Popcorn maker stirs up some flavor

Homemade fresh popcorn is really where it's at. Aside from the important aspect that most anything freshly made is at the peak of its potential, when it comes to homemade popcorn the flavor can be precisely controlled. However, getting all that great flavor incorporated can be a tricky undertaking. And more than a bit messy when using sticky ingredients.

The Cuisinart EasyPop Plus Popcorn Maker offers a convenient method for popcorn popping, and adds the capability to stir in flavorings to the resultant batch. After all the popcorn has popped, the switch can then be flipped over to the stir position to continue the process and mix in caramel, spice mixtures, and anything else you can dream up. (It may or not taste so great, but hey, popcorn is a good thing to experiment with.)

Sometimes plain popcorn is what the situation calls for. With the capability to produce up to 10 cups of popped popcorn using just one tablespoon of oil, the mechanized popcorn maker allows for the option to keep it simple. The 550-watt machine stands at just more than a foot tall, and while not everybody may approve of your choice of additions, the fact that the unit can be easily cleaned (the BPA-free plastic lid is dishwasher safe and the base wipes clean with a damp cloth) means a fresh batch of popcorn is always just a countertop away.

DIY Popcorn

I like popcorn. Considering how much popcorn is sold in this country, I'm betting a lot of you do, too. Whether you think of it as a movie-viewing essential, or a casual TV snack, the popped kernel of corn is a staple of American snack food. And, popcorn is one of the rare snack foods that actually isn't bad for you! That is, until you dress it with gobs of flavorings.
I'm not against flavored popcorn. I enjoy as much as anybody else the myriad flavors that are out there: kettle corn, caramel, cheese, butter, extra butter, movie butter. They are all delicious. However, there is one flavor that doesn't get enough attention: plain with salt.
For quick and easy home popcorn preparation, pass up the preflavored microwave bag and dive into the hot air maker. I've tried using the type of corn poppers that are supposed to pop the corn out into a bowl, but, ultimately, popcorn and hot-but-not-popped kernels go flying everywhere.
The Salton Popcorn Popper keeps the popcorn entirely enclosed during the popping process. Like a hot air popper, it can pop corn without the use of oil. It works by heating the kernels on a nonstick surface, using a bidirectional rotating stirrer to keep the kernels moving. After a few minutes, the popcorn is done and the cover doubles as a serving bowl. Not only do you get to control the flavors, but you get to make sure you have no more unpopped kernels scatted about the room.