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WE TRIED 9 BRANDS OF MICROWAVE POPCORN AND THIS IS THE BEST

View Slideshow
Scott Nyerges
November 18, 2022

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1 / 11


PERFECT POPS



As snack foods go, microwave popcorn is one of the better choices you can make.
It’s filling, lower in calories than a candy bar or ice cream, and fairly
inexpensive; one bag is good for two to three servings, depending on the brand
you buy. But which brand of microwave popcorn is the best? There are literally
dozens of varieties available, including kettle style, movie theater style,
natural, flavored, and oh-so-many more. To settle the debate, or at least narrow
down the choices, we selected nine kinds of butter-flavored microwave popcorn
from top brands like Orville Redenbacher, PopSecret, and Act II, plus store
brands from Walmart, Target, and more. 




Related: Snack Food Showdown: Trader Joe’s vs. Aldi

2 / 11
Scott Nyerges


ORVILLE REDENBACHER’S MOVIE THEATER BUTTER: BEST POPCORN OVERALL



This brand strikes the best flavor balance between salt and butter without
tasting artificial or overly seasoned, as were some other popcorn brands in our
taste test. The kernels were crisp, fluffy, and aromatic, all of which we would
expect from the top microwave popcorn brand, according to data analyzed by
Statista.




Related: 50 Ways to Get Creative With Your Popcorn

3 / 11
Scott Nyerges


JOLLY TIME BLAST O BUTTER: BEST POPCORN RUNNER-UP



Much like Orville Redenbacher, we found Jolly Time’s microwave popcorn to be
just about perfect. It’s a touch saltier, which some people preferred and others
did not. Also, the kernels didn’t stay crisp once cooled.




Related: Award-Winning Regional Snacks the Rest of the Country Needs

4 / 11
Scott Nyerges


POP SECRET MOVIE THEATER BUTTER: BEST POPCORN FOR BUTTER LOVERS



Although all the brands in our test claim to be buttery, none of them can match
the sheer richness of Pop Secret. It packed more butter flavor into the crisp
corn kernels than our other samples, yet it never tasted oily or greasy (though
it did leave our fingers pretty buttery once we were done with the tasting). 




Related: 40 Foods That Americans are Missing Out On


For more great taste tests, please sign up for our free newsletters.


5 / 11
Scott Nyerges


ACT II BUTTER LOVERS: BEST FOR BUTTER LOVERS RUNNER-UP



We found the Act II sample lacked sufficient salt to contrast the
artificial-tasting butter flavor. We were split over whether this was a good
thing or not; those in the pro-butter camp were satisfied with Act II, while the
less-is-more among us preferred Pop Secret. In general, an okay but not great
microwave popcorn, in our opinion.




Related: The Best Drive-In Movie Theaters in America

6 / 11
Scott Nyerges


JOLLY TIME SIMPLY POPPED BUTTER: BEST LIGHT POPCORN



If you love microwave popcorn but prefer a light touch when it comes to butter,
Jolly Time’s Simply Popped is for you. It’s noticeably less buttery to the taste
(with just enough salt) than the other popcorns in our test, and the fluffy
white kernels stayed crisp well after they’d cooled down. This is also one of
just three microwave popcorns in our sample that use real butter (in addition to
palm oil).




Related: 25 Historic Movie Theaters Across America Worth Visiting


7 / 11
Scott Nyerges


SKINNY POP BUTTER: BEST LIGHT POPCORN RUNNER-UP



Skinny Pop was very similar in color, crispness, and flavor to the other “light”
popcorn in our test, Jolly Time Simply Popped. The only difference we noticed
was that the Skinny Pop kernels didn’t stay crisp for long after being popped,
which is a disappointment.




Related: 20 Microwave Recipe Hacks You Need to Know

8 / 11
Scott Nyerges


MARKET PANTRY EXTRA BUTTER: BEST STORE-BRAND POPCORN (TIE)



Target’s microwave popcorn isn’t nearly as tasty as our top picks. The butter
flavoring has a slightly artificial taste that lingers on the tongue that we
weren’t crazy about, but it was pleasantly salty. And we liked that the kernels
stayed relatively crisp long after the popcorn had gone cold, which will be
appreciated during those TV binge-watching sessions.




Related: 19 Store-Brand Products With Cult Followings From Costco, Walmart, and
More


9 / 11
Scott Nyerges


GREAT VALUE EXTRA BUTTER: BEST STORE-BRAND POPCORN (TIE)



Buttery? You bet. So much so that the golden yellow flavoring saturated the bag
and leaked out during the microwaving process. The Great Value popcorn edges out
Target’s version on buttery flavor, but Walmart’s popcorn lacks that kick of
salt to counter all that butter. Which one you’ll prefer may come down to how
much butter flavor you crave.




Related: Walmart's Chocolate Chip Cookies Beat Top Brands in Taste Test

10 / 11
Scott Nyerges


HILL COUNTRY FARE THEATER STYLE: BEST BUDGET POPCORN



The fact is, microwave popcorn isn’t all that expensive. But if you’re really
pinching pennies, you can save a few by buying the budget store brand at your
local grocer. Hill Country Fare is the store brand of Texas-based grocer HEB,
and their microwave popcorn was indeed the cheapest on our list by a few cents.
Truth be told, it was also our least favorite microwave popcorn, lacking that
spark of salt to balance the rather bland butter flavor (which, compared to
brands like Act II, was decidedly less buttery overall, too). 




Related: Snack Food Showdown: Trader Joe’s vs. Aldi


11 / 11
kontrast-fotodesign/istockphoto


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