Presto Showtime Gourmet Oil Popcorn Popper

Curated from 183 real Reddit conversations

Refreshed on: April 21, 2025

Presto Showtime Gourmet Oil Popcorn Popper

Brand: Presto

Price: $29

Snoop Score:

6.5

Sentiment

7.5

Popularity

8.6

Technical

5.3

Buy on Amazon for $29 See All Popcorn Poppers Reviews

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Snoop's Take

The Presto 05206 Showtime Gourmet Oil Popcorn Popper is designed to create delicious, flavorful popcorn using oil, ensuring minimal unpopped kernels. Users have praised its performance, noting that it pops nearly all kernels effectively: "Nothing burnt, maybe 3-5 kernels not popped at the bottom." Many appreciate its user-friendly design and convenience, highlighting features like the built-in serving bowl and easy operation, making it a favorite for home entertainment. Despite some criticisms regarding the butter melting tray and occasional unpopped kernels being flung out, the overall sentiment is overwhelmingly positive, with comments such as "It works great" and "We use it all the time." Users have expressed satisfaction with the popcorn quality, describing it as both crispy and flavorful. Given the reliable performance and ease of use reported by long-term users, this popcorn popper is highly recommended for anyone looking for an efficient way to enjoy gourmet popcorn at home.

Not for you? Check out our other rated Popcorn Poppers

Nothing burnt, maybe 3-5 kernels not popped at the bottom.
Positive Feedback

I bought one recently and it flung a lot of unpopped kernels out of the machine ricocheting off the bowl and into the kitchen.
Negative Feedback

6.5

Presto Showtime Gourmet Oil Popcorn Popper

Buy on Amazon for $29

Movie Night at Home

8 / 10

Healthier Snacking

5 / 10

Small Kitchens & Dorm Rooms

2 / 10

Gifts & Entertaining

8 / 10

See how this compares to all Popcorn Poppers

What it does well!

Key strengths users can’t stop talking about.

Pops nearly all kernels effectively

“Nothing burnt, maybe 3-5 kernels not popped at the bottom.”➕

“+1 for Presto Poplite! We use this weekly for 8 years now. Maybe 2-8 kernels to unpopped total but otherwise beautiful.”➕

“It’s been going strong ever since and pops all but one or two kernels every time.”➕

“I still makes excellent popcorn “)”➕

Convenient and easy to use

“They work like a champ”➕

“Perfect popcorn @ home”➕

“Put the butter in the top of the lid to melt”➕

“College popcorn in the early 80s”➕

Produces flavorful popcorn

“Salted with a bit of butter though, I find it fantastic.”➕

“My best friend growing up had one of these Presto popcorn poppers, and cable TV- I loved spending the night over there! (1979)”➕

“That was its best feature. The popcorn was dry.”➕

“Made yummy popcorn to have when we watched The Wonderful World of Disney on the TV on Sunday nights.”➕

Convenient and user-friendly design

“There’s a little tray somewhere you can put in butter and it will melt.”➕

“We use it all the time”➕

“I want a one and done. So these two seem to be the best rated so far.”➕

Reliable performance over time

“I have been using it regularly for 6 years or so.”➕

“Gets used a few times a month. Still works perfect.”➕

“It is super simple, not even a power switch, so I guess that's less that can go wrong.”➕

User-friendly design with no electronics to fail

“so there's no electronics to fail”➕

Good popcorn quality

“Good popcorn though!”➕

“It works great.”➕

Produces great-tasting popcorn

“I have a Presto Poplíte and it has made tons of great popcorn for me.”➕

Where it needs some work!

Areas to watch—feedback on possible improvements.

