Presto 04868 Orville Redenbacher's Fountain Hot Air Popper

This thing just works. I have kept track of the unpopped kernels, and after 10 batches, the average is 2.5 unpopped duds. Of course, I'm using premium popping corn (Orville brand in a plastic jug), and I did re-hydrate the corn for a couple of days before popping. (a scant 1/4 teaspoon of fresh water into the jar, shake vigorously to distribute, re-cap and put in a warm place. The kernels will absorb the water, making them pop better) I will try a bargain brand next--one I have put into a large glass jar, with a bit more water, and capped tightly. But I expect similar results-- the design of this popper really does keep the kernels in the heating chamber during the first dozen or so, explosive pops. After that, there is sufficient popped kernels in the tube to keep the rest in place. I expect the 2 to 5 unpopped kernels were simply trapped in the mass of popped kernels, as it gets pretty packed before pushing out the top diffusiors and tumbles out into the bowl. I have had to experiment a bit, to learn when to stop, and shut it off. Too soon, you get more unpopped duds. But if you leave it too long, the already-popped fluffs still in the tube can scorch a bit, changing the flavor of those somewhat (not as tasty). The instructions suggest pre-warming it for two full minutes, before dumping in the kernels, and I did that the first couple of times. Later, I simply plugged it in, and then while it was warming up, wiped out the crumbs from the bowl and catchbin. Then I poured in the kernels, carefully tipped the metal difussors in place, and let it rip. I seriously could not tell any difference in performance, between the 2-minute warmup, or the scant minute or so it took me to wipe out the crumbs from last time warm-up. In either case, I was starting from a room temperature machine. I did not time the overall start-to-finish, however, and it may take longer before the rapid-fire popping begins, in the colder short-warmup. Does not really seem to matter-- once I hear the rapid-fire popping, I get up to monitor it until the pops slow down enough I consider it done. That time seems to vary a bit, between batches. I should point out, in every case (except the first batch), I was popping somewhat less than the maximum batch it recommends, as I was using the plastic lid from my old air popper (which was notorious about dumping dozens of unpopped kernels with the first 6 or 8 pops--which is what started my quest for a better air-popper. The Fountain seems to be the goal) which holds somewhat less than 1/2 a cup of unpopped corn. Good enough for me. Would I buy this again? In a heartbeat! Will I replace this with the same one, on the sad day it is worn out (hopefully, years in the future)? Yep. Without hesitation. Good Job, Presto!

PRO TIP!: Actually, you CAN use a little more than 1/2 cup of kernels!! The key is that when you turn on the popper, look down into the metal grates at the popcorn kernels. If they are not moving in the center, just giggle the popcorn maker a little bit until they start moving. (Note: Only the center 1.5" of kernels will actually move.) If you do this the kernels at the bottom will not overheat and burn, shutting down the popcorn maker! We now fill to just a bit above the 1/2 cup line and this fills the entire bowl and makes the perfect amount of popcorn. We continue to use this popcorn maker nearly every day and love it! ORIGINAL REVIEW: We purchased this popcorn air popper because the cheap one we bought at Walmart spit out so many uncooked kernels it was ridiculous. I liked the look of this one with the three metal plates that keep the popcorn kernels from flying out. It cooks the perfect amount and it's fast and fun to watch. We've used it every day for the several weeks we've owned it and so far it works perfectly. I almost didn't buy it because of the negative reviews but I'm glad we did. I'd buy it again for sure.

I would give it 6 stars if I could. We have bought many different kinds and brands of popcorn poppers, this is our FAVORITE. Very impressed with how easy it is to use. No kernels come flying out, (was a problem with a couple of them.) We have far less unpopped kernels. We use it almost daily. It pops normal kernels well, but not homegrown miniature popcorn. I highly recommend this fountain air popper!!!

