Monday, February 21, 2011

Popcorn Poppers & Recipe for Spicy Popcorn

Today is a great day to break out my horror fest type movies and get some popcorn going. Of course there are several ways to pop those little corn kernels, but I prefer a popcorn popper over a bag of microwave popcorn.  I don’t know if it is because it brings back memories of my dad and my grandpa or if it really does taste better, but I definitely have a craving for some salty, buttery goodness.  The other reason I prefer these types of poppers is simple economics.  I eat a lot of popcorn.  I can eat a box of the microwave stuff in just a couple of weeks.  Buying the bag of popcorn kernels without the oil and butter is much cheaper in the long run.  I’m all about saving some money.  I decided to do a little research into popcorn poppers for those of you who are looking to switch from the bagged deal and go with the real deal.

The first popper is the Prest PopLite Hot Air Corn Popper.  This one is a small counter top popper that uses hot air, not oil.  This is supposed to be healthier and better for you.  According to the website this popper pops 18 cups of corn in less than 2.5 minutes.  That is a whole lot of popcorn!  There is a butter melter cup in the top that can be use as a measuring cup too!

The second popper is the Presto PowerPop Microwave Multi-popper.  This one works with oil or without so I can get that buttery greasy goodness with this one!  It pops up to three quarts in about 2.5 minutes…again that is a lot of popcorn!  This whole popper is dishwasher safe too!  The popper is about 10” wide and 6” tall so it should fit in our little microwave pretty good. 

Finally, the third popper is the Presto Orville Redenbachers Stirring Popper.  Now this is a popcorn popper for the serious popcorn connoisseur.  This popper will pop 6 quarts of popcorn and will make kettle corn!  I love me some kettle corn!!!  This is a counter top model that has a stirring arm inside.  There is a built-in melter to distribute butter while it is popping.  You can even use the transparent lid as your bowl.  There is a non-stick surface for easy cleaning and the lid can be washed in the dishwasher.

For those of you who are wondering which one I own, I use the Orville Redenbachers Stirring Popper. As much popcorn as I can devour in one sitting it is the best one for me. Plus I love butter, and the fact that it distributes it while the corn is popping is superb for my tastes.

Whenever I want a little spice in my life while watching a good ol' flick here is a recipe that came with the Orville Stirring Popper that I love:

Sassy South of the Border Popcorn
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon popcorn salt
1⁄8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1⁄3 cup popcorn
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons butter, thinly sliced

Mix garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, salt, and red pepper in a small bowl; set aside. Pour popcorn into the popper base, distributing it evenly around the loading area. Drizzle vegetable oil over the corn. Place the popper cover/serving bowl over the popper base. Place butter in butter melter and pop corn according to instructions in the How to Use section. After flipping popper, remove base. Shake bowl to distribute butter. Sprinkle seasoning evenly over popcorn; shake to distribute.

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