1 oz. servings every 3 minutes (seeing a pattern?) and are appropriate for large home theaters and game rooms, large gatherings, smaller break rooms, restaurants, bars and waiting rooms. These can also be appropriate popcorn machines for fundraisers that attract small crowds.
• 12 oz. popcorn machines: Makes twelve 1oz. servings every 3 minutes and are designed for concession stands, snack bars, schools, and large fundraising events.
• 14 oz. popcorn machines: Of course, these guys produce a lot of popcorn and are appropriate for larger concession stands and theaters.

Popcorn Makers: You’ll find all of the above called popcorn makers at times. Though in the past, popcorn maker was the popular term for popcorn popper, the term is not used as much today.  

It’s easy to pop popcorn. Just heat sand in a fire, stir in the popcorn kernals, and there you go. How simple. Of course we have much easier (and more sanitary) popcorn popping methods than ancient Native Americans did.

The most popular method of popping popcorn today is, of course, with the microwave. A visit to the grocery store popcorn aisle will show rows of microwave popcorn. While this is an improvement to the hot sand method, many are questioning the health issues of microwave popcorn. Quite simply, those microwave popcorn bags have got a lot of calories plus an assortment of chemicals.

Step back a couple of decades and you’ve got a range of popcorn poppers. For the health conscience, hot air popcorn poppers, with only about 30 calories per serving. Oil popcorn poppers for those wanting a bit more taste. Most stores don’t carry a good selection of popcorn poppers (not with everyone purchasing microwave popcorn), but that changes online. And the popcorn poppers today are much more sophisticated that those used in the 70’s.

For people wanting to duplicate the movie theater popcorn experience, there are several popcorn machines that can bring it home. Ranging in prices from the low hundreds to thousands, these popcorn popper machines can be a great addition to a home theater or game room. And with the right seasoning, you can easily duplicate the movie theater popcorn taste.

So, we’ve improved the popcorn popping experience from what the ancient Native Americans had. However, they did have something called popcorn beer. We’ll save that for another article.