9 best popcorn makers to sweeten up your home movie watching

WHETHER you're planning a movie night or just preparing some healthy snacks for yourself, one of the best popcorn makers will mean you no longer have to buy bags from the corner shop, saving you a pretty penny.

You can tailor your home creations with flavours you enjoy, and you can even make them healthier than what you'd usually buy at the shop.

How to use a popcorn machine

There are a variety of popcorn makers available on the market right now - so how to use a popcorn machine depends totally on your preference.

With your average air-pop electrical machine, you simply measure out the right amount of kernels appropriate for your machine (this will usually be in the instruction booklet provided!) and then press the on button.

When it comes to microwavable popcorn, it's pretty much the same - follow the instructions provided on your bag of popcorn kernels, pop in your microwave-save popcorn bowl (it's usually silicone) then let the heat and air do its work.

Best popcorn makers at a glance:

• Best for microwaves:
• Best 2-in-1:
• Best for butter popcorn:
• Best for kids: 
• Best popcorn maker with chute:
• Best popcorn maker bowl:
• Best for portion control:
• Best retro design:
• Best oil-free:

Best for microwaves: Housewares Collapsible Silicone Microwave Popcorn Maker

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• Housewares Collapsible Silicone Microwave Popcorn Maker, £11.99 from Amazon -

When you don't want to invest in a whole machine, this microwavable silicone popper will come in handy. Made from BPA and PVC-free silicone, there are no moving parts to break down; just pop it in the microwave and let the popcorn-making take care of itself.

It's also dishwasher safe and easy to store, since it's totally collapsible - all for under a tenner, so what's not to love?

Dimensions: 21.1 x 20.6 x 6.9 cm, Capacity: 10 cups, Power: N/A.

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Best 2-in-1: Quest Popcorn & French Crêpe Maker

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• Quest Popcorn & French Crêpe Maker, £21.95 from Amazon -

This popcorn maker is a useful piece of kit that's also an electric pancake pan and an omelette maker.

The multi-functional electrical kitchen appliance features an 8in non-stick hot plate to cook sweet or savoury crepes, omelettes or scrambled eggs perfectly, without sticking to the base and making a mess.

The popcorn lid conveniently becomes a bowl, too - and the set includes a wooden pancake spreader and two measuring cups.

Dimensions: 20D x 37W x 14.5H cm, Capacity: Not stated, Power: 800 watts.

Best for butter popcorn: American Originals Popcorn Maker

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• American Originals popcorn maker, £19 from Argos -

This American Originals popcorn maker uses hot air to pop your corn, so it can be as healthy as you want it to be.

For those of us inclined to drench our snacks in all things unhealthy, this machine has a special lid that can be used to melt butter (it's bad, but oh so good).

It's super fast, too - claiming to make 40ml of hot, tasty butter popcorn in just three minutes.

Users recommend using a large bowl or a paper bag to catch your popcorn though, as it will leave the machine at some velocity.

Dimensions: Size H30.5, W15, D18cm, Capacity: Up to 40ml of popcorn, Power: 1100 watts.

Best for kids: Lewis's Fairground Popcorn Maker

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• Lewis's Fairground Popcorn Maker, £36 from Amazon -

This unique carnival-shaped popcorn maker is an ideal machine for entertaining kids on rainy nights in, birthday parties, or sleepovers.

It's healthy, too, and doesn't require any oil - it uses hot air circulation to pop the kernels, which makes it an even better snack for kids.

It's estimated to take around three to five minutes to make popcorn, and it's easy-clean, too.

The fun, kid-friendly machine comes with a chute to disperse the freshly-popped popcorn into bowls, as well as a measuring spoon and non-slip feet to keep it sturdy when in use.

Dimensions: 41.7 x 26.6 x 21.5 cm (package only), Capacity: Not stated, Power: Not stated.

Best popcorn maker with chute: Global Gizmos 50900 Fat Free Hot Air Popcorn Maker

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• Global Gizmos 50900 Fat Free Hot Air Popcorn Maker, £18.99 from Amazon -

Another great popcorn maker from Global Gizmos, available on Amazon, yet this time there's no need to worry about attempting to catch flying popcorn in your snack bowl - this one comes with a handy chute to direct your bowl to where it needs to be.

It uses hot air to pop kernels, and for under £20 also comes with four popcorn-perfect bags to place under the chute - great for bringing the movies to your sitting room.

