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10 Popcorn Brands You Have To Stop Buying & 10 Everyone Adores


10 Popcorn Brands You Have To Stop Buying & 10 Everyone Adores


Did Your Favorite Make The List?

Popcorn is considered the quintessential movie-time snack, and so it’s something you’ll want on hand, whether you prefer it microwaved or bagged. Unfortunately, not all popcorns are made equally, with some being far superior to others due to quality ingredients or interesting flavor combinations. With that in mind, here are some of the most and least liked brands out there. At the end of the day, it is up to personal preference, so be sure to share your favorites and whether you agree or disagree.

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1. Act II Butter Microwave Popcorn

Act II Butter Microwave Popcorn is a brand of microwave popcorn that typically comes in butter-flavored, pre-measured bags. This popcorn has a very bland flavor, and little to no butter or salt can be tasted. It is also full of a large number of inedible hulls.

a white microwave oven sitting on top of a wooden counterNguyen Dang Hoang Nhu on Unsplash

2. Clancy’s Roasted Sweet Corn Flavored Popcorn

This Aldi popcorn has a distinctive sweet corn flavor that is savory with a slight sweetness. It has a complex flavor minus the chili spice. It's not for everyone, but if you are looking for an offbeat bag of popcorn, try this one if you can find it.

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3. AMC Theater Popcorn

AMC Theatres Extra Butter Movie Theatre Microwave Popcorn is, as stated on the box, a microwave popcorn with a pourable "butter" which is less butter, and more a flavorless combination of soybean oil and additives. The popcorn is not at all like movie theatre popcorn, with the kernels leaving a bitter aftertaste. While the pourable oil is nice, the popcorn is so flavorless that it is hard to enjoy.

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4. Kroger Movie Theater Butter

Kroger Movie Theater Butter Microwave Popcorn is inexpensive and better-tasting than other artificial-flavored popcorn brands. The popcorn has a good amount of salt and butter with more flavor complexity than Market Pantry popcorn. The texture is light and crisp, but only average.

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5. Trader Joe’s Popcorn with Herbs & Spices

Trader Joe’s bagged popcorn is great for people who enjoy the taste of seasoned croutons. Big kernels are covered in a light but complex mixture of herbs. Dill, yeast, sea salt, and onion powder season the popcorn to give it a cheesy, slightly pickle taste.

File:Trader Joes in Amherst, NY - 2018.jpgSikander Iqbal on Wikimedia

6. SkinnyPOP Butter Microwave

Obviously, you’re eating this for health reasons more than flavor, but let’s talk about the overall product for a moment. It is a lower-fat popcorn with a short ingredient list, but it does not have any nutritional advantage over other popcorn brands. It burns in less than 2 minutes, which compromises the quality.

File:2020-07-19 11 22 31 A bag of Skinny Pop Popcorn in the Dulles section of Sterling, Loudoun County, Virginia.jpgFamartin on Wikimedia

7. Smartfood White Cheddar

Smartfood may come across as a bit boring, but it usually gets the job done. It’s not the best pick for someone who really wants to experience the prime of popcorn. That being said, it certainly has some flavor, albeit the texture tends to get stale fast.

File:2020-07-19 12 21 43 A sample of Smartfood White Cheddar Popcorn in the Dulles section of Sterling, Loudoun County, Virginia.jpgFamartin on Wikimedia

8. Market Pantry Extra Butter

Target's Market Pantry Extra Butter popcorn is certainly on the affordable side. The popcorn has light, airy kernels and few hulls. Its main flavor is that of artificial butter taste and although it is not bad, it is not as good as some higher-end microwave popcorns.

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9. Jolly Time Blast-O-Butter

Promising "ultimate theater style butter," Jolly Time Blast-O-Butter is actually an above-average popcorn. It has a pleasant texture, though not quite as airy or crisp as some of its competitors. The salt and butter flavor is well balanced; however, the flavor tastes cheap despite its natural ingredients.

