Popcorn and a movie? A movie and popcorn? OK, forget the movie and just grab a vat of crunchy, buttery popcorn and enjoy. It’s cheap, filling and a little bit healthy.
While nothing beats a barrel of just-popped corn, a great bag of microwave popcorn is a fine alternative — if you choose the right bag. Microwave popcorn comes in a range of styles and flavors. For this taste test, we reached for “theater-style” and “extra butter” popcorn to find out which brands might satisfy our craving.
Evaluating the popcorn contenders wasn’t difficult. We rated them on flavor, flake (the word for a popped kernel), appearance, freshness and crunch. While the bag itself wasn’t rated, we noted that thin bags did not perform well, as they contributed to premature burning and oil leakage.
Interestingly, we noticed that while “theater style” popcorn is billed as more buttery and rich, in reality, it has nearly the same fat and calorie content as more dressed-down versions. Upshot: If you like the kind of buttery popcorn you find at a movie theater, go for it!
Good microwave popcorn is fresh, perfectly salted and has hefty sized, crunchy flakes that taste like they’ve been drizzled with butter. (They haven’t, but they should taste like they have.) Lesser versions are chewy, tasteless or under-salted. The worst are greasy bits seasoned with fake butter flavor.
As a snack, popcorn is relatively healthy. It’s a whole grain, has lots of fiber and fewer calories per ounce than many other salty snacks. That said, microwave popcorn typically includes palm oil, a saturated fat that can increase cholesterol levels.
Fun facts about popcorn: The popcorn-movie connection dates back to the 1920s, when “silent” movies were replaced with “talkies.” The connection exploded 10 years later, when movie houses realized the profit margin on popcorn was huge.
Here’s the scoop on the bags of microwave popcorn that will deliver movie theater magic in seconds — and the bags to leave on the shelf. Nutrition info refers to 2 tablespoons of unpopped corn or about 4 cups popped.
Orville Redenbacher’s Movie Theater Butter
Authentic butter notes and just the right dusting of salt make this a great movie night go-to. The flakes are crunchy, flavorful and crave-worthy. 170 calories, 11 g fat, 340 mg sodium, 3 g fiber. $3.99 for three 3.29-ounce bags at Raley’s. (4 stars)
Act II Butter Lovers
Now, this is a theater popcorn. It looks and tastes every bit as good as popcorn at a theater. Maybe better. 140 calories, 7 g fat, 310 mg sodium, 3 g fiber. $3.69 for six 2.75-ounce bags at Target. (4 stars)
Full Circle Market Organic Popcorn Butter
Generously sized flakes that are lightly salted and extra crisp make for an impressive bowl of popcorn. This appears — and tastes — less buttery than the top-rated brands, but it wins on freshness. 160 calories, 9 g fat, 190 mg sodium 3 g fiber. $2.99 for three 3.3-ounce bags at Raley’s. (3½ stars)
Kirkland Signature Movie Theater
It’s hard to fault this bargain-priced popcorn. The flavor is pleasant and fresh, the salt in check. The only issue is that the oil leaks out of the bag as it cooks. Lower the oil content, and it would score higher. 190 calories, 12 g fat, 330 mg sodium, 2 g fiber. $14.49 for 44 bags at Costco. (3 stars)
365 Whole Foods Organic Butter Flavor
Consider this popcorn for minimalists. It’s light on both salt and butter flavor, but the fat flakes are extra fresh. 150 calories, 6 g fat, 160 mg sodium, 4 g fiber. $3.39 for three 3.5 ounce bags. (3 stars)
Great Value Extra Butter Flavored
Large flakes with an appealing yellow color earn high marks for appearance, but this popcorn chews like yesterday’s leftovers. 180 calories, 11 g fat, 300 mg sodium, 2 g fiber. $1.38 for three 2.55-ounce bags at Walmart. (2 stars)
Jolly Time Blast O Butter
Too much oil makes for greasy, soggy kernels — not to mention fingers. There is so much oil in the bag that it bubbles out as it cooks. That said, the flavor is better than most. 160 calories, 10 g fat, 340 mg sodium, 3 g fiber. $3.49 for three 3.2-ounce bags at Raley’s. (2 stars)
Skinny Pop Popcorn Butter
Small white flakes with no butter flavor and a mere hint of salt make this just plain boring. Consider this diet food. 150 calories, 2 g fat, 220 mg sodium, 3 g fiber. $4.99 for three 2.8-ounce bags at Safeway. (1½ stars)
Raley’s Theater Style
Tiny flakes, too many hulls, too much salt and a slightly burned flavor due to a thin bag make this over-seasoned, greasy popcorn a poor choice. 150 calories, 9 g fat, 300 mg sodium, 4 g fiber. $2.48 for three 3.5-ounce bags. (1 star)
Market Pantry Butter
While the butter flavoring on these meager-sized kernels is is pleasant, there’s just too much of it. 150 calories, 8 g fat, 290 sodium, 3 g fiber. $3.69 for six 2.9-ounce bags at Target. (1 star)
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Signature Select Movie Theater Butter
This tastes like popcorn dunked in cheap margarine. What a sad effort. 160 calories, 9 g fat, 250 mg sodium, 3 g fiber. $2.79 for three 2.8-ounce bags at Safeway. (½ a star)
Pop Secret Movie Theater Butter
The sweet, cloying flavor of fake butter ruins this popcorn. The flakes are puffy and have a pretty yellow color, which makes them fine to look at. Just don’t eat them. 130 calories, 8 g fat, 270 mg sodium, 2 g fiber. $3.99 for three 3.2-ounce bags at Raley’s. (No stars)
Reviews are based on product samples purchased by this newspaper or provided by manufacturers. Contact Jolene Thym at timespickyeater@gmail.com. Read more Taste-off columns at www.mercurynews.com/tag/taste-off.
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