Popcorn is loved by practically everyone. It’s one of those essential snacks that’s impossible to go without – and it’s an essential part of the movie experience.

One of the best ways to enjoy this healthy snack is to make your own popcorn. Now we’ve all seen those microwave popcorn packets you can buy at the grocery store. Microwave popcorn is a pale imitation of the real thing, however.

The best tasting popcorn comes from popcorn machines. Popcorn machines ensure that popcorn is cooked the right way -- the popcorn will always come out cooked just right. How many times have you put popcorn into the microwave only to forget about it and have the entire batch ruined? With a popcorn maker, you will never have this problem, plus the popcorn is much tastier, since it’s cooked the natural way not via microwaves.

Now, if you are considering buying a popcorn machine, there are many types of popcorn machines to choose from. This guide will walk you through some of the various kinds of popcorn makers.

The first type of popcorn machine is the Air Popcorn Machine. An air popcorn maker should be used by health conscious types, as it will produce popcorn in the healthiest manner. This is a modern update on the classic oil and pan popcorn machines of old. The benefits of an air popcorn machine is that there is less fat involved in the cooking process – great for people sticking to a diet. The flavor of the popcorn is still delicious.

The hot air popcorn maker operates on the simple principle of contained heat. Basically, the popcorn kernels are first placed within the machine, and then covered over to allow the inside heat to circulate until the popped kernels are pushed out. Various flavorings (salt, pepper, cheese, etc) can be added to the corns either before popping or after popping (varies depending on the brand and model).

The second type of popcorn machine is called the Oil Popcorn Machine. This popcorn popper machine is the old classic popcorn maker used since the inception of popcorn at the fair. Health conscious people should avoid this machine – it glories the beauty oily, buttery, unhealthy but oh so tasty popcorn. You can pour on the butter directly as the popcorn pops. The oil popcorn maker is more expensive to operate than the others because it requires oil to pop the popcorn. If you want the classic “movie theatre popcorn” and don’t mind taking a health hit, use an oil popcorn machine – it produces the best tasting popcorn.

The third type of popcorn maker is called a Stove Top Popcorn Machine. This is the original way to create popcorn – used before popcorn machines were ever invented. It’s by far the simplest and most practical way to make popcorn. Anyone wondering how to make popcorn need have no worries here. The stove top popcorn machine is essential just a regular kettle (you can buy specialized stop top popcorn containers if you wish) or pot, toss in the popcorn, and then watch the popping begin. You can pour on the flavorings as desired.

Now the stove top popcorn maker has a bit of downside. It’s hard to control the heat and so burning the popcorn is much easier to do than using the other methods of making popcorn. You have to watch the process with an eagle eye to prevent popcorn burning. With practice, you’ll get a feel for the process though. Though this method is rather rudimentary and simple, it’s the cheapest way to cook popcorn.

The fourth popcorn machine is a microwave. This is not exactly classified as a popcorn machine, but most people these days use a microwave to pop popcorn because of the convenience. Microwaves use heat to cook the popcorn which is a more healthy way of than using oil. So a microwave is a great way to make healthy popcorn. However, it must be noted that those instant microwavable popcorn packets available in stores are not healthy – they contain lots of unhealthy additives (or salt and butter).

You can make healthy popcorn in the microwave, however regular popcorn kernels are not suitable for microwave. You need to buy microwaveable kernels that are wrapped in special packaging.

Making popcorn is a fun and yields a healthy snack. A popcorn machine is the best way to cook popcorn because of their simplicity. You simple add the popcorn kernels and press a button. The popcorn that comes out is delicious. Popcorn makers are cheap and you can buy them online from places like eBay or Amazon for discounted prices. You can also find them in many retailers, though you will pay more. So consider purchasing a popcorn machine and enjoy perfect popcorn!