Presto 04820 PopLite Popcorn Maker

Wow, what a popcorn popper! (and I'm not blowing a bunch of hot air at you).

A few months ago, I went out in search of the perfect popcorn popper. I went to several stores, but much to my surprise, there were not very many popcorn popper models to be found. I specifically wanted a hot-air style popcorn popper, because 1) they are easier to clean, because they do not use oil, and 2) they produce healthier, lighter popcorn. The only popcorn poppers I was able to find in the stores were the microwave popcorn poppers, which I was opposed to: 1) they're less fun to use -- part of the fun of making popcorn is watching it pop, and you can't very well see the popcorn pop when it's in a container in the microwave; and 2) most microwave popcorn poppers require a special heating pad which needs to be replaced after each batch of popcorn, and I didn't want to have to commit to buying special supplies for my popcorn popper. In my opinion, you can't go wrong with a hot-air popcorn popper, and all you need is the popcorn and the popper (and maybe some salt and butter, if you like).

However, in your quest for the perfect popper, there are a few things you need to keep in mind: Corn pops best at 465F degrees; if your popcorn popper does not reach this temperature, or if your popcorn popper's temperature is too hot, then you will have popcorn in which less than 75% of the kernels are popped, or the popcorn will be burnt. At the proper temperature, popcorn pops light and fluffy; at an improper temperature, the popcorn comes out less fluffy, and the outer husk of the kernel (the inner core of popped popcorn) is burnt, giving your popcorn a charcoal-like flavor, and that's not good! In addition to temperature, wind is also important in hot-air poppers. This is the force that moves the popped popcorn out of the heating chamber, and into your popcorn bowl. This is an important factor, because 1) you cannot eat the popcorn until it is in your popcorn bowl, and 2) if it stays in the heating chamber for very long, the popcorn will be burned, and that doesn't taste good. Thus, the perfect hot air popcorn popper has sufficient heat, and sufficient wind.

The Presto PopLite 4820 is as close to perfect as I've seen. In every batch of popcorn that I've made with this popper, nearly every kernel is popped; the one or two kernels that are not popped are usually the result of early ejection from the popper, caused by the popping and tumbling of other kernels in the chamber.

The heating mechanism heats up quickly, and pops an entire batch of popcorn in only a couple of minutes. The popcorn turns out light and fluffy, and most importantly, it is not burnt.

The blower mechanism is powerful -- sometimes almost too powerful, and this results in some kernels escaping from the heating chamber before they have popped. Also, sometimes at the end of the popping cycle you will get some late popping kernels that escape into the popcorn bowl unpopped, and then they pop once inside the bowl. The result is an unexpected popcorn explosion that is likely to scatter a few kernels on your kitchen counter and possibly the floor. Although this is not great, it does add to the excitement of making popcorn (you may want to add a "duck and cover" step to your popcorn routine!).

The Presto PopLite 4820 features a butter dish for the purpose of melting butter. Thanks to the powerful blower and the heating mechanism, the butter melts quickly. Whether the butter is completely melted when the last kernel is popped or not, however, depends on a couple of factors. First, it depends on how much butter you've put in the cup. Obviously, if you have put in a lot of butter it will take longer to melt than if you had put in a little. In general, I use approximately 1 tablespoon of butter for a full batch of popcorn, and I have found that if I separate this quantity into about 8 or 9 little pieces, rather than a single clump of butter, then it is very likely that the butter will be completely melted when that last kernel pops, although sometimes you may need to let the butter sit in the popper for 15 to 30 seconds longer.

One of the best features of hot air poppers is that they are generally very easy to clean, and the Presto PopLite 4820 is no exception.

On the whole, this is a good hot air popcorn popper that is certainly worthy of consideration.