If you want an excellent commercial quality taste for homemade popcorn, you must use the right popcorn oil. And remember, using gourmet oil doesn’t necessarily guarantee health benefits. We urge you to use any of our three best popcorn oil selections. Keep in mind that they’re designed explicitly for popcorn.
For example, canola and sunflower oil contain high levels of linoleic acid. This is known to cause stomach irritations and inflammation. Meanwhile, avocado oil is hard to find, expensive, and unsuitable for popcorn. Now dozens of popcorn oil brands are out there at any given time. So we created a list of the top popcorn oil brands this year.
Initially, we went to the best-seller lists of Amazon and a couple of other popular shopping networks for this category. And after knowing the most popular options today, we asked around. We asked for the feedback and suggestions of our friends, loved ones, and fellow homemade popcorn lovers. We even gave away surveys across social groups and Web communities, where we frequently hang out to discuss food and cooking-related stuff.
Of course, our next step to finalize our list of the top 3 popcorn oil brands this 2021 was to test each of our shortlisted products. We were down to the 20 best-rated popcorn oil options, but this still took a lot of time and effort. And here’s a summary of our extensive research, field surveys, thorough tests, and careful evaluations:
Best Popcorn Oil Reviews
| Image | Popcorn Oil | Rating |
|---|---|---|
 | #1 - Snappy Butter Burst Popcorn Oil
| 99% |
 | #2 - Dutchman’s Popcorn Coconut Oil Butter Flavored Oil
| 96% |
 | #3 - Orville Redenbacher’s Popping & Topping Buttery Flavored Oil
| 95% |
We love these three popcorn oil brands. To learn why, go to our comprehensive reviews below. And to get the best prices on Amazon, just hit the yellow button!
#1 – Snappy Butter Burst Popcorn Oil
Using this product can result in rich, tasty, flavorful popcorn. Many of our peers claim that this brand is the number 1 popcorn oil used by the top movie theaters across the USA. You don’t need to melt this product before cooking your popcorn. This means you can quickly pour it at room temperature into the kernels before popping them. This ensures you can have the best movie theater-quality popcorn anytime. Just make a bowl, sit back, and relax.
[wps_tabs style=”standard” active=”1″ vertical=”no”][wps_tab title=’SPECIFICATIONS’ disabled=’no’ target=’self’ ] [wps_lists icon=”gears” icon_color=”#4285bf”]- Shipping weight is over 7.9 lbs.;
- It comes in a giant plastic jug;
- Each jug contains over 1 gallon of pure buttery popcorn oil;
- It just has a little over 120 calories; and
- This popcorn oil is made in the USA.
- It contains beta carotene, which gives the product its lovely golden color;
- No added preservatives, no artificial flavors; and
- No melting is required, unlike other types of popcorn oil.
#2 – Dutchman’s Popcorn Coconut Oil Butter Flavored Oil
This brand is pretty much the healthiest one on our list. You can melt this healthy coconut oil-based product in your pan without the risk of smoking or burning both popped and unpopped kernels. The product is very versatile, and there’s an excellent reason why many popcorn fans tend to choose this brand to make buttery and healthy popcorn and various other recipes. Popcorn made with Dutchman’s coconut popcorn oil produces a tasty, buttery flavor and aroma, similar to commercial popcorn served in theaters.
[wps_tabs style=”standard” active=”1″ vertical=”no”][wps_tab title=’SPECIFICATIONS’ disabled=’no’ target=’self’ ] [wps_lists icon=”gears” icon_color=”#4285bf”]- Has a melting point of over 76°F (or 24°C);
- Holds 30 ounces of solid coconut popcorn oil in each jar;
- It comes in a beautifully-crafted glass jar with an excellent label; and
- The shipping weight is 2 lbs.
- Suitable for vegans and vegetarians because of its organic content;
- Contains zero trans-fats and no added preservatives;
- Non-hydrogenated;
- Very versatile and can be used for other dishes; and
- Its bright orange coloring comes from beta-carotene.
#3 – Orville Redenbacher’s Popping & Topping Buttery Flavored Oil
This product comes from one of the biggest names in popcorn-making, Orville Redenbacher. Naturally, their popcorn oil goes very well with their signature popcorn or even the microwavable popcorn if you want some additional flavored butter. Aside from mixing it with the unpopped kernels, this product can also be used as a butter topping for popped, unflavored popcorn with a dash of salt.