Dimensions: 13.2 x 19.2 x 28.4cm, Capacity: Not stated, Power: 1200 W.

Best popcorn maker bowl: Joe & Seph's Electric Air Popcorn Maker

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• Joe & Seph's Electric Air Popcorn Maker, £40 from Joe & Seph's -

This popcorn maker is ideal for two people, as it pops the kernels directly into the detachable bowl - meaning as little effort and cleaning as possible.

In 90 seconds, this heavy-duty popcorn maker bowl will produce a bowl full of tasty, low-calorie, air-popped popcorn - meaning it's a quick and tasty — yet healthy — snack for your romantic movie nights in.

Dimensions: 29 x 29 x 28.5 cm, Capacity: Not stated, Power: 1200W.

Best for portion control: Joseph Joseph M-Cuisine Portion Popcorn Maker

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• Joseph Joseph M-Cuisine Portion Popcorn Maker Set Of 2, £18 -

Yes, air-popped at-home popcorn is a healthier snack but it's so hard to measure a good, healthy portion size - especially just for one person.

This on-trend set of two eye-catching popcorn makers from Joseph & Joseph helps you make a single (30g) portion at a time - or two, helping make sure you both don't fight over the one bowl.

Simply pop in 30g of kernels into the heat-resistant silicone device, bung it in the microwave for a few minutes, and the lid flaps conveniently open so you know it's done.

There's even an integrated measuring device in the base so you know just how many kernels to add.

Dimensions: H14.5 x W10.2 x D10.2cm, Capacity: Each cup makes a single portion size approx. 30g, Power: N/A.

Best retro design: Cooks Professional Retro Popcorn Maker - Red

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• Cooks Professional Retro Popcorn Maker - Red, now £99.99 (was £119.99) from The Range -

This 50s diner-style popcorn maker by Cooks Professional will add a splash of fun retro appeal to any kitchen countertop – perfect for a themed movie night or your next event!

Featuring a stainless steel container with an integrated heating system and stirrer, the one-touch operation is super easy: your popcorn will spill out when it's ready, so all you need to do is a grab a bowl and some willing diners.

There's an internal light, so it'll look impressive in low-lighting, plus the container is removable for easy cleaning.

Dimensions: W30x D30 x H49.5cm, Capacity: Not stated, Power: 310W.

Best oil-free: Salter EK2902 1200W Healthy Electric Hot Air Popcorn Maker

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• Salter EK2902 1200W Healthy Electric Hot Air Popcorn Maker, now £19.99 (was £29.99) from Robert Dyas -

Much like Lewis's Fairground Popcorn Maker, the Salter EK2902 is another great oil-free machine as it makes popcorn with hot air for a healthier fat-free snack.

It's an easy one to get to grips with, too – once you've tipped the kernels into the chamber using the measuring cup provided, it takes just three minutes for your popcorn to be ready.

How to make sweet popcorn in a machine

It's much easier than you think - simply measure out the amount of kernels appropriate for your electrical machine, if it is air-pop, and then add a sprinkling of sugar or a preferred syrup.

Can you use butter in a popcorn machine?

Not in all machines allow for the use of butter - our recommendation would be to read the supplied instructions with your purchased device. There are popcorn makers that have a reservoir for butter, that automatically melts over popcorn - like one from Argos. Otherwise, with air-pop machines or microwavable makers, it's best to melt a knob of butter or two in a pan on the top first, then pour over your popped kernels.

Where can I buy popcorn for my popcorn machine?

For popcorn machines and makers, you need to purchase a fair amount of kernels first. There are many places that offer kernels at a reasonable price, including this whopping 1.5kg container from . Otherwise, high-street stores like and offer budget-friendly kernels for your machine, too.

Can you use vegetable oil in a popcorn machine?

You don't have to use any type of oil to make popcorn! A popcorn maker will often air-pop your kernels, and microwavable popcorn doesn't require oil for it to work, either. Taking the oil out of the mix also means you've got a much healthier snack, and makes it so much easier to clean.

What do I flavour popcorn with?

Stove-top popcorn is usually flavoured with the butter or oil it's cooked in. If you're air-popping your corn, you can flavour it with a knob of melted butter, sugar, salt or a mix of all of the above depending on how healthy you're feeling.

How do I make healthy popcorn?

Popcorn doesn't have to be unhealthy - far from it! If you air-pop your popcorn and flavour it with a pinch of salt or some other seasoning, it's a pretty simple and healthy snack.

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