165 Reviews

99 out of 104 people found this review helpful:
Transforms popcorn

This gadget has really hooked us on popcorn as a snack. We had been getting wonderful microwave popcorn from Yoder Popcorn (on the Web), but it got expensive. Then I noticed that they said that the Presto popper could be used with any of their bulk popcorn -- at much lower cost. What amazed us was how much better their already outstanding popcorn tasted with the Presto! And the ability to make it with the oil of our choice (we like olive oil) or no oil at all is a great bonus. Entering "presto powercup concentrator" in Google turned up a number of sources (including Amazon) for this essential insert -- we ordered ten packs to save on shipping and are sure we will use them in a reasonable time.

The size is great for us -- just about as much as a standard microwave pack per popperful. I do not see it as very feasible for more than four or maybe six people at a time, however.

While the Powercups do add to the cost, it still is cheaper than the microwave packs. Using the Yoder popcorn as an example (since the same popcorn is available either in bulk or microwave packs) and assuming that one gets 3 pops per Powercup (half of what Presto says is feasible) the cost comes out about as follows:

Premium white or yellow popcorn, 3.5 oz = $0.13
Olive oil, 0.5 oz = 0.10
Powercup = 0.08
Amoritization of popper = 0.02
Total = $0.33

By contrast, a 3.5 oz microwave pouch of the same popcorn costs $0.65 in bulk.

Actual final costs will be greater for both due to shipping charges, of course, but these do not favor one over the other.

Will O'Neil

62 out of 64 people found this review helpful:
Extremely convenient, works great!

I *love* this device! I experimented with it in my particular microwave and learned that the standard load of 1/3 cup of popcorn (you can use *any* kind) cooks perfectly at 3 minutes, 12 seconds. Any less than that, and some of the kernels don't pop. Any more than that and some kernels begin to burn. The directions say you can use oil inside it, but I don't, because I want the little cardboard inserts to last a long time. I empty the popcorn into a different bowl, then I melt butter in the microwave (3 tbsp. is about right), pour it over the popcorn, add salt and stir well. You can also pour anything else you want over the popcorn, like parmesan or other dried, grated cheese, or herbs and spices. The popcorn this device produces is really, really tasty. Far better than that from microwave popcorn packets, and without the horribly unhealthy trans fats they add to them, too.

41 out of 42 people found this review helpful:
Best microwave popping device and best air popper on the mkt

I love popcorn and have about 4 or 5 different poppers of various types. I've also tried various homemade methods of popping corn in the microwave. None compares to this simple appliance. It's just a bowl, in which you place a special cardboard cup to hold the kernels. That all sits on a special base and you put the whole thing in the m'wave. You can use oil or not, up to you.

If you want light popcorn, especially if you want air-popped popcorn, there is no better method out there. I had a batch the other night using Jolly Time kernels and I only had 7 duds. The texture is excellent too.

The only drawback is that it's sometimes hard to find the special cups you have to use but luckily they have them here on amazon.

32 out of 33 people found this review helpful:
I've had mine for years!

My mom gave me this popper several years back (I'm talking, SEVERAL, when microwaves were still a novelty) and I still use it. I normally don't leave reviews, but I'm in grad school now, without a microwave oven, and looking for an air popper and saw that some folks had not given this popper the love it deserves, so I must point out it's beauty.

Let me start by telling you that I use zero oil, so the concentrators, I bought two little bags of ten (they were a couple bucks each) and I've only ever used about three of them. As long as they're clean and dry (no oil) you can use them over and over again.

Its bowl shape allows for easy storage. Pop the concentrator disk out, dust it off, wash the bowl and dry it, store the disk back in the bowl and you can even stack other bowls inside it. Nice!

I also have to tell ya that I hate plastics--I won't drink from plastic water bottles, I don't store my food in plastic containers, etc, but this is a dry product, with very little condensation on the lid to make the popcorn soggy.

In all, I find this thing absoluetly great! It's easy to clean, lasts forever, if you get a pack or two of the disks you'll probably never run out. (I used one disk maybe 30 times)

One downside: you need to have a microwave that's above the 500 watts the little dinky ones are--if you can call your oven "medium" sized, then it will work. I had one of those low low wattage ones and it never could pop the corn.

Worth every dime. Healthy popcorn too--no oil/fats/butter etc.
Takes 2:50 in my oven--and there's never an old maid!

24 out of 25 people found this review helpful:
Of course, you will need refills of special parts ...

We needed to eliminate the high fat, high salt content of microwave popcorn but didn't want another counter-top appliance. The popper makes good popcorn, but you will need to find a source for the cardboard inserts (called concentrators) in your neighborhood ...