[wps_tabs style=”standard” active=”1″ vertical=”no”][wps_tab title=’SPECIFICATIONS’ disabled=’no’ target=’self’ ] [wps_lists icon=”gears” icon_color=”#4285bf”]- It comes in an elegant Tabasco sauce-like bottle;
- Each bottle holds around 16 fluid ounces of pure popcorn oil;
- You can buy it individually or in a pack of 6;
- Keto-friendly; and
- Zero percent trans-fat.
- The organic flavoring integrated into this product gives your popcorn a delicious movie theater-like quality;
- Works well with stove-top popcorn, hot air-popped popcorn, and even microwavable popcorn; and
- The product also helps pop previously unpopped kernels, should you give them another shot.
Popcorn Oil Buyer’s Guide
While finalizing our three best popcorn oil brand selections for the year, we decided to look at several integral factors. This includes price, taste, ingredients, and health benefits. Now our testers had differing opinions regarding the best popcorn oil, all thanks to the factors below. So keep these things in mind as you take a closer look at our top 3 popcorn oil brand recommendations:
What Makes Popcorn Oil Suitable for Your Exact Needs?
- Look at expansion rate — When it comes to popcorn, the expansion rate refers to the number of popcorn servings you can make from many unpopped kernels. For example, if a cup of popcorn kernels has an expansion rate of 38%, it can make at least 38 cups. So the bigger its expansion rate, the more popcorn it can produce;
- Moisture content — Each kernel should contain a moisture content of 13 to 14.5%. Even though popcorn kernels that don’t have enough moisture won’t pop fully and remain as an unpopped kernel, ones that do will have a chewy texture;
- The size of your popcorn kernels also matters — If you want to know the size of your popcorn kernels, then you can measure over 10 grams of popcorn and the number of kernels you include. You may be surprised that the bigger the number of kernels included, the lesser the size will be. So remember, the kernels don’t influence just how big the popcorn will pop once it’s cooking;
- The color of the kernel is also essential — Each popcorn kernel color will produce a different result. There are differences when it comes to texture, color, and size. White kernels have a neutral flavor, while yellow ones have a nuttier taste. Rarer variants include red kernels, which have a lighter taste, and blue kernels, which have a tender flake (both of them pop white); and
- Using healthy oil doesn’t always yield healthy popcorn — For instance, canola oil contains GMO ingredients and has a high amount of linoleic acid. Too much of that can cause inflammation in your stomach. Sunflower oil is also high in linoleic acid. On the other hand, avocado oil is tough to find and expensive, while olive oil also has its set of disadvantages when cooking popcorn.
Popcorn Oil FAQs
How come my popcorn doesn’t pop?
The reason why not all popcorn kernels pop is either because they’re too wet or when They’re way too dry. Remember, popcorn starts popping when the moisture inside the kernel heats up and transforms into steam. An unpopped kernel usually means that there’s not much moisture in it. If you have way too many unpopped kernels in your bag of popcorn, then we recommend you to try and put all of them in a jar with a bit of water, let it sit for a whole day, and try popping them again.
Can you substitute coconut oil for regular popcorn oil?
Yes, and it’s also a healthier alternative. You’re getting the best of both worlds when you use coconut oil for popping popcorn. Coconut oil doesn’t add any weird coconutty aftertaste to your popcorn. So this means you can still add cheese, spices, maple syrup, salt, etc. And the flavor won’t be affected. The other reason coconut oil is a great popcorn oil replacement is that it has the right kind of smoking point, which is essential for popping. Also, when coconut oil is heated to over 450°F, it won’t start smoking.
What’s so harmful about popcorn oil smoke while it’s cooking?
When popcorn oil starts to smoke, this means that it’s starting to break down a bit. Heating popcorn too high and letting it reach past the smoking point can be harmful to your heart and bloodstream once you ingest it. Aside from coconut oil, canola oil —considered healthier — has a lower smoking point and can break down quickly when you heat the popcorn. The main point is not to allow the oil to smoke too much.
Is microwavable popcorn healthy?
Unfortunately, no. The bag of microwavable popcorn is lined with a toxin known as perfluorooctanoic acid, which is also commonly found on the surface of Teflon pans. When this acid heats up, it’s known to cause cancer and infertility. The popcorn isn’t that better either, as microwavable popcorn includes lots of preservatives, salt, and artificial colors and flavors. Overeating microwavable popcorn can give you a condition known as “popcorn lung,” leading to a rare yet fatal lung disease called bronchiolitis obliterans.