If you’ve ever made popcorn, you would know how easily the aroma of fresh popcorn spreads around the entire house. And oh boy, it’s irresistible! You think you’re going to stop after a fistful, but you don’t realize how quickly you’ve reached the end of the tub.
We picked and tried three popular brands of microwavable butter popcorn to test them for their taste, texture and butteriness. Amongst Act II, 4700 BC and American Garden, Team Mishry chose Act II as one of the best microwave butter popcorn brands in India. Why? Let’s read on.
Get set, POP!
Table of Contents
Microwave Butter Popcorn Brands in India – Our Contenders
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Top Pick
Reviewed
Reviewed
Microwave Butter Popcorn Brands in India – What You Need To Know
Here is all that you need to know about microwave butter popcorn brands in India.
1. Available Variants
Microwavable popcorn is available in multiple flavors. Some classic, some eclectic like peri peri, pani puri and even chaat masala. Most common flavors available are – Natural, Butter, Extra butter and Classic Salted.
2. Available Sizes
Microwavable popcorn come in sealed envelope-like packs which can hold about 80-100 grams of the total content.
3. Price Range
A single microwave popcorn bag can be priced between Rs 70/- to Rs 80/-.
4. Shelf Life
On an average, microwave popcorn has a shelf life of 12 months. Some brands may have an extended shelf life of 24 months.
Act II’s Sweet Pani Puri Popcorn are YUM! Have you tried them?
Microwave Butter Popcorn Brands in India – Our Review Factors
Our review was divided into two stages –
- Visual inspection + Cooking
- Taste test
During the visual inspection stage we compared all the brands for their price, packaging, ingredient list, and cooking instructions. We also noticed how quickly and uniformly the corn kernels have popped in the microwave.
Our taste test was a simple one. We tasted all three brands multiple times, individually and side by side to select the tastiest, most buttery popcorn.
Our review parameters are as follows –
1. Packaging
How well are the popcorns packed? Any greasy leakages?
2. Main Ingredients
What are the ingredients used to add the butteriness to the popcorn? Real butter or just artificial flavoring? Any added colors? If yes, are they natural or artificial?
What is beta carotene and what is it doing in my microwave popcorn? Beta-carotene is a carotenoid that gives vegetables its natural yellow-orange color. Found in abundance in carrots, these could be extracted from them in theory. But most commercially available beta carotene is synthetically manufactured but is nature identical. It provides a yellowish-orange color to food and beverages.
3. Taste
Three major sub-headings under this : butteriness, taste and freshness of the popped corn kernel and seasoning level. All three are contributing factors to understand the overall experience of eating a tub of buttery popcorn at home.
4. Texture
No one, and we mean it – NO ONE likes stale, ‘soggy’ popcorn. So when we say the texture of popcorn, we mean the crunch when we eat them along with the greasiness and/or buttery touch. Both these aspects are extremely important to gauge.
5. Size of the Kernel/Corn
How well has the kernel popped? Is the popped kernel large or small? Has it reached its full potential in the mentioned cooking time-span?
Microwave Butter Popcorn Brands – Detailed Review
Here is a tabular comparison of all the brands of butter microwave popcorn we reviewed.
| Microwave Popcorn | Buy Now |
| Act II | Add To Cart |
| 4700 BC | Add To Cart |
| American Garden | – |
1. Act II Microwave Popcorn – Mishry Top Pick
Act II has become a household name in India when it comes to microwave popcorn. This has the greasiest packaging and the buttery, greasy liquid is oozing out from the pack through the plastic cover.
We opened the pack and let them pop for 5 minutes, the popping sound started after 2 minutes. The aroma is reminiscent of a freshly made batch of popcorn in a cinema hall. They have a light yellow color.
Coming to the most important aspect – taste. From salt levels to the buttery flavor, Act II does it best amongst all the contenders. The crunch is also the most pronounced.
Features
- Act II’s 99 gram pack of butter popcorn is priced at Rs 70/-.
- The shelf life is 12 months.
- Ingredients – Popping corn , Edible vegetable fat, Iodised salt, Table butter, Beta carotene.