I have been a longtime muncher of popcorn when watching movies. Years ago, I got tired of the mess and cleanup required when popping kernels in a pan over the stove, or using a 'stir crazy' type hot oil popper, and switched to microwave popcorn. But that product is rather pricey if you eat a lot of it, the boxes take up considerable space in the pantry, and worst of all the calorie count is quite high due to the oils and flavorings used in the microwave bag. My doctor recommended a commercial product that was simply air-popped corn packaged in small bags, at a considerable cost. I did this for a little while, and thought that I had weaned myself from the oily kinds of popped corn, and might want to give air popping at home another look. The last time I had tried 'hot air' popping, back in the late 70s as I recall, the results tended to be less than satisfactory with lots of kernel chaff and debris, and un-popped kernals, mixed in with the popped corn. Many good reviews convinced me to try this Presto brand model 04868 hot air "fountain" popper, cross-branded with Orville Redenbacher. The popper consists of two parts: The hot air base, which includes a blower, a heating element, and what is actually a cover for an upside down popcorn bowl, and the other part is the popcorn bowl itself. The hot air base has a short power cord, since it is intended to be placed and used on a kitchen counter near an outlet. As I see it, the advantages of this model are: - integral popcorn bowl - clever hinged lids for the hot air base that open progressively during popping to prevent unpopped kernels from escaping into the popcorn bowl area - the popcorn bowl incorporates a screen/sieve at the bottom, with a snap-off lid....the lid is off during popping to allow hot air, steam and chaff to escape, and to allow kernel chaff and unpopped kernels to escape into the trash after popping, and then the lid snaps back on so that you can use the bowl for serving the popcorn The popper requires a warm-up period of about two minutes before pouring the raw kernels into the hot air base. Then you lift one of the hinged screen plates to pour in 1/2 cup (or less) of popcorn kernels. Presto does not endorse one brand or type of popcorn, but suggests that yellow corn will yield better than white corn. I use the Orville Redenbacher 'original' kernels. Inside the hot air stream from the blower, the kernels constantly circulate in the popping chamber. Once they start to pop, the hinged screens deflect them back into the popping chamber. Once a 'head' of popped kernels has formed at the top of the popping chamber, they force open two of the three hinged screens (the third screen remains down and helps dampen the surges of popcorn trying to escape out of the popping chamber) and the popcorn falls into the upside down bowl. After pops occur less frequently than one every two seconds, you unplug the popper and place the lid over the screen at the bottom of the bowl (which is currently at the top of the popper assembly), and flip the whole thing upside down, then lift the hot air base away. You are then left with the bowl full of popcorn. You lift the bowl and shake it a bit to encourage any chaff and debris and unpopped kernels to migrate to the bottom of the bowl, where they fall through the sieve screen and onto the lid, effectively removed from the part of the bowl that you would eat from. When you are done eating, you pop the lid off (over a trash container) to dump the chaff/debris/unpopped kernels into the trash. No oils or flavorings can be used in this popper. Trying to do so would cause smoke, possibly fire, and would certainly mess up the popper. You have to add any oils or flavorings to the popcorn after the base has been separated from the bowl after popping. I don't use anything except fine ground salt powder, and the popper itself remains dry and clean, and only a quick wipe with a damp paper towel once in a while is required to keep it all nice and clean. I rinse the bowl out under the sink and let it dry for the next use....there is rarely any need to use soapy water. No part of this popper is dishwasher safe, so if you do want to wash it, it needs to be done by hand.

Bought this for our vacation home, probably used like 4 times, but now...doesn't work at all, comes on for 3 seconds and shuts off. I get so disgusted with not being able to buy something that will last. I would rather pay 3 times a much for something that will last...but i know for a Fact that all items today are engineered to fail. As i have been advised by business advisors that i must manufacture my product to fail! I manufacture my product to last a lifetime, and i charge accordingly. My customers are willing to pay the price as they don't have to replace a few years later again and again. But for some reason, i still can't keep up with the sales demand year after year. I will never manufacture a product to have a fail date. But not everyone has the same perspective, some just want something as cheap as they can get it. Thus you get what you pay for. the problem is....nothing is available to purchase designed to last. Many times i shop second hand or antique stores for items that were meant to last. I will refurbish if necessary just so i can have something that will last more than a few months or maybe at best a year or two. I just don't understand the built to fail and fill the landfills with garbage rather then making something to last that will NOT fill landfills with more junk! But off to the landfill this goes...not that i didn't expect that..as there is no real quality item in which this isn't part of the plan. I guess i'll just go back to a pan on the stove that dedicate to making popcorn. Not as healthy i guess...but since we only want the popcorn a few times a year while on vacation at our second home, which btw is a humble 700 sq ft modular. just want to make sure you all don't think i am some "richy-rich" Take Care and take time to Love your Neighbor!

The speed is amazing. The kernels all pop. The kids love watching it. It is easy to clean and easy to run. I have tried other poppers and they have burned the popcorn. This is why I love the fact that I turn it off myself when the popcorn stops popping. The second I do not hear any more popping, I unplug it. I saw there were some complaints that it does not automatically shut off, but I find that is a plus. There literally is not one popcorn kernel left and not one burnt piece of popcorn when you unplug it the moment you do not hear any more popping. I timed it and it pops in 60 to 90 seconds. I think I know what I am giving out for Christmas this year.

Do you like air popped popcorn? My favorite popcorn is Popsecret's Theater Butter microwave popcorn. I've been trying to cut down on the microwave popcorn lately because it's 400 calories a bag. So I dug out my old air popper and it spews unpopped kernels and popcorn all over the kitchen. You also have to watch it closely so it doesn't walk itself off the counter and blow the popcorn out of the bowl. Yesterday, I researched the best hot air popcorn poppers and most all of them suffer from the same problems. I ran into one that has a near 5 star review with literary thousands of contributers. So I ordered it from amazon and got it today. Its the Orville Redenbacher Fountain Hot Air Popper. They re-engineered how the traditional hot air poppers work. It uses these trap doors to prevent unpopped kernels from escaping and it blows the popcorn up into a bowl that fits on the popper. The bowl also filters out any kernels and chaf(hulls). I'm actuality shocked at how well it works. I popped a minimum size of 2 Tbl spoons and a max size of 1/2C. The min size had no old maids an the max size, which made a ton of popcorn, only had 6 old maids. Best of all, there were no old maids or chaf in the popcorn due to the shaker lid/bowl that filters them out. The popper although still noisy like a hair dryer is not nearly as noisy as my last one and it does not walk around the counter. But the thing I like the most is that there is zero mess in the kitchen or on the floor. The new design is way more efficient and there is no possible way it can blow popcorn or kernels out because it's in a sealed,but not air tightm system. The popcorn is also fluffy and crispier than what my old machine produced. The quality is very close to baged microwave popcorn. The popper reminds me of an upside down oil popper. Presto really hit the ball out of the park on this one.... I still like bagged microwave popcorn better but for the calorie and health savings this is really nice. Update: I've now owned this popper for 2 months and we have poped a total of 16lbs of conrn. My family loves it. It is without a doubt one of the best poppers ever and a hidden gem om amazon. I'm very happy with this purchase and have recomened it to friends and family.

