If you’re considering a popcorn machine for your home theater, you’ve no doubt noticed that there’s a huge variety of popcorn poppers available. It’s important to choose the one that’s right for your needs. To make the best choice, you might find it useful to think about some of the following factors.

Price
This is the most obvious factor when making any purchase, and popcorn poppers are no exception! It’s important to bear in mind that the least expensive machine may not be the machine that’s best for you. This device will be making popcorn for you and your guests for a long time, so it’s best to find a compromise between cost and quality, and make sure you don’t regret passing up a popper that’s a little better!

Kettle Size
You’ll notice that popcorn machines are available with a range of kettle sizes, from 4oz machines all the way up to 16oz. This is the amount of unpopped popcorn kernels the kettle can pop in one go. 1oz of unpopped popcorn makes roughly 2.5 cups of popped popcorn, so a 4oz kettle will make 10 cups per batch, and a 16oz kettle will make 40 cups! A 4oz or 6oz kettle is ideal for many home theater owners. If you’re going to be making popcorn for a large family or a business, however, you may wish to consider a popper with one of the larger kettles.

Features
Popcorn poppers come with a variety of features, which may or may not be something you want in a popper. Some have their own lighting, and many feature doors, carts, or cabinets for oil and other popcorn supplies . A warming deck can keep popcorn warm until it’s ready to be enjoyed, which is a good thing when you’re hosting events. Kernel drawers, anodized non-stick kettles, push-button oil dispensers and popcorn supply storage are just a few of the many useful features to consider.

Style
Last but certainly not least, poppers come in a wide variety of designs. Whether your home theater has a classic or contemporary feel, there’s a popcorn popper that fits your decor perfectly. Your popcorn machine will be a very visible part of the room, so consider how its colors and design will fit in. Style matters!