There’s no other snack food that lures you in quite likepopcorn.
Just the process of popping popcorn is a production in and of itself.
The kernels dance about and go off with a bang as they finally sprout into final form.
Photo: Megan Hageman. Design: Eat This, Not That!
Pieces then spill over and collect in mounds, just waiting to be eaten.
But, the most irresistible part is the smell.
But, what happens when people want to experience this feeling and taste at home?
Megan Hageman for Eat This, Not That!
Customers can also choose between a full Buttery Flavor or one with no oil or salt added.
The Look:Alabaster and barethe light butter does not expose itself.
Pieces are a tad small and also did not want to be released from the microwavable bag.
Megan Hageman for Eat This, Not That!
It took some crunching and finagling to convince all the popcorn to fall into my bowl.
The Taste:Dry and bland.
I think the butter and salt are just a myth because I didn’t notice much of either.
Megan Hageman for Eat This, Not That!
I would hope that maybe the brand’s Buttery Flavor does it a little better.
In other words: the house brand.
It’s organic, non-GMO, and consists of just yellow popcorn, palm oil, and salt.
Megan Hageman for Eat This, Not That!
For those looking to spice things up a bit, the popcorn also comes in an alternate butter flavor.
The Look:Cream colored with the slightest tint of yellow.
Overall, it’s not very inspiring and I wasn’t all that enthusiastic to try it.
Megan Hageman for Eat This, Not That!
The bag did offer the highest volume of popcorn, though.
Popped kernels jumped out of the bag and almost had me reaching for a larger bowl.
The Taste:Flat and even stale in spots.
Megan Hageman for Eat This, Not That!
The popcorn’s appearance is very telling and my gut feeling was definitely right on this one.
There is a teensy bit of salt on some pieces, but not all.
Pop Secret Movie Theater Butter
This is one secret which has not been kept under wraps.
Megan Hageman for Eat This, Not That!
The Look:More ivory white than dark yellow since the butter is not very well distributed.
And, some pieces were even a little burnt.
The bag is also smaller than others.
Megan Hageman for Eat This, Not That!
But, it came out of the microwave absolutely bursting and dripping with oil.
Maybe that’s where all the missing butter went!
The Taste:Lackluster for a “movie theater butter” popcorn.
Megan Hageman for Eat This, Not That!
But, what it lacks in butter it does make up for in salt.
So, none of my bites were completely devoid of flavor.
I would also give the bag a 0 out of 10 rating.
The Taste:Salty but light on the butter.
Alas, it does not.
Unfortunately, I think I will be sticking to Skinny Pop’s original popped form in the future.
I guess the brand didn’t lie when it claimed to be “the best value in popcorn.”
The Look:A mix of both canary yellow and off-white pieces.
The Taste:Nothing showstopping.
It’s both light on salt and low on butter for a “Butter Lovers” product.
There’s a decent natural flavoring on the pieces which have been largely untouched by the butter.
But, everything is a little dense without that big satisfying crunchespecially once it has cooled down significantly.
The Look:The best butter showing I have seen in a while.
Almost every single piece came out of the bag glistening with fat and donning a sunflower yellow hue.
This was the first bowl to really make my mouth water.
The Taste:Fresh and definitely blasted with butter.
Even cooled off, the popcorn was tasty.
Overall, though, it’s a small price to pay and something that is to be expected.
Three bags are included in the $3.49 box.
The Look:Almost fluorescently white.
The Taste:Surprisingly yummy given its pale coloring.
It is definitely both light and fluffy, as promised, and gives off a perfect level of crunch.
The microdoses of salt and butter help to bring out its natural flavor, and make it dangerously addicting.
For a very basic style of popcorn, this one hits it out of the park.
Cousin Willie’s is sold under the Ramsay Popcorn Co. along with wholesale popcorn products.
Cousin Willie offers standard microwave popcorn flavors like butter and white cheddar.
The Look:Deceptively starch white.
Based on first glance, I would guess this popcorn has no flavor whatsoever.
The Taste:Light and subtly sweet.
It’s the perfect amount to keep you coming back for more.
And they rarely steer me wrong.
I was hoping this would continue to be the case with the brand’sSweet & Salty Kettle-style popcorn.
The Look:Almost interchangeable for Cousin Willie’s, but with slightly smaller flakes.
It once again looks unseasoned and essentially flavorless.
But, it popped really well with hardly any leftover kernels.
The Taste:Crisp and sugary with a pinch of salt.
I think the first words out of my mouth were, “This one’s really tasty.”
Each handful delivers a nice crunch and continues to satisfy even after it has cooled down to room temperature.
But, at nearly half the cost, Kroger is the surprising, undisputed winner.
