The Hands-Down Best Microwave Popcorn Brands On Store Shelves

Looking for a hit snack for your next family movie night? Microwave popcorn lets you bring the tastes of the big screen to your home in just a few minutes. Just pop a bag, which often includes flavorings like butter and salt, in the microwave for around two minutes to get a light, airy snack. Whether you opt to keep it as is, slather it with your own melted butter, or sprinkle some cheese on top, starting with top quality kernels is the most important step. You can even add caramel or candies or use gourmet toppings like truffle oil to transform your popcorn. 

Since every microwave seems to have its own perfect popcorn timing preferences, we can't keep every bag from ending up with a few burnt kernels at the bottom. But we can give you a rundown of the best brands, including pros and cons of each. We tried the most popular ones to find which would get the red-carpet treatment and which we'd rather skip. We stuck with butter flavored popcorn for our comparison to get the best idea of how each one tasted but also mentioned which had other options available as well in case you prefer a sweeter kettle corn or one loaded with as much butter as possible. Taste was a big factor for our list, but so was availability and clear directions since the last thing we wanted was popcorn that left us guessing when it would be done. 

Orville Redenbacher's is one of the most readily available popcorn brands out there, and you can almost always find at least a few options at the grocery store. The Orville Redenbacher's movie theater butter flavored popcorn is appropriately named, since it appeals to many popcorn lovers without being over the top with ingredients or too simple. Each box of six bags costs around $5, but you can get as much as $1 off at some places using a store loyalty card.

It's made with non-GMO corn and is free of artificial coloring or preservatives, which surprised us considering it had extras added in. We were happy to see that real butter was included on the ingredients list and that the coloring comