The Best Microwave Popcorn: A Blind Taste Test - Bon Appetit

In our Taste Test series, BA editors conduct blind comparisons to discover the best supermarket staples (like vanilla ice cream or frozen pizza). Today, which microwave popcorn is worth its salt? 

People are opinionated about microwave popcorn brands, and in this instance, I am people. Throwing a trifolded bag in the microwave for a few minutes brings back childhood memories of sleepovers, Blockbuster rentals, and jamming out on my Walkman. I want steaming popcorn that is equal parts buttery, salty, and crunchy&#;if it doesn&#;t leave my fingertips slicked with grease, I&#;m not interested. Nowadays, popcorn is still a top-tier snack in my eyes, though I&#;ve started dressing it up a bit more for variety. Otherwise, my criteria for a great bag of microwave popcorn has largely stayed the same. 

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And so I brought these strong, smart, and correct opinions to our latest staff taste test. We tried seven popular brands of microwave popcorn to find the one that best balanced saltiness and butter flavor, while maintaining a yellow-but-not-too-yellow color and an airy, snappy crunch. I admit, I came to this taste test with my biases&#;both Pop Secret and Act II are brands I grew up with. But the panel of tasters and I went in blind, guaranteeing some upsets, heartbreaks, and disappointments. (Orville Redenbacher, I have a bone to pick.) Thankfully, there was one clear winner that we unanimously agreed on&#;we just had to get through the flops first.

Photograph by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Emma Ringness

Firmly in its Flop Era: Skinny Pop

The ingredients: popcorn, sunflower oil, palm oil, sea salt, natural nondairy butter flavor, and lactic acid

The verdict: The bowl of Skinny Pop sat sadly in its bowl on the far end of the tasting counter, pale white and timid looking&#;it lacked even a trace of butter flavoring, despite the yellow &#;butter&#; label on the front of its box. One bite confirmed that in taste and texture Skinny Pop was what food professionals would call &#;not good.&#;  It only took a chew or two for tasters to make up their minds. &#;I hate it,&#; senior cooking editor Emma Laperruque said, throwing her hands up hopelessly. Skinny Pop had a strange flavor almost akin to vanilla yogurt&#;unique, to be sure, but ultimately not something we enjoyed tasting on popcorn. 

My last two microwaves have had the magic 'popcorn' button. I put in my brown bag , press the button, the microwave runs for 2:10 and out comes perfect unscorched popcorn with maybe 3 unpopped kernels. Were I to just set the timer for 2:10 it wouldn't be nearly as perfect.

People are opinionated about microwave popcorn brands, and in this instance, I am people. Throwing a trifolded bag in the microwave for a few minutes brings back childhood memories of sleepovers, Blockbuster rentals, and jamming out on my Walkman. I want steaming popcorn that is equal parts buttery, salty, and crunchy&#;if it doesn&#;t leave my fingertips slicked with grease, I&#;m not interested. Nowadays, popcorn is still a top-tier snack in my eyes, though I&#;ve started dressing it up a bit more for variety. Otherwise, my criteria for a great bag of microwave popcorn has largely stayed the same. 

Firework content

This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.

And so I brought these strong, smart, and correct opinions to our latest staff taste test. We tried seven popular brands of microwave popcorn to find the one that best balanced saltiness and butter flavor, while maintaining a yellow-but-not-too-yellow color and an airy, snappy crunch. I admit, I came to this taste test with my biases&#;both Pop Secret and Act II are brands I grew up with. But the panel of tasters and I went in blind, guaranteeing some upsets, heartbreaks, and disappointments. (Orville Redenbacher, I have a bone to pick.) Thankfully, there was one clear winner that we unanimously agreed on&#;we just had to get through the flops first.

Photograph by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Emma Ringness

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Firmly in its Flop Era: Skinny Pop

The ingredients: popcorn, sunflower oil, palm oil, sea salt, natural nondairy butter flavor, and lactic acid

The verdict: The bowl of Skinny Pop sat sadly in its bowl on the far end of the tasting counter, pale white and timid looking&#;it lacked even a trace of butter flavoring, despite the yellow &#;butter&#; label on the front of its box. One bite confirmed that in taste and texture Skinny Pop was what food professionals would call &#;not good.&#;  It only took a chew or two for tasters to make up their minds. &#;I hate it,&#; senior cooking editor Emma Laperruque said, throwing her hands up hopelessly. Skinny Pop had a strange flavor almost akin to vanilla yogurt&#;unique, to be sure, but ultimately not something we enjoyed tasting on popcorn. 

My last two microwaves have had the magic 'popcorn' button. I put in my brown bag , press the button, the microwave runs for 2:10 and out comes perfect unscorched popcorn with maybe 3 unpopped kernels. Were I to just set the timer for 2:10 it wouldn't be nearly as perfect.

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