Cuisinart CPM-100 EasyPop Hot Air Popcorn Maker, Red

When I was a kid we had an air popper that we used pretty frequently. It's been a long time since I have had air popped popcorn and I wanted to try it again. Microwave popcorn just doesn't taste the same to me, and generally comes coated with all kinds of fatty flavorings. Corn popped in a pan tastes good but is kind of a pain to make and makes a big mess.So far I've used it 6 times and this popper does a great job popping almost all of the kernels without making a mess. You can make up to 1/2 a cup of popcorn kernels at a time, although if you use premium popcorn (Orville Redenbacher and the like) you shouldn't use more than 1/3 cup as it pops up bigger than cheap stuff. I had one instance where the popped corn got stuck in the chute and that was when I made a full 1/2 cup at once. It is well designed in that the clear plastic top part does not snap in or anything, it just sort of sits on top so if the chute gets clogged it just pushes the plastic up. All I did was pick the top piece up a little and let the extra popcorn fall into the bowl and then put it back on and everything was good. Got some extra popcorn on the counter but no big deal. This appears to really only be a problem if you use to much popcorn.Keep in mind that 1/3 cup of premium popcorn is enough to fill a fairly large bowl (I think about 16" wide by 10" tall) and if you should need more than that, the entire popping process takes under 2 minutes to complete so just throw some more in there after the 1st bowl is done.Pros:-Pops almost all of the kernels. Maybe a dozen unpopped ones left in a bowl.-Very fast, done in under 2 minutes.-Has an on/off switch, witch a lot of the other air poppers on the market do not have.-Easy to useCons:-The red color isn't the most attractive. I wish there had been more color options to choose from.

This has been a great air popper. I have a small once serving silicone air popper that works in the microwave that works really well; however when it's time for movie night at home, it takes too long to make enough for the whole family - I saw this air popper and it seemed to have good reviews so I gave it a try. It has worked really well. Easy to use, easy to clean and does not take up too much room in the cabinet. Pops nearly every kernel. We definitely have been using this quite a bit and it basically does just want I wanted it to. Also, I haven't had any issues with burning kernels hitting me or the kids. I have it turned to the side so that if a loose kernel goes flying it will hit the wall, not us....but even still, the only loose kernels that fly are far and few between and they are always popped so, not really able to do much damage. One word of advice, you may want a popcorn bowl that is a slightly bit taller so that it can hold all the popcorn and maybe catch those that fly out. My bowl is a bit taller and that may be one reason why flying kernels haven't really been an issue. I plan to send out a couple of these as Christmas presents along with unpopped kernels and some flavored shakers. What a nice housewarming present !!

Awesome popper with 2 caveats. First, put no more than 1/3 cup kernels in at a time. Doesn't matter the brand. This will produce about 8 cups of great popcorn. Second, the design allows some unpopped kernels to go into the bowl until the popping starts. So, since I don't like unpopped kernels, I tilt the machine back a bit until it starts to pop. This has a crucial feature - an on off switch that the Presto does not have. Since we used to pop a cup at a time, we just go through 3 cycles and that's way quicker than the stove top method. Even using the same amount of butter still makes for a healthier snack. By the way the butter melter inset at the top is useless but the machine redeems itself. We've been making popcorn 3 or 4 days a week for the last few months and no complaints at all except the caveats above.UpdateI've had this a little over a year now. Still works great and have almost eliminated unpopped kernels. Too few kernels and the air blast can fly them right out of the tube and into the bowl. Too many will clog the spout. I was putting a level 1/3 cup and got kernels flying. I started using a not quite full 1/2 cup. Now the weight of the kernels keeps the bottom ones from flying and the bottom ones break up the air current so the top ones stay put. I get a few in the bowl, but very few. I make 3 to 4 batches a week and it works flawlessly. I will also recommend a butter spray made by Winona Pure and available at Amazon. Zero calories, no saturated fats. Canola oil, butter flavor and organic coloring. Quite tasty too.

I’m a sucker for popcorn, but I hated how bad the microwaveable ones are for you (not the nutritional value—or lack thereof—but the technology that they use).I opted for this product because it is the only BPA-free counter top popcorn maker I could find on the market. I use this frequently. It is a little loud, but it makes great popcorn, so I can’t complain too much.I only fill it about 3/4 or 4/5 of the max capacity. For my first attempt, I put in the max capacity of kernels and half of them popped, and the other half burned. The popped kernels tend to trap the unpopped/half popped kernels, and it will result in burnt bits. That being said, a little bit of “weight/covering” from popped kernels help the unpopped ones reach proper temperature to pop. I have made smaller batches, but kernels tend to get thrown out more easily. Kernels will fly out regardless of how much or how little you make, so be aware of HOT flying kernels, especially if you have pets.The butter melting cup is a plus. It can melt cold butter in minutes.Easy to clean because there is virtually no clean up — just brush away the little bits still in the popcorn maker, and that’s it. The only parts to wash are the top and butter cup, but it can be simply wiped down if you are not melting any butter, just like the rest of the unit.I would highly recommend this product!