Short answer: if you have a film night most weekends through winter, probably yes. If it’s twice a year at Christmas, a pan will do.
I’ve written before about poppers you use on the hob, and I still think a pan with a little oil makes the tastiest popcorn. A hot air machine is a different thing. It pops the kernels with nothing but hot air, so it’s quicker to set up, there’s no oily pan to wash and nothing to burn while you’re looking for the remote. The popcorn comes out plainer and drier, which is either a downside or the whole point, depending on how you like it.
What this one does
The VonShef retro popcorn maker is a 1200W hot air machine and one of the best sellers in its category on Amazon UK. You measure the kernels with the lid, which doubles as a scoop, tip in up to 50g, switch it on and the popcorn blows out of the chute into a bowl. No butter or oil goes in at all.
It comes with six striped cinema-style boxes, which is a gimmick, but kids love them and they make the whole thing feel more like an event. The retro red look is very much a matter of taste. I quite like it on a shelf.
A couple of things catch people out. Get the bowl under the chute before you switch it on, because the first pops arrive within a minute or two and they don’t wait for you. And keep butter, oil and sugar out of the chamber completely. It’s built for dry kernels, so melt your butter in a mug and toss it through afterwards.
That butter matters more than you’d think. Air-popped corn is so dry that salt just bounces off it and ends up in the bottom of the bowl. A light drizzle of melted butter or a quick spray of oil first gives the salt something to cling to. For sweet popcorn, a spoon of icing sugar and a pinch of cinnamon shaken through in a paper bag works well. Old kernels from the back of the cupboard will leave more duds, so buy a fresh bag if yours has been open since last winter.
For regular film nights with kids, yes. It’s quick, it’s mess-free, and it’s genuinely fun to watch. If you’re the only one eating popcorn and you like it buttery and salty, a heavy pan on the hob gets you a better result with kit you already own. Either way, it beats the microwave bags.