Tends to fling unpopped kernels

“I bought one recently and it flung a lot of unpopped kernels out of the machine ricocheting off the bowl and into the kitchen.”➕

Less crispy compared to stovetop methods

“It doesn't turn out as crispy as stovetop cooked in oil, it is a downside.”➕

Butter melting tray feature does not work well

“The butter melting tray on every one of those I owned was completely useless.”➕

New models may not pop all kernels effectively

“New ones are too short , blow the unpopped kernels out with the popped ones. Back to the stove top.”➕

Popcorn can taste different than traditional methods

“Had one as a kid. But somehow, the popcorn tasted different.”➕

Butter can make popcorn soggy

“Omg real butter flavor that melted the popcorn into mush”➕

Butter tray feature often missing or ineffective

“Do you still have the butter tray? Every single one of these I saw as a kid was missing the butter tray, and everyone would have some other thing they stuck in the hole like a mashed up aluminum 1/4c.”➕

“Mine is the type that didn’t have the butter tray, I have to melt it on the stove. The butter trays made a mess too.”➕

“The butter just ran down the spout and drenched the kernels underneath it the bowl. Had to keep turning the bowl otherwise you’d get about 20% super greasy shriveled popcorn and the rest with nothing on it.”➕

Compare On All Talked About Dimensions

Product Name	Price	Score	See Details	Buy Now
Tasty Hot Air Popcorn Popper	$17	7.9	Details	Buy
Ecolution Micro-Pop Microwave Popcorn Popper	$19	7.3	Details	Buy
West Bend Stir Crazy Popcorn Machine	$37	7.0	Details	Buy
DASH Hot Air Popcorn Popper Maker	$18	7.0	Details	Buy
PROPER POPPER Microwave Popcorn Maker	$9	7.0	Details	Buy
Vminno Hot Air Popper Popcorn Maker Machine	$39	7.0	Details	Buy
Great Northern Popcorn Stovetop Popcorn Maker	$34	6.7	Details	Buy
Wabash Valley Farms Original Whirley Pop Popcorn Maker	$39	6.6	Details	Buy
Elite Gourmet Fast Hot Air Popcorn Popper	$18	6.6	Details	Buy
Presto Showtime Gourmet Oil Popcorn Popper	$29	6.5	Details	Buy
KORCCI Microwaveable Silicone Popcorn Popper	$8	6.4	Details	Buy
Presto 04821 Orville Redenbacher's Hot Air Popper	$29	6.2	Details	Buy
DASH SmartStore™ Deluxe Stirring Popcorn Maker	$39	6.1	Details	Buy
Presto Poplite Hot Air Popcorn Popper	$30	5.9	Details	Buy
Presto 04811 PopLite My Munch Hot Air Popcorn Popper	$34	5.8	Details	Buy
Nostalgia Vintage Hot-Air Popcorn Maker Machine	$29	5.7	Details	Buy
MiKoSoRu Popcorn Maker	$34	5.6	Details	Buy
VEVOR Commercial Popcorn Machine 8 Oz Kettle	$154	5.5	Details	Buy
Presto Orville Redenbacher's Fountain Hot Air Popper	$39	5.4	Details	Buy
Great Northern Popcorn Perfect Popper Popcorn Machine	$197	4.5	Details	Buy
West Bend Stir Crazy Movie Theater Popcorn Popper	$69	4.5	Details	Buy
Cook N Home 02626 6 Quart Aluminium Stovetop Popcorn Popper	$29	4.1	Details	Buy

Core Power Plays

The specs and strengths that make it shine.

Discussion about butter melting tray

“The tray is that triangular divot at the top, it melts and drips it over the popcorn as it gets pushed out.”➕

Discussion on oil types for optimal popping

“That exact coconut oil. 1/4 cup bobs red mill kernels/ tablespoon of the oil/ 1/2 teaspoon of flavocol. On the stovetop in a pot. Bing. Bang. Boom.”➕

Discussion on other brands' features

“Presto has more and better reviews, but the Dash has an on/off switch.”➕

“I do have to tip it backwards a little bit when the kernels are warming up so they don’t come flying out of the front of it, but overall it does a great job.”➕

Discussion on air-popped popcorn vs oil-popped popcorn

“Microwave popcorn sux.”➕

“Air-popped popcorn tastes so much better.”➕

Hidden Hero Hacks

Unexpected tricks and side‑door uses you’ll love.

