(Pocket-lint) – There are few pleasures in life that can match snuggling up to watch a great movie with a big bowl of freshly-made hot popcorn, whether you’re having it plain, buttered or with any number of other flavour options. 

• Best ice cream maker: Make ice cream and gelato at home without hassle

It can elevate the home theatre experience massively, but many people don’t realise how easy it can be to make your own superb popcorn. Instead of faffing around with pots and pans, these great popcorn makers do all the hard work for you – check out some of the very best options right here. 

Our guide to the best popcorn maker to buy today

Presto Poplite

squirrel_widget_4559371

This popcorn maker has an unusual shape that makes a lot of sense once you start using it – it funnels its popped kernels right into your bowl, which is really handy.

It’s also nice and small, and you don’t need a microwave or anything to make it work, so it really does feel a bit like being served up a box of popcorn at the theatre. Best of all, it has a little scoop that you can use both to measure your kernels and melt butter for them while they pop. 

The Original Popco Silicone Microwave Popcorn Popper

squirrel_widget_4559389

For a simple approach that’s tried and tested, and provided you have a microwave, you could instead opt for this bowl from Popco, which is collapsible for easy storage. 

You just pop it out, add your kernels to the obvious well inside, and stick the bowl in the microwave. A few minutes later you’ll have easy popcorn to devour. For sheer simplicity, this is a winner, and its price is also a boon.

Ecolution Original Microwave Micro-Pop Popcorn Popper

squirrel_widget_4559425

We love the fun design of this popcorn maker, which looks like something Winnie the Pooh would get his honey out of. It also makes it dead easy to pour out your popcorn when it’s ready, though.

It’s got a handy measuring tool for adding your kernels and is designed to let kernels pop evenly without burning, and works like a dream in any microwave. That handle makes it really easy to move around without burning your fingers, too.

The Original Hotpop Microwave Popcorn Popper

squirrel_widget_4559452

Another bowl-type maker, this time from Hotpop, what sets this one apart from the earlier option is just how many colours there are for you to choose from – 17, in fact!

That means that you can have multiple for different people in your family, and colour code them accordingly, and the bowl is affordable enough to make that doable. Plus, it works just like you’d hope, for easy microwave popcorn whenever you like. 

West Bend Stir Crazy

squirrel_widget_4559479

For something a little more involved, you could consider this machine from West Bend has a built-in mixer that keeps kernels moving around as it heats them.

This makes for evenly popped loads of popcorn that are deliciously cooked, and it also means you don’t need a microwave or anything, as it works independently. That does also mean that it is a lot pricier than most of the others, though, so keep an eye out for reductions.

Original Salbree Microwave Popcorn Popper

squirrel_widget_4559506

Our final choice again returns to the simple bowl design for easy microwave popcorn. As with the others, there’s a collapsible design for storage, and it too has loads of colours to pick from.

It’s slightly pricier than the other bowls we’ve got, but is still great for a quick popcorn-making whirl, and has a handy lid that helps keep everything cooking evenly.

Writing by Max Freeman-Mills. Editing by Dan Grabham.