- Contains permitted natural color [160(i)] and added flavour (natural flavouring substances)
- Trans Fat Free. Total trans fat not more than 0 percent by weight. Total saturated fat not more than 12 percent by weight.
Pros
- The popcorn is crunchy.
- Evenly popped kernels!
- The buttery flavor is spot on.
- We liked the balanced seasoning.
- Uses table butter.
Cons
- The pack of popcorn we received had leaked and was very greasy.
Best Suited For
A movie night or a binge worthy series needs a perfect snack. Act II Butter Popcorn is your best friend.
2. 4700 BC Butter Popcorn
The popcorn was fully popped within 3 minutes. The packaging is secure and hasn’t leaked from anywhere. These were neither greasy, nor dry. The crunch of the popcorn was a bit lower than our winner.
The reason why 4700 BC Popcorn did not win was because of the low salt levels and lack of the butteriness we were looking for.
Features
- 4700 BC 85 gram pack of butter popcorn is priced at Rs 75/-.
- The shelf life is 12 months.
- Ingredients – Popping corn (70%), Edible veg fat, Iodised salt, Butter (0.3%), Beta carotene, Rosemary extract (INS 392)
- Produced in a kitchen that also processes nuts and soya. Contains milk products.
- Whole grain, non-gmo, gluten free, cholesterol free.
Pros
- The packaging is secure and does not leak.
- All the kernels popped well.
- It uses actual butter.
Cons
- Lacks a pronounced crunch.
- The buttery flavor was much lower than our Top Pick.
- Uneven seasoning on the popcorn led to a lower overall experience.
3. American Garden Lite Popcorn
American Garden’s packaging is the best amongst all three. It took less than 3 minutes to fully pop the kernels. The reason this did not win was because the popcorn is unevenly seasoned and low on butteriness in a comparative situation. And yet, it has a peculiar oily aftertaste. This was least liked by our reviewers.
Features
- A 240 gram pack of butter popcorn is priced at Rs 240/-. This box contains 3 bags of 80 grams each.
- The shelf life is 24 months.
- Ingredients – Corn, Palm oil, Salt, Emulsifier, Soy lecithin (322), Color, Beta carotene (160(ii))
- Store in a cool dry place.
- May contain milk and soy. Store in a cool dry place.
- Contains permitted natural color and added natural and artificial flavour (Butter).
Pros
- The packaging is secure and does not leak.
- All the kernels popped well.
Cons
- It lacks a pronounced crunch and butteriness.
- The seasoning is not even.
- It doesn’t contain any natural butter.
Our Top Picks & Recommendations
Why did we choose Act II as our Top Pick?
Popcorn is supposed to be light, crunchy and buttery. If it’s not all that, the whole experience of eating a tub of popcorn is lowered. We chose Act II Popcorn as our Top Pick because it is well seasoned, most buttery, and perfectly popped kernels.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some interesting FAQs on Indian microwave butter popcorn brands.
1. Is consuming butter popcorn healthy?
While popcorn, by itself, is a healthy snack, butter popcorn is best consumed in moderation.
2. Is this food item gluten free?
Yes. Popcorn is naturally gluten free.
3. Do these popcorns contain additional spices?
No. All of the above mentioned brands contain salt and butter/ butter flavoring.
4. Can these popcorns be cooked in a pressure cooker too?
No. Microwave popcorn is meant to be popped in a microwave only. There is a separate category for popcorn that can be made in a pressure cooker.
Final Words
If butter popcorn is your choice of snack on a lazy movie night at home, we recommend Act II Microwave Popcorn. Act II emerged as our Top Pick. It is the best tasting, most well-seasoned, buttery popcorn.
Do you like butter, salted, cheese or caramel popcorn?
* If you do agree with our review, please give it a thumbs up! And, tell us which one is your favorite from this list. If you don’t, please tell us why!
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* Our reviews are unbiased and all samples used during the reviews were paid for by us. Read our entire ethics statement here.
* No part of this review is sponsored by any brand. All expenses were borne by us.