Nothing screams an epic cinema experience like a big tub of freshly made popcorn, but for days when you couldn’t be bothered to put pants on to watch a movie at the cinema, microwave popcorn and a movie at home will do!
Out of a packet and ready in under two and a half minutes, it’s the ultimate convenience, and nothing beats the smell of freshly popped popcorn, especially when you let the microwave do all the hard work!
But with so many brands offering such a classic comfort food item as salted microwave popcorn, are there any brands that really stand out?
To see which brands take that salted pop to the next level, we gathered our trusty tasting panel and set out to see if there were any noticeable differences (other than from a price and packaging perspective) between six different salted microwave popcorn brands. We also looked to determine which brand has the best-salted microwave popcorn offering on the South African market.
While the results were pretty close, there were clear differences when it came to the saltiness of each brand, with each individual’s salt preference and tolerance being a real deciding factor that came heavily into play when it came to seeing which brand “popped” out ahead of the rest.
Results:
POPZ 3/5
POPZ “theatre-style popcorn” was the microwaved batch that popped ahead of the rest, scoring the highest in the taste test! This batch was crisp and salted, and left the tasters dreaming of a popcorn-filled cinema aroma!
This is what the tasters had to say: “I like the saltiness. No complaints about this one,” and “The perfect level of salt for me! Nice aroma and colour as well,” and lastly, “Delicious!”
Cost: R44.99 for a 3 pack
Jumpin Jack 2.5/5
The only packaging that deviated from the blue hues was Jumpin Jack. Well known for their gourmet flavours and already popped packets of gourmet seasoned popcorn, we tried their classic salted microwave popcorn offering.
This sample had the tasters divided. Some enjoyed it while others thought it was a bit on the oily side and weren’t happy with the amount of salt.
Here’s what they had to say: “It was fresh but the saltiness was inconsistent. Some mouthfuls were under-salted and others were saltier,” and “Jumping Jack? Not bad, but has a slightly oily feel on the tongue,” with others noting, “A touch too salty for me (pity), but I like the crunch factor and the kernels look uniform and well popped.”
Cost: R16.99
ACT II 2.5/5
The popular American brand fared well, but also left the tasters somewhat divided. Tasters felt that, although it was fresh and crisp, it lacked a bit on the salted front and was a touch too oily, which affected the overall score.
Tasters noted: “Not salted enough,” and “Still not salty enough for my taste but light and fresh,” while one taster really enjoyed the sample and noted, “This one makes me feel like I’m at the movies!”
Cost: R16.49
Pick n Pay 2/5
Tasters felt this sample was on the oily side and the flavour was a little flat overall. Tasters left comments like, “Tasted oily and left an oily film on the palate. Not my fave,” and “It was so-so in terms of flavour.”
Cost: R14.99
Woolworths 2/5
Tasters felt that, although this sample had some nice crunch and texture to it, it lacked salt which ultimately affected the scores.
Tasters noted: “I like the texture of this one (nice bite), but it is very bland,” and “No salt,” and lastly, “Not enthralled but would do the job for a bad romcom with a hot-enough date.”
Cost: R57.99 for a 3 pack
Tait’s 2/5
This sample was praised for being light and airy but lost a few points because samplers felt it lacked salt and therefore fell a bit flat on the flavour front.
Tasters left comments like, “This one wasn’t salted enough for me, but the sample is light and airy,” and “Sooooo frugal with the salt!” One taster even noted, “A vegan version of popcorn,” which is particularly interesting as the package boasts to being vegan-friendly!
Cost: R14.99
Please note: prices were correct at time of publishing
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The rules of Food24 Taste Tests:
– All tasters tasted and scored all samples. Each individual taster’s preference impacts the score they give.
– The samples were tested without packaging and were not easily identifiable.
– The samples were not labelled and were tasted in random order.
– This article is not sponsored in any way, and Food24 was not paid to come to any particular result.
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