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Hot Air poppers can be used to make one of the healthiest, fibre rich snacks of all time, air popped popcorn. Air poppers do not require oil to pop the kernels, therefore the popcorn will have practically no saturated fat, cholesterol or sodium at all, while being rich in dietary fiber and manganese.

So what is Air Popped Popcorn?

First you’ll need an air popcorn maker, which is a small kitchen appliance approximately 12 inches long, and half that in width. It has an attachable spout, where the popcorn will pour out. Underneath the spout is the circular shaped kettle, usually made out of metal, where the popcorn is fed into the machine.

Once you have filled up the kettle with the desired amount of popcorn, turn the air popcorn maker on, and watch through the see-through top as the kernels are flown around the inside of the kettle in a circular motion. This is done by circulating hot air inside the kettle, which eventually heats every single kernel causing them to rupture and become popcorn. The popped kernels start filling the kettle, and finished popcorn starts pouring into your serving bowl.

And the best part is that once the popcorn has popped, you can pick the flavoring you want to add, meaning that your unique, seasoned to taste popcorn will satisfy any craving. The most popular, quick-prepare seasonings are:

- nutritional yeast (makes it taste like cheese!)

- garlic powder

- onion powder

- chili powder

- sugar and cinnamon (1/3 cup sugar needs 2 teaspoons of cinnamon)

Hot air popcorn poppers are very efficient kitchen appliances, since they will leave almost no kernels unpopped. The popping cycle is around 3 minutes, which means that they are very quick and easy to use. If you are on the market shopping for an air popper machine, you will find that they are inexpensive. A reliable Presto hot air popper’s pricetag will be around $20, while vintage style designer air poppers cost as low as $39.

You will see that natural popcorn kernels are much cheaper than microwave popcorn bags as well, so not only is it lighter on your wallet, it’ll be lighter on the calorie side as well. Natural popcorn kernels can be found at any grocery store, usually right next to the microwave popcorn bags, so have a look for yourself! This is one of the very few instances, where a snack thats good for you will be cheaper than the “artificial” version.

Nutrition facts on air popped popcorn (1 serving = 1 cup or 8 g)

- 31 calories

- 0g saturated fat

- ZERO cholesterol

- less than 1 mg sodium

How to use your air popper machine safely:

- As you already know, the popper circulates the kernels with hot air, and once they start popping, they are pushed out the spout of the top see-through lid. sometimes hot, unpopperd kernels can fly out, so its advisable not to stand directly in front of the spout.

- The hot air used to pop the corn is emitted through the spout, which can burn your skin.

- The hot air emitted by the popcorn popper will heat up the serving bowl you place under the spout to catch the popcorn. Metal heats up very rapidly, so it is advisable not to use metal bowls.