We're talking just 10 calories per serving!
Written: Feb 23 '05 (Updated Feb 23 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Very low calorie, Fast, Healthy
Cons: Purchasing PowerCup concentrators
The Bottom Line: What a bargain! Stores well, tastes great, and less expensive and healthier than bagged popcorn.
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| xyzwyatt's Full Review: Presto Powerpop Microwave Multi-Popper 4830 |
My kids love popcorn and ask for it on a regular basis. Popcorn doesn’t really cost that much in bags, but it does cost a lot more than kernels. There is a lot of unnecessary additives and oils in bags of popcorn translating to a lot of fat and calories. My biggest problem with microwave popcorn bags is that they are made with Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil which my daughter is allergic to. Since she is so fond of popcorn I started looking for an alternative.
When I was a kid we use to pop popcorn on our stove and it always turned out great, but oil was still required adding to the calories of the snack. It also took a little while to heat up the oil and pop the kernels. Now that we have a ceramic stovetop I would not even consider shuffling a pan on the burner so stove top popcorn is not an option for us.
I decided that a popcorn popper was what we needed. We had one when I was a kid and it worked okay but took a long time to pop, and was big to store. When I got to Wal-Mart I noticed a couple popcorn poppers and what I really noticed was the price tag which didn’t make sense to pay so much for a popper. I noticed the Presto Powerpop which was around $15. The product was endorsed by Orville Redenbacher so I figured it would be pretty good. One hesitation that I had was that it required paper concentrators. I was pleased to find that they were reusable and very inexpensive.
Making popcorn is very simple. I don’t have the instructions anymore; I just put some kernels in the paper concentrator and put it into the microwave. I believe it is 1/3 cup of kernels and a little oil if desired. In just two minutes I have a piping hot bowl of popcorn. Every single kernel pops every time which I must say is another reward. There are no worries of swallowing the kernels or damaging a tooth. (Which reminds me, popcorn is a common choking hazard for little ones.)
The bowl is designed to fit into most microwaves. It makes up to 3 quarts at once. One thing for sure, it doesn’t taste like movie popcorn. This is just basic corn without the butter and salt. I find it to be very tolerable just straight out of the bowl without salt or butter. The microwave makes a moister corn than a traditional air popper does. If I don’t feel like being healthy, I turn my popcorn into caramel corn. Yummy! There are lots of recipes online to spice up your popcorn. Okay I won’t be stingy, here’s 56 recipes to get you started: http://www.popcorn.org/nutrition/recipes/index.cfm and also http://www.gopresto.com/recipes/popcorn/index.php from Presto’s home page. You can’t make Gigantic Turtle Candies with microwave popcorn bags!!
One thing that I really love about this is that it never stinks up the house. Whenever we make a bag of popcorn the whole house absolutely reeks of popcorn then the bag continues to reek as it sits in the trash can. Even worse news if it ever burns! When popcorn is popped in the Powerpop you can smell fresh popcorn for a couple minutes but once the corn has cooled off the smell dissipates.
There are 4 pieces to the Presto Powerpop. The first piece is the base. Simply rotate it to lock or unlock it from the base of the bowl. This piece should be removed before washing as it is not designed to get wet. The magic part of popping is somewhere inside this piece. The next piece would be the bowl. The bowl has a wide mouth and a narrow base and looks like a typical bowl. It has a wide lip that I use to grasp the product when pulling it out of the microwave. The bowl does get hot while popping but the rim does not. This is very simple to clean by hand or in the dishwasher. A paper cup called a PowerCup concentrator sits inside the bowl. This is can be used several times and then thrown into the trash when finished. The final piece is the lid which is very thin and sits loosely on the bowl. There is a built-in handle to easily remove it without getting burned. There are a few slits on the top that steam comes out. The popcorn just needs a few seconds to cool down.
This is compact to fit in the microwave which makes it very easy to store as well. I find that it fits on any shelf that I put it on which means I can put it somewhere that I can see it which reminds me to use it.
I use Orville Redenbacker’s Hot Air Popcorn which is about $2.00 for 2 pounds and lasts for a very long time both in shelf life and for eating purposes. One cup of air popped corn is only 10 calories and 7 grams of fiber and 0 cholesterol so if you’re on a diet, this is a life saver!
There really isn’t anything to complain about, it works like a charm. I’ve tried popcorn every way possible including over a fire and this is the fastest way ever with the least amount of calories. The gadget has a 2 year warranty. I’m working on my second year now and have not had any problems whatsoever with it. If you need replacement parts that can be purchased from the Presto website at: http://www.gopresto.com/products/products.php?stock=04830 as well as replacement PowerCup concentrators.
www.gopresto.com
National Presto Industries, Inc.,
Eau Claire,
Wisconsin 54703
Recommended:
Yes
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xyzwyatt
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Location: Nashville, TN
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