Popcorn Makers

1. With home popcorn machines, popcorn tastes better and it's more fun to make, too. Throw some kernels into the popcorn machine and enjoy the slowly building sound, the delicious smell, the face-warming heat - even the vintage style in classic carnival red.

2. Health is one big advantage that popcorn poppers potentially have over microwave popcorn. Over the past several years, chemicals used in microwave popcorn bags were alleged to potentially cause obstructive lung disease (aka popcorn lung) and, in lab animals, cancer.

3. Not only is a popcorn popper a healthier alternative to high-calorie microwave popcorn, but it's also very cost-effective in the long run. A container of kernel popcorn or gourmet popping corn contains around 20 servings - or about 8 big bowls' worth.

4. Hot air popcorn machines and hot oil popcorn machines will both produce popcorn, but with some taste differences. Popcorn from a hot air popcorn machine will be drier and therefore healthier than oil-cooked popcorn - unless it's butter-smothered.

5. For retro, just-like-they-used-to-make-it popcorn, kettle popcorn makers are the authentic favorite. These vintage-style popcorn machines feature a kettle-style popper that can make up to eight cups of popcorn at a time, with a built-in stirring system to keeps kernels from burning.