Eating Microwave Popcorn in 2025? You Can Do Better

Additionally, Zenker notes that microwave popcorn is often considered an over-processed, hyperpalatable food. “Ultra-processed foods are high in calories, sugar and sodium while low in protein, fiber and essential vitamins and minerals,” she says. And because it’s so tasty, it’s easy to unintentionally overeat.

“Ultra-processed foods are linked to numerous adverse health outcomes, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and even some cancers,” says Zenker. Again—if you still want to go with microwaved popcorn, you should check those nutrition labels to make sure you’re not accidentally consuming more ingredients than you want.

Why air-popped popcorn is better

If microwaved popcorn is full of potential unknowns that you can’t really control or customize to your liking, air-popped popcorn is the opposite. The only ingredient is corn – unless you decide to add something else.

Zenker says popcorn is a nutrient-dense source of fiber, vitamins and minerals. And it’s lower in calories than other crunchy snacks, like chips, while higher in fiber and protein than the processed foods we usually reach for — so popcorn keeps you fuller for longer.

When you air-pop popcorn, you can customize it just the way you want. Salt, spices, spices, olive oil, nutritional yeast, cinnamon and sugar, fresh herbs like dill, or even – as Zenker suggested and I will no doubt add pickle juice soon. I like to top my popcorn with melted butter and a dash of seasoned salt, but the beauty of air-popped means my family members can use the same batch fresh from the popper to completely separate their flavors.

If you’re okay with using lots of butter and salt, you can still make it taste like something out of a movie theater. The air popper expands the kernel using only hot air and time. They’re super easy and quick to use—dump in your kernels, turn on the machine, and add butter to the top reservoir if you want hot air to melt. Put a bowl down to collect your popped corn and you’ll have a movie night snack ready in no time. After all, it won’t contain anything you don’t want it to. And if you regularly consume microwave popcorn, an air popper will eventually pay for itself. Plain popcorn kernels are cheap, and they go a long way.

The Air Popper we tested and liked

Courtesy of Beautiful by Drew Barrymore

Beautiful by Drew Barrymore

Hot Air Popcorn Popper

Drew Barrymore’s hot air popper The Beautiful gives a contemporary twist Old air poppers With its matte finish and gold accents, and it comes in a few different colors like black, light blue, and sage green (though enthusiasts go in and out of stock). It can make up to 16 cups of popcorn at once, and the nesting measuring cup on top doubles as a place to melt your butter. I also like that there’s a place to wrap the cord, and the chute takes the popped corn directly into your waiting bowl.

Photo: Brenda Stolier

This little popcorn maker comes from Dash, Many small countertop appliance manufacturers we recommend. It’s similar to other makers on the market in that you can melt butter in the measuring cup on top and there’s a chute to help place the popped kernels directly into a bowl. This maker comes in a variety of colors like red and lavender and limited-edition designs like Disney or Peanut, and won’t take up much space on your counter or in your cabinet. Like the above option, this one also has a 16-cup capacity.

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