Presto 114316 04820 PopLite Hot Air Corn Popper
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Presto 114316 04820 PopLite Hot Air Corn Popper
Customer Review: 35 or so years and countless batches of experience with this product
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a great product for popping corn -- if you like the texture produced by hot-air popping. Other hot-air poppers we have tried (several) have not come close to working as well. Why? Some pop too slowly, don't pop enough of the kernels, or blow too hard.
For those who have no experience with hot-air poppers, here are some tricks.
1) Let the popper heat up without the cover for about a minute or two (no more than 3) before pouring in the corn and putting on the lid.
2) Let the lid cool down while on the popper to keep its shape.
3) Use a large bowl. We use a 16-inch diameter stainless steel bowl, large enough for two batches. This makes it easy to contain the popped corn without spinning the bowl, and a whole lot easier to mix in butter, salt, and other flavorings.
4) Melt butter or heat oil in the microwave, never in the cup.
5) Let the popped corn sit for a few minutes after popping to "improve" the texture. It will be "tough" immediately after it is popped as the steam that popped the kernel has not had time to dissipate. (Placing the popped and flavored corn in a 250 degree F oven for 15 minutes (or 350 F for 10) will continue to dry it out. This is important for those who like really dry popcorn similar to what one buys already popped in plastic bags. It also makes the flavorings meld into the popped kernels. Microwave popcorn is heated for some time after popping, so much of this steam is removed when microwaving.
6) There are a lot of great flavorings for popcorn. A favorite is "Vegit" or "Spike" (available on Amazon). My current favorite is a tasty brand of Paprika (finely ground dried sweet red peppers) and finely grated parmesan cheese. Taste these before adding salt, you will probably want to add none or much less. Ground dried Ancho or Chipotle peppers add a bit more heat and flavor. These are all available in almost any supermarket in the US.
7) Instead of butter or margarine, Safflower Oil can be heated in a microwave and poured on. It tastes great. A tablespoon of butter can be melted with the oil to show that the oil is hot enough and to add butter flavor. Peanut, grape seed, and corn oil add different flavors. I don't care for corn oil. Olive oil can also be used, but in my experience most folks don't like the flavor of Extra Virgin Olive Oil in this application. Do not over heat any of these oils, they just need to be warm, perhaps 120 degrees F. Flavored oils can be fun.
What wears out on this popper are the small rubber feet on the bottom and the lid. If the feet wear out the popper sits to close to the counter and won't get enough air (sucked in through the bottom), which causes it to get too hot. And the lid will eventually just disintegrate. You can prolong the life of the lid by never putting butter in the cup and by letting it cool on the popper. This is one of the reasons for suggestion 1 above, as the less heat the lid takes and the less it is handled while hot, the longer it will last.
Now the irritating thing about this popper is that there is no switch, so it starts when you plug it in and you stop it by unplugging it. This undoubtedly makes it last longer and cost less. We have used this countless times with no obvious ill-effects, however it does arc slightly when you unplug it, and the cord is usually a little warm. Popping multiple batches in sequence will result in a warmer cord. If you are uncomfortable with the arcing or warmth, grab the plug with a silicone hot pad or rubber lid-grabber to pull it out. Just don't use a cotton hot pad. Have the pad ready before you start popping, searching for it at the last minute will put a lot of heat out into your room.
Customer Review: Presto PopLite Hot Air Corn Popper! SOLUTIONS...!
Summary: 5 Stars
At first- I experienced ALL of the cons that some of the other reviewers listed with the Presto Popper.
After lots of experimenting- I found solutions for all of them, and often enjoy a "full flavor" HEALTHY buttered/salted bowl of popcorn (inexpensive too!)!
This is how I now make "YUMMY" popcorn!
This takes a little extra effort, but the rewards are well worth it!
For this to work, you MUST NOT LEAVE UNNATTENDED, "for any reason"!
1. Instead of pouring the popcorn in a cold machine- I first preheat it by plugging it in for at least "3" minutes, with the top "completely off" (pour out any old unpopped kernels, before plugging it in!)!
While waiting- I put kernels the measuring cup, microwave my "good tasting" butter substitute (see #2), and fix drinks...
a. I now pour the kernels in, and place the top on, BUT DO NOT PUT THE MEASURING CUP ON TOP YET! This way the kernels, don't BLOW into the bowl..., they just circulate and stay inside & bowl stays cool!
b. As soon as you hear the first small pop (about 1 minute), QUICKLY! Place the measuring cup on top. The popping will soon be VERY rapid!
c. If the popcorn builds up, and does not blow into the bowl, it will burn. I hold onto the still cool top, tilt and firmly shake/tap/tilt... the machine until kernels fall into the bowl, and start blowing in on their own. Leave a few extra seconds for all kernels to pop (tilt back a little).
2. Now for the "good tasting!" butter substitute-
Update#1!- I now prefer organic butter, and finely ground (coffee Grinder...Tnx!)Natural/Healthier (processed salt is bad for you, and so is ANY margarine Google... it!) "Himalayan" mined Sea Salt is supposedly bad for you..., so I switched to Celtic Sea salt!Celtic Sea Salt, Fine Ground, By The Grain & Salt Society, 1 #
Update#2!- If you melt butter... in the cup on top, with ANY air popper! It WILL eventually crack & split!
a. If you must use margarine- I place 1/4 cup of "Country Crock Light" brand margarine (#1 in taste tests, NO trans fat, no cholesterol, cooks/melts... just like butter in ALL recipes/frying..., about $2.50 for a 3 lb tub) in a microwave safe ceramic/glass cup (no plastic EVER in microwave/BAD for you!).
I heat it on 5 for 10 seconds. Then stir well, and microwave for another 5 seconds, and stir well one last time. I then stir in a teaspoon of "Butter Buds" seasoning (for butter flavor)
Ready to pour on top of popcorn, and "quickly" stir in thoroughly with a coffee spoon.
3. For people on low-sodium!- Shake on some "AlsoSalt"- Excellent tasting "sodium free" Salt Substitute, that tastes MUCH like salt (no aftertaste...!)!
Not in most stores yet, but you can find/buy it online with a Google... search.
Comes in three flavors- Regular, butter, and Garlic (all are "EXCELLENT" for ALL cooking...).
4. Shake on some Parmesan Cheese/or Garlic..., for a GREAT taste treat!
ENJOY!
Customer Review: It is very Hard to Rate this Popper. The popping is great. But will you like the popcorn? That is the real question
Summary: 3 Stars
If one were to solely rate this appliance on its ability to pop popcorn - give it 5 or 6 stars. But the real question is will you end up enjoying the popcorn it produces???
I've thought a great deal about this review and despite some thought, it is still a difficult review to write. Read on.
PROS:
1) Fast, reliable popping - in about 2 minutes you'll have a bowl full of popcorn. FASTER than even one of those microwave bags!!! (I didn't bother with any of the additional steps suggested by some reviewers yet I got near perfect popcorn)
2) Very few un-popped kernels - far fewer than what is left in a microwaved bag.
3) You can control your salt intake, fats, etc by selecting what you put on the popcorn
CONS:
1) Near tasteless popcorn (since no oil or other favorings are used to pop the popcorn)
2) The butter melter does not work well. There is a removable cup at the top of the popper meant to liquefy (according to the manufacturer) NON REFRIGERATED BUTTER, MARGARINE, etc. My suggestion is to forget this feature. I don't really know what a "non-refrigerated" butter or margarine is and this feature will certainly not work with whatever spread, margarine or butter you happen to have in the refrigerator. I tried and the popper is so fast that they will not fully melt! But if you use non-refrigerated butter/spreads this feature may work fine.
3) NO ON-OFF Switch. This is annoying. You turn the popper ON by plugging it in and turn it OFF by unplugging it.
4) Cold popcorn. Without an oil the popcorn comes out luke warm and rapidly cools, in seconds, to room temperature. Expect your popcorn to be no warmer than a bag of popped popcorn purchased at your local convenience store.
5) More cleanup. Unlike just munching out of a bag of microwaved popcorn you'll have a bowl and whatever container you used to prepare your topping in to clean. So there is a bit more clean-up involved.
COMMENTS:
1) The "topping" you use will determine how useful this appliance is to you. You'll get near perfectly popped (yet tasteless) popcorn with this device. The problem is flavoring. Popcorn - popped without oil - is largely tasteless and even salt won't stick to it. I've experimented with Smart Choice margarine, placed in a small cream pitcher and microwaved with a 1/3 teaspoon of added salt. This was "OK" but not great. Toppings are the key factor and will determine whether you will like this popper or not. I'm still looking for a good topping! I welcome any suggestions (click on "comments" below this review) to add your suggestions.
As I said this is a difficult product to rate. It certainly pops popcorn extremely well but will you end up liking the final results???
That really is the question.
Customer Review: Just trying to add value... Found the missing link.
Summary: 5 Stars
There is not too much that can be added to the excellent reviews and remarkable suggestions. However, if you read this through you'll see I have one key suggestion.
This popper is outstanding. It's not as messy as a stir-crazy and probably not as bad for you as microwave popcorn. It can produce great tasting popcorn if you do this:
Use the right corn - I've had great luck with Pop Secret Jumbo Kernel Jar, 30-Ounce Jars (Pack of 6) and Orville Redenbacher's Original Popping Corn Jar 30oz - 6 Unit Pack.
Other reviewers have provided the excellent suggestion of spraying olive oil with a Misto Gourmet Brushed Aluminum Olive Oil Sprayer. That is a very good idea and I have an improvement below. Also, if you use this sprayer for any reason be sure to twist the cap on the sprayer when you're done to release the pressure. It'll last longer that way.
You want to use real popcorn salt, for example Popcorn Salt. It's very finely ground and perfect for popcorn.
Now, here's my addition to the process that makes it (imho) perfect. Instead of olive oil in the sprayer, use Orville Redenbacher's Popping & Topping Buttery Flavor Popcorn Oil, 16 oz (Pack of 6). It may be a bit less healthy than olive oil but thanks to the sprayer you only use a very small amount and it tastes tons better!
Finally, I realize the links I've provided are for multiple quantities of everything. It's not to suggest that you buy that much but to provide the names and descriptions of the products I've found to be very good.
BTW, I feel that honest, effective reviews take the place of first-hand experiences that are lacking in online shopping. I've always appreciated the help I've gotten from other reviewers and continue to return the favor as best as I can. If you thought this review was helpful please let me know by clicking on "Yes" button where it asks. If there was anything you thought was lacking or unclear leave a comment and I'll do what I can to fix it.
Customer Review: Awesome Corn Popper
Summary: 5 Stars
I love popcorn and also need to watch my weight. Microwave popcorn, even the lowfat options, still contains enough fat to make it an unhealthy choice. And popcorn made with oil or butter is also not a healthy snack. The great thing about a popper such as this is that it works completely by air and there is no added fat.
I had an air popper for about 4 years. I would use it nightly. I use Orville Redenbacher kernels and I loved the fresh popped popcorn with just some salt but my machine would pop unpopped kernels out while it slowly filled my bowl. Luckily the machine went dead on me for I had to purchase a new one and I chose this one. I am speechless with how amazing it works. I use half the kernels I used to with my old popper to get even more popcorn. I followed some of the suggestions here and run it a couple of minutes to warm up, then I unplug it and add the kernels then plugging it in again. I leave the measuring cup off till the first pop and then put it on. Each time I use it only one unpopped kernel goes into the bowl and then every other kernel pops big and firm. It is such a joy to not have kernels flying all over the place. I also put a towel over the machine when it is finishing for some popped kernels may fly as the bowl fills to the brim.
I have read some of the negative comments here. Some say the popcorn tastes like cardboard. That is not the fault of the machine but rather what popcorn without oil or butter tastes like. I don't think people realize just how fattening popcorn with the trimmings is. Also, cheap kernels are cheap kernels and will only pop so big no matter how good the machine works.
I loved the tase of popcorn without butter right off the bat. For some it will take time to aquire the tase. But is is an amazingly healthy and filling very lowfat snack. It is a huge addition to my diet. And this machine works fast, leaves barely none unpopped kernels and comes with a 2 year warranty. Just don't leave it unattended with young children. The removable top from which the popcorn emerges becomes very hot when in use. It is not a problem with this machine but due to the hot air going thru the chute. The directions guide you and tell you to use potholders.
This machine comes at a great price, is a high end item and works great. Highly recommend.