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10. Orville Redenbacher Movie Theater Butter

Orville Redenbacher's Movie Theater Butter Microwave Popcorn is good, with few hulls and a crisp texture. Although this popcorn is made with real butter, it doesn't taste rich or buttery. It seems like a "movie theater butter" popcorn would pack a real butter punch, but in reality, this bag just tastes salty and very average. Surely there is better out there?

Now that we talked about some of the worst popcorns out there, here are 10 that most people adore. Keep in mind, though, at the end of the day, it is up to personal preference!

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1. Cousin Willi’s Buttery Explosion

Cousin Willie's Buttery Explosion has the perfect butter flavor with just the right amount of salt. It's the best-tasting microwave popcorn overall. It pops light, fluffy, and tender. The only problem is it burns quickly, so timing is crucial, but it's the best popcorn for those who love buttery popcorn.

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2. Kirkland Signature Movie Theater Butter

Kirkland Movie Theater Butter Popcorn is the microwave popcorn brand that comes closest to having a real butter flavor. It's not quite the same as popcorn you'd get at the movies, but it has a good texture. All in all, it's one of the best microwave popcorn brands for natural ingredients and better butter flavor.

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3. Sprouts Organic Popcorn Lightly Buttered

Sprouts' bagged popcorn tastes nice and buttery, with a salty flavor. It's not overly heavy in taste or texture. I would recommend it to someone who's looking for a bag of popcorn that has a nice theater-like taste without leaving you feeling gross and greasy. It's a nice bag of popcorn for movie nights when paired with a sweeter snack.

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4. Popcorn Indiana Sweet & Salty

Popcorn Indiana makes the best kettle corn. It has the perfect salty-sweet ratio, and it tastes fresh and homey. It's far superior to any other popcorn, even the other kettle corn brands. It's even better than the microwave popcorn! There is no contest for the best bagged popcorn for kettle corn fans.

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5. Great Value Extra Butter

This microwave popcorn has a great balance of tasty butter and salt flavor. It's a favorite among other popular brands, and Great Value has achieved this without using any artificial ingredients, which is a major plus. If it's buttery flavor you're after, Great Value knocks it out of the park.

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6. O Organics Sea Salt

O Organics Sea Salt Popcorn is big and fresh-tasting with a clean flavor that isn't coated with oil. This popcorn tastes exactly like what you would expect unbuttered movie theater popcorn to taste like: light, crunchy, and salty. This is the best bagged popcorn for those who like their popcorn lightly salted and not super buttery.

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7. 365 Whole Foods

365 Whole Foods Microwave Buttered Popcorn was by far the freshest popcorn I found, and the ingredients were organic. This popcorn was by far the lightest and crispiest, but the butter flavor is very subtle and hard to taste. This is an overall improvement in terms of quality, for sure.

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8. Boom Chicka Pop Sweet & Salty

Boom Chicka Pop delivers a light, airy crunch with a mildly sweet and salty kettle corn taste that's fresh and well-balanced. It's not very sweet, so it's good for those who like a more subtle snack. It may not be as satisfying for those who love bold, sugary kettle corn, but it's a decent choice for parties, movie nights, or general snacking.

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9. Pop Secret Movie

Pop Secret Movie Theater Butter Flavor has a deliciously rich, strong flavor that most popcorn doesn't have. The butter flavor is creamier, tasting like a white cheddar than it is actual butter. Nonetheless, this is a good option for something more flavorful than just butter popcorn.

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10. Trader Joe’s French Onion Popcorn

Trader Joe's French Onion Popcorn is a seasonal snack with a small but passionate cult following. It's got a bold, savory flavor with a hint of honey-sweet at the end, and it's very reminiscent of honey mustard pretzels. This popcorn is only available in the fall and winter, and we hear some people think it's the greatest bagged popcorn of all time. If you love it too, stock up when you see it.

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