Discussion on using rice cookers for popcorn

“Rice cooker = popcorn popper I had to turn it off because I made too much!!!”➕

“I googled just to double check this would be safe in a cheap rice cooker and went for it!”➕

“Yes I’m aware you can do this quite easily on the stove or in a microwave as a few of you have quite snidely pointed out.”➕

Discussion on butter application methods

“Real pros melt the butter in a saucepan and drizzle it over the popcorn when it comes out”➕

Discussion on cooking popcorn methods

“Once you learn this method, you'll never fuck it up again.”➕

““Cook your popcorn how you want, you bitch ass losers” is going to be motto for 2024.”➕

“Adding it to my work email signature with 0 context.”➕

“I think I’m gonna need a lot of popcorn for 2024.”➕

Discussion on alternative uses for popcorn maker

“There was another brand that had a slightly concave Teflon base where the popcorn kernels went but some girls figured out they could take the top off that popcorn maker and use the Teflon base to make pancakes.”➕

Buyer’s Cheat Sheet

What to check before you click ‘Add to Cart.’

Discussion about daily popcorn consumption

“Bro how much popcorn are you eating”➕

“it's really not that much work to pop corn from kernels.”➕

“I could eat jolly times big cheez popcorn for every meal of the week if I could. But fresh homemade popcorn with butter flavored coconut oil is the fucking tits.”➕

“My dad eats a bag of microwaved popcorn every single night and has for years.”➕

Comparison of popcorn types and preferences

“Tastes just like the Cinemark by my home just not warm.”➕

“it makes it sound like Gorman is eating a Dune bucket of popcorn every day.”➕

Comparison of air poppers to stovetop methods

“how do the air poppers compare to stovetop?”➕

Comparison of air poppers and their effectiveness

“which one would you recommend?”➕

Cautionary Callouts

Know the pitfalls before they catch you off guard.

Discussion on air poppers and their effectiveness

“Now, I’ll read promising reviews and try one but they always seem to spit half of the kernels into the bowl unpopped.”➕

“Better than air-popped, crispier, never look back.”➕

“This is the one my mom gave me, probably over ten years ago. It still works great... maybe a little loud.”➕

“The popcorn is light and fluffy and tender. We just add melted butter and salt.”➕

Discussion on air popper vs oil popper flavors

“It’s not the same.”➕

“Tastes pretty much like real movie popcorn.”➕

Discussion on the longevity of the popcorn maker

“What? Seriously?! That’s amazing that the popcorn maker has lasted 50 years!”➕

Safety concerns regarding alternative popcorn methods

“A stovetop is a much better and much safer way to make popcorn.”➕

Concerns about health effects from popcorn

“Also only if you inhale the chemical in question. Ingestion (at normal levels) is deemed harmless.”➕

“My dad worked for 25 years in a paper mill that produced the paper they make microwave popcorn bags out of. I shit you not, the barrels of chemicals they use for the coating are labeled with a big old "WILL CAUSE CANCER" on them.”➕

“That's only for microwave popcorn, thank God”➕

Nostalgic memories related to popcorn

“The full quote from the article is more boring but also way more reasonable”➕

Discussion on longevity of popcorn poppers

“The price, it surprisingly held up longer than expected, but I'm willing to pay more for a new one.”➕

Discussion on nostalgic memories of popcorn poppers

“Presto Popcorn Popper 1980s”➕

Concerns about toxic materials in popcorn makers

“I don't remember anything about it.”➕

Presto Showtime Gourmet Oil Popcorn Popper

Curated from 183 real Reddit conversations

Presto Showtime Gourmet Oil Popcorn Popper

Snoop's Take

Presto Showtime Gourmet Oil Popcorn Popper

Movie Night at Home

Healthier Snacking

Small Kitchens & Dorm Rooms

Gifts & Entertaining

What it does well!

Where it needs some work!

Compare On All Talked About Dimensions

Core Power Plays

Hidden Hero Hacks

Buyer’s Cheat Sheet

Cautionary Callouts

You May Also Like

Explore more Popcorn Poppers

Explore more Categories