Prima Popcorn Maker

Author's product rating:   

Performance

Excellent

Advantages:	Healthier, good value for money, clean and safe .
Disadvantages:	The popcorn goes EVERYWHERE !

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

On my birthday last year, as well as lots of great presents, my parents let me have all my friends round for a sleepover! I was so excited, and straight away, my best friend and I began to plan everything. We went shopping and bought food, rented some films, and invited all our close friends over.

My parents left us alone for the evening while they went to see a film. But as my friends were arriving, we noticed a mysterious package on the kitchen table. The gift tag read “To Karen and her friends”. We waited until everyone had arrived, before we all sat nervously round the table, trying to guess what it might be. It was a sort of tall, box-like package, and, when shaken, sounded like it had lots of bits in it! We were completely stumped, until someone had the ‘bright idea’ of opening the gift.

As it was my birthday, the others agreed that I could open it. I carefully tore off the pink wrapping paper, and we all gasped when we saw what was revealed!
You probably knew already what it was, from looking at the product this opinion is about. Yes, it was a popcorn maker. I had never heard of one of these before, but I was informed that it’s basically a machine where you pour in popcorn seeds, and it turns them into popcorn!

*Packaging and Design*

The packaging wasn’t very colourful and interesting. I wouldn’t have caught my eye if I had been walking past it in a busy shop. The popcorn maker I got was a Prima Hot Air Popcorn Maker. It came in a white cuboid box, with a picture of the machine on the side, spilling popcorn out of its chute.

We tipped out the contents on to the kitchen table. Each part of the popcorn maker was individually wrapped, to ensure hygiene. (You should have all these parts. If you’re missing something, take your popcorn maker back to the shop it was purchased from with your warranty, and you’ll be able to claim another one.)

‘Popping Chamber’

Doesn’t it sound like some sort of medieval torture?! The first part was the main body of the machine. It was a white plastic cuboid shape, with a black plastic lining on the top, and the Prima logo was printed in red on the side. There was a cylindrical hole, which was lined with metal. (This is the part that cooks the popcorn.) The main body of the appliance can’t be submerged in water, but as it is made of plastic, it can fortunately be wiped clean after use. The base is rubber, so it won’t slip on a work surface.

‘Top/ Cover/ Hood’

The second part was the chute the the popcorn slides down. It’s clear, orange plastic so it can also be wiped clean after use. It slots on to the black rim of the main, white segment without force, and is very easy to dismantle, although it won’t come apart when you’re using the machine. The chute encloses the top of the machine, so the popcorn is forced out a certain way, and doesn’t fly everywhere. The black rim is cleverly designed so the popcorn spills over it smoothly, and ends up where you want it to be.

‘Measuring Cup’

You may notice that there’s a hole in the top of the plastic chute. The third part of the machine is also clear, orange plastic, and it designed to fill this hole. It’s shaped like a spoon, with a round, deep bowl at the end. There are two hooks at either side, so it can easily slot into the top of the chute. The purpose of the bowl is to measure seeds, and tip them into the popping chamber. The handle on the side enables you to tip it up, but the third part does occasionally come off.

The final part of the machine is a plug and a cord, which can be pushed into the back of the machine easily. The plug should be put in a 220-2230 V socket.

*How to Use the Popcorn Maker*

The box included a set of instructions, and safety pointers. Although it isn’t too hard to figure out, I would definitely advise you read these through before using the machine for the first time. I set the machine up whilst my friend read through these and told me what to do. It only took about 30 seconds to set up the machine, but we checked it was safe before using it. (I will list the safety points later on in this opinion)

You should only put popcorn kernels in the machine. These are available from most fruit and veg shops, health food shops and supermarkets. Unfortunately, no kernels come with the popcorn maker, so if you give it to someone as a gift, I would recommend including a small bag of them!

The important thing to remember is that a small amount of kernels go a long way. If you fill the measuring cup to the top, that should make about 3 litres of popcorn, which will roughly fill 2 large bowls. It’s important to remember not to overfill the machine if you want more than this. Instead, make another batch afterwards. If you do make another batch, you must wait 10 minutes for the machine to cool after 2 consecutive uses.

Do not put in any oil, or butter, or any liquids for that matter. The machine doesn’t need any, which is actually healthier! Great!

We filled the popping chamber, and turned the power on. There was also a switch at the back of the machine which we had to flick before it started to cook the popcorn. When we switched it on, it made a really loud buzzing noise, and the kernels vibrated inside the machine. They began to move round, and within about 20 seconds, the first one had popped! The force of the pop sent it shooting out the machine, and into the bowl we had waiting.

After this, more kernels started to pop. When a few of them built up, they came spilling out the chute, just like the picture on the front of the box! As the seeds began to pop faster and faster, we realised the bowl was filling up fast- and we were running out of time!
We tried to switch bowls, but the popcorn was flying out the machine really quickly! Sometimes, when a kernel popped at the bottom of the popping chamber, it sent hot kernels flying out with it. The kernels are so hot, they can leave tiny burn marks on your skin if they hit you, so be warned!

When the popping died down, I bravely peered down into the machine. There were a few kernels left, but we decided to sacrifice them, and switched off the machine.

All in all, the machine was very efficient, and the popcorn was ready in 3 minutes!

*Care & Cleaning*

-To avoid electrocution, you must always switch the machine off and remove the mains plug from the wall socket before cleaning.

-Only the removable parts (ie: measuring cup and hood) can be submerged in water.

-The rest can be wiped with a soft, damp cloth and a little detergent solution.