This has changed our snack game! Spritz with avocado oil, das of salt and shake in a bowl with a lid, wonderful for sure! We have done caramel spray, old bay, dry ranch packets, and chocolate drizzle!

So cool. I have to redo my kitchen now to have a place to put it away, but it works so well that we're using it often! Follow the instructions to preheat it. Follow the instructions for max fill (at least as much as two microwave bags). Even the 5-year-old popcorn in the back of our cupboard popped completely. No burning. No fiddling. Just wash the bowl when you're done (and hey, you were gonna have to do that anyway). Brilliant! I've noticed a few little flakes of popped corn dust flying out while it's on, but it doesn't make a ridiculous mess, and it simply cannot shoot un-popped kernels around. It has quite a short cord and no switch, but in practice those are deliberate and wise features, not drawbacks. Faster. More efficient. Pops perfectly every time. Way less wasteful than microwave bags. Way less clean-up than stove-top pots. Best popper ever. Highly recommended.

Me había surgido la inquietud desde hace tiempo por adquirir una maquina de estas para hacer palomitas, más que nada por el factor de lo saludables que son al prepararlas con solo aire caliente, vaya, 100% naturales . Después vino la decisión de elegir alguno de los muchos modelos que hay aquí en Amazon, pero luego de una búsqueda de varios minutos, encontré este que me encanto. Lo primero que me gusto fue su diseño, es algo que llama mucho la atención y luce muy bien en donde se coloque. Además el ver trabajar a la máquina mientras se hacen las palomitas resulta hasta divertido, ver como van saliendo hacia arriba como una fuente de palomitas. En cuanto a su funcionamiento que a final de cuentas es lo más importante, no tengo ninguna queja al respecto. La máquina cumple a la perfección con su funcionamiento, las palomitas se hacen perfectamente bien, estoy seguro que jamás había comido unas palomitas caseras que estuvieran tan bien hechas como salen con esta máquina. Cieto que la maquina no tiene un botón de encendido/apagado y que solo se prende/apaga mediante el enchufe a la luz, esto a mi en lo particular no me pareció ningún inconveniente, ya que yo acostumbro a desenchufar todos mis aparatos que solo se utilizan ocasionalmente, así que el enchufar y desenchufar de laz luz para poner a trabajar la máquina lo sentí hasta algo "natural". En mi búsqueda llegué a leer unas reseñas muy absurdas con respecto al sabor de las palomitas, de gente que se queja diciendo que "no saben a nada". Pues obvio, son 100% naturales, las palomitas naturales que mucha gente consume son tipo Act ll, las cuáles obviamente no son 100% naturales. Ya de uno depende agregarles un poco de sabor, rociarles un poco de salsita de botella y luego agregarles un poco de sal, quedan muy ricas así. También esta la opción de ponerles mantequilla derretida una vez que ya están echas, pero esto ya les quita bastante ese factor de saludables por el tema de la grasa. La mantequilla la recomiendo solo muy de vez en cuando. Yo lo hago solo una vez cada 2 o 3 semanas. Otra recomendación importante es que no rebasen la línea interior que marca el llenado máximo de la maquina, yo lo hice en una ocasión y provoque que la máquina se sobrecalentara. No pasa nada, solo se apaga y hay que dajarla enfriar para que vuelta a encender, pero obviamente lo ideal es que nunca ocurra esto para no desgastar el mecanismo y de alguna manera acortar la vida útil de la máquina. En resumen y ya habiéndole dado uso por más de un mes, definitivamente recomendó esta máquina al 100%. Funciona super bien, palomitas naturales perfectamente bien hechas, un diseño muy padre y llamativo, y en lo personal hasta el precio se me hace bastante bueno. El artículo es enviado por Amazon USA, el cual me llego en perfecto estado.

Listing doesn't mention that it comes with a US plug and is 110V, so useless in the UK unless you want to by a transformer as well, which will cost you another £30 minimum.

Es fácil de usar, muy rápido, lo limpias fácilmente. Realmente vale la pena.

Popper worked well twice. The third time it quit and starting smoking. We've had the product 12 days and it is unreturnable despite it being a faulty product.