Old-fashioned popcorn at microwave speed.
Written: Jun 18 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Pops faster than a microwave bag. Tastes like "old-time" popcorn.
Cons: Hard to clean, you must use disposable "popcorn concentrators"
The Bottom Line: Makes old fashioned or air popped corn quickly and easily. Very fast but uses disposable paper inserts and can be tricky to clean.
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| JasonL's Full Review: Presto Powerpop Microwave Multi-Popper 4830 |
I'm a fanatical popcorn lover. I like popcorn soaked down with theater style butter and salty like the ocean. For years, I've been using microwave popcorn. I remember how the "old fashioned" popcorn used to taste when you cook it in a pot and you get the classic oil-flavored corn, so one day, I took out an old pot with a flat bottom and make it the old-fashioned way. It tasted great but lots of kernels didn't pop. There's an art to popping on the stove. you have to know how high to put the fire and how to shake the pot. The search for the perfect popper was on.
I remember my grandparents had an original West Bend Butter-Matic from the 70s. Not only would I have another cool retro 70s appliance but I'd have a great popper. I scoured the house only to find a Presto air-popper (EVIL!). Much to my delight, I found on ebay a whole bunch of new and old Butter-Matics but on Ebay you just never know what you're really getting. So I headed to Wal-Mart.
Enter the Power Pop...
At first I scoffed at it. Ha! Another cheap popper that won't work. I read the box and it has Orville Redenbacker's approval. Being that it's a name brand and it's got OR's approval on it, it's worth a shot. I paid the $12 and got it home. It was then that I realised you had to use these paper inserts at the buttom of the bowl to make it work. You get about 10 of these when you buy the popper and they're good for about 12 batches before changing.
I followed the directions to the letter. 1.5 tbsp of oil, 1/3 cup popcorn. It's dead simple to set up. I put it in the microwave and set it for 5 minutes. You have to watch it and stop it when it's done. After about 1.5 minutes the first kernel popped. Then a few more popped, then it popped wildly for the next 30 seconds. When the popping slowed to about 1 per second (if you wait longer, the corn will burn), I stopped the microwave. I opened the lid and smelled beautiful theater style hot oil popcorn. I poured it into another bowl to see how many "old maids" I had left. Out of 1/3 cup corn, I got about 5 duds. That's excellent! You'll never get "every kernel" popped. I salted the popcorn and tasted it.
This did not happen. I did not just make hot oil popcorn in less time it takes to make evil grimy microwave popcorn. This can't taste this good. It tastes just like it was cooked on the stove.
My only complaints about the unit is it's kinda hard to clean. You can't immerse the base or the bowl if you have the paper insert. You can wash it though with a damp sponge. I really don't know what makes those inserts work, but I know you have to use them or it won't work right.
It says it makes up to 3 quarts but 1/3 cup won't even make a quart.
This is worth buying. If you love popcorn made the old fashioned way, get it.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
JasonL
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Reviews written: 4
Trusted by: 0 members
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