I love this product. It's probably the simplest device to operate I've ever had.

The machine has two parts, a base unit, where you put the popcorn, and a lid.

You put the popcorn in the base, pop on the lid, put a container under the "spout" plug it in, and viola!!

I used the cheapest "store brand" popcorn I can find (not the gourmet popcorn that guarantees ever kernal to pop). This machine pops virtually all of the kernals within a couple of minutes. Next, I used a "Gourmet Popcorn". I'd say that 80% of the total kernals popped. Virtually all the unpopped ones were blown into my bowl before they got a chance to pop. Almost none remained unpopped in the popping chamber.

The popcorn is typical hot air popcorn, ie, without the buttery flavor (and with out the calories). Many people don't like the taste of hot air popped corn, and if you're one of those, neither this, nor any other hot air popper is for you. However, with a couple of squirts of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray, you have a tasty treat.

Cleaning is a snap. Wait for the machine to cool down, remove the top, pour out any unpopped kernals and wipe the inside with a dry paper towel or napkin.

The biggest drawback is the fact that there is no on/off switch. You turn it on by plugging it in, and off by unplugging it. Therefore, this unit CANNOT be used by children. I use it in my office, so this isn't a problem.

Some competitive products have a "melting" dish for butter and a popcorn measuring bin. The last hot air popper I had did. However, I found that cleaning was a bother if you used the melting tray, and after a couple of uses, I stopped using this feature. The Salton doesn't have a butter dish. Since I don't intend to melt butter (and don't want the hassle of cleaning it up) this isn't a problem for me.

May 1, 2003 Update

I recently acquired a Presto Poplite Corn Popper for home. I made a batch of popped corn with each machine, and compared. I've written about this Pop-off in my review of the Presto Machine and you can check it out there. However, the bottom line is that I have a slight preference for the Salton Machine over the Presto.


Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): Gift