Pro Chefs Blind Taste Test Every Microwave Popcorn | The Taste Panel | Epicurious

Quick Overview

The professional chefs ranked the microwave popcorns based on criteria like balanced flavor, crisp texture, inviting aroma, and quality of pop, with the final ranking placing the Ass Kickin' Carolina Reaper last due to its overwhelming spice and the Kirkland Signature Movie Theater Butter first for its excellent balance and natural flavor profile.

Key Points: Kirkland Signature Movie Theater Butter was ranked first overall due to its balanced flavor, natural taste, and good quality pop, despite its high price point ($16.99). Act II Hot & Spicy was ranked last ($3.69) because the intense, artificial coloring and overwhelming heat from the Carolina Reaper pepper overpowered the popcorn flavor. The judges prioritized popcorn that tasted natural, with the popcorn kernel quality (like low unpopped kernels and good texture) being a key factor. Jolly Time The Big Cheez ($2.66) was criticized for having a strong, artificial cheese flavor and poor kernel quality with many unpopped kernels. Orville Redenbacher's Kettle Corn ($4.99) was noted for having an artificial sweetness due to using sucralose instead of real sugar. The ideal popcorn should have a good balance of salt, butter, and natural corn flavor without excessive artificial additives or heat. The chefs noted that many brands, including Skinnygirl Butter & Sea Salt, use non-dairy butter flavorings which often taste artificial.

Context: Three professional chefs—Maiko Kyogoku (Owner, Bessou), Bjorn Quenemoe (Co-Founder, BjornQorn), and Shilpa Uskokovic (Senior Test Kitchen Editor, Bon Appétit)—blind taste-tested ten different brands of microwave popcorn to determine which one best met their ideal culinary criteria: balanced flavor, crisp texture, inviting aroma, and quality pop. The brands tested ranged widely in price and ingredient profiles, including traditional butter flavors, cheese flavors, kettle corn, and spicy varieties.

Detailed Analysis

The panel of three professional chefs blind taste-tested ten different microwave popcorn brands, evaluating them based on four criteria: Balanced Flavor, Crisp Texture, Inviting Aroma, and Quality Pop. The brands included Act II Butter, Pop Secret Butter, Jolly Time The Big Cheez, Skinnygirl Butter & Sea Salt, Orville Redenbacher’s Butter, Amish Country Butter, Market Pantry Butter, Whole Foods Organic Buttery Flavor, Kirkland Signature Movie Theater Butter, and Act II Hot & Spicy. The overall winner was the Kirkland Signature Movie Theater Butter ($16.99), praised for its balanced flavor, natural taste, and excellent texture, despite being the most expensive. The runners-up generally scored well on texture and natural flavor. The Jolly Time The Big Cheez ($2.66) was criticized for its artificial cheese flavor and poor kernel quality. The Orville Redenbacher’s Kettle Corn ($4.99) was penalized for using artificial sweeteners (sucralose) instead of real sugar. The Act II Hot & Spicy ($3.69) was ranked last due to its overwhelming, artificial red coloring and intense heat from Carolina Reaper pepper, which one judge felt was designed to trick consumers. Several brands used artificial butter flavorings, which was generally noted as a negative attribute. The AMC Theatres Classic Butter was praised for its authentic movie theater flavor profile, while the least favorite was the Act II Hot & Spicy.