Before cleaning, wait 10 minutes for the unit to cool.
When we had finished making our popcorn, we looked around the kitchen. Uh-oh, there were pieces f popcorn everywhere- on the floor, on the work top, and even on top the the shelves! So bear in mind that although the popcorn only takes 3 minutes to make, it takes an additional 3 minutes to clean up!

*Safety*

This part is very important! There are a few simple rules you must follow in order to ensure safety whilst using your popcorn maker. These safeguards are listed in the instruction manual.

-Close adult supervision is necessary when the machine is used by or near children. (Don’t worry, we had my older brother supervising us!)

-Read all instructions before using the popcorn maker.

-Keep children away from the popcorn chute when in operation as there may be hot kernels that bounce out of the collection bowl when the corn first starts to pop

-Never leave the unit unattended when in use

-To prevent the risk of electric shock do not put unit in water or other liquid

-Never overfill the popping chamber

-Never put oil, water, flavourings, etc. in the popping chamber. Use only popping corn.

-Unplug from outlet when not in use, before putting on or taking off parts and before cleaning.

-Do not operate the popcorn maker with a damaged cord or plug in after the appliance malfunctions, is dropped, or is damaged in any manner.

-The use of attachments not recommended or sold by the manufacturer may result in fire, electric shock, or injury.

-Do no use outdoors.

-Do not let the cord hang over the edge of the table or work top, or touch any hot surfaces.

-Do not use for other than intended use.

The safety rules are pretty obvious, but you must abide by them for your own safety!

*Flavourings*

When your popcorn is made, there are lots of different toppings you can make. The most common are salt, sugar or melted butter. The only problem with this popcorn is that, because it isn’t cooked in oil, the salt and sugar don’t stick to it very well.

I have scoured the web for some toppings, so here are my favourites! I’ve tried them all (purely for research purposes, obviously!) and I thought they were all delicious! Here are my favourites.

Chocolate

100g plain chocolate
2 tbsp butter
3tbsp golden syrup

Break the chocolate into small pieces and place into a large pan with the butter and syrup. When all the chocolate has melted, bring the mixture to the boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat, and add the popcorn. Stir gently until all the popcorn is coated evenly with the mixture. Allow to cool, and serve. (Eat the same day)

Popcorn Desert

25g smooth peanut butter
2 tbsp golden syrup
2-3 tbsp double cream
Ice cream
Chocolate sugar strands

Put the syrup and peanut butter in a large pan and heat, stirring continuously until the peanut butter has melted. bring to the boil and simmer for 1 minute, then stir in the cream. Cook for another 30 seconds or so, then remove from the heat. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then add the popcorn and stir gently, coating it evenly with the mixture. Place scoops of ice cream in bowls, and top with the popcorn. Sprinkle with chocolate sugar strands.
(This one isn’t ideal for munching whilst watching TV, but it’s lovely as a desert!)

Cheese

75g crumbled cheese (The type is up to you. I tried cheddar, and it tasted great!)
3 tbsp créme fraîche
2 celery sticks (finely chopped)
1 small onion (peeled and grated)
50g walnuts (finely chopped)

Place the cheese and créme fraîche in a large pan. Heat gently until the cheese melts. Stir in the onion and celery, and continue cooking for a further 1-2 minutes. Stir in the walnuts and remove from the heat. Add the popcorn, and stir gently until it ‘s evenly coated. Serve.

You have to be brave to try this one, but it tastes lovely, trust me!

*Warranty*

“Your popcorn maker is guaranteed for 12 months fro the date of purchase, if it’s used for domestic purposes. For commercial use, it’s only guaranteed for 90 days.
The guarantee is valid against mechanical or electrical defects if the product is used in accordance with the instructions and provided that it is not connected to an unsuitable electricity supply or dismantled, interfered with or damaged in any way.”

There is a warranty for the popcorn maker included in the box, which you should definitely keep. The warranty should be taken with the popcorn maker, should you need a replacement.
The warranty shouldn’t be sent to the company, Prima, but should you need to contact them, the snail mail address is-

The Prima International Group L.T.D
4 Elland Road Ind. Park,
Elland Way,
LEEDS LS11 OEY.
United Kingdom

The web address is www.prima-international.com
Here, there is a link that you can use to contact the company via e-mail.

*Other Models*

As I mentioned before, the model I have is a Prima Hot Air Popcorn Maker. However, Prima also manufacture 2 other models of popcorn maker.

*The Prima Duck Popcorn Maker*
Shaped like a duck, this model is more attractive, and more appealing to children.
The Prima Duck Popcorn Maker...
-Makes delicious popcorn in minutes
-Requires no oil
-Is Easy to Use
-Is Easy to Clean
-Includes a detailed user guide with flavouring tips
-Uses 970 Watts

*The Prima Hot Air Popcorn Maker WITH Collecting Bowl*

This model is exactly the same as the model I had described in detail, except-
*It includes a popcorn collecting bow!

***

Since my birthday last year, I have found the popcorn maker to be extremely useful. Unfortunately, I don’t know the exact price of the popcorn maker, (as it was a gift) but I know it was around £15. I think that this price is very good value, as you only really have to pay for kernels, which aren’t expensive. The popcorn produced is therefore much cheaper, and also much healthier, than popcorn made in a saucepan or in a microwave. The machine is guaranteed for a year, should anything go wrong, and is easy to clean. They also make great presents, as there are 3 (almost) unique models to choose from.

Every kitchen should have one!!

Karen