Shoppers Love This Clever Microwave Popcorn Popper

To say that I’m a popcorn lover would be a massive understatement. In childhood, we made popcorn in an ancient heat popper every Friday for family movie night. My very first job was a concessionist at a movie theater. And when my parents upgraded their old heat popper to a full-fledged carnival-style popper, I manned it for every sleepover and family reunion.

However, when I moved out, I had to resort to microwave popcorn bagswhich is fine in a pinch, but I missed that fluffy, fresh popcorn where I could control the butter and flavor myself. Fortunately, savvy Amazon shoppers found a solution that combines the convenience of microwave popcorn with the customization of heat poppers. This clever and compact bowl is Amazon’s No. 1 bestselling popcorn popper, and I tried it out for myself.

Ecolution Micro-Pop Microwave Popcorn Popper

The Ecolution Micro-Pop has so many perks that it’ll make your head spin, yet it’s incredibly easy to use. One Amazon shopper claimed that the Ecolution popper was “hands down the best and easiest popcorn maker” out of the five models they tried, and it certainly doesn’t hurt that it’s just $13.

Measure out a serving of popcorn kernels into the lid, pour them into the bowl, then secure the lid on top. If you prefer buttery popcorn, place a chunk of butter on top of the lid, and it will melt over the kernels through the holes in the lid. When you’re ready to pop, place the popper in the microwave for two-and-a-half to three minutes. (Ecolution does not recommend using the dedicated popcorn button on the microwave, and neither do I.) Pro tip: Remove the popper when there are three to four seconds of silence between pops to avoid burned popcorn. The silicone handle remains cool to the touch, so you can pull it right out of the microwave without using a kitchen towel for protection.

In less than three minutes, you’ll have a single-serving bowl of fresh, hot popcorn. I had a few unpopped kernels, but not nearly as many as I get in a pre-made microwave bag. Many of the five-star reviewers love the customization it gives them over the popcorn’s flavor and preparation. “You have complete control of the amount of oil and salt as opposed to microwave popcorn in the bag,” said one happy customer. Another five-star reviewer liked that they could flavor their “freshly made organic popcorn with a touch of sea salt, and no additives.”

If you do end up using butter and popcorn seasoning, swirl the whole bowl around to coat the popcorn evenly. I loved that I didn’t have to constantly reseason my snack as I ate. Plus, the salt and butter stayed in the lidded bowl instead of making a mess on my kitchen counter.

Since the Ecolution bowl is made of boroscilicate glass and silicone, it’s safe to wash in the dishwasher, though it’s also fairly easy to wash by hand thanks to the wide mouth of the bowl.

Ecolution’s 1.5-quart popcorn maker produces a single serving of popcorn and won’t take up too much space in your kitchen cabinet. But if you want to make more popcorn for family movie night or a friendly get-together, there’s a larger 3-quart bowl available. Prefer other shades? Ecolution also has light aqua, hot pink, bright redand teal bluethough the price varies by color and size. For a great deal, snag the 1.5-quart model in yellow while it’s on sale for only $13, and get popping!

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At the time of publishing, the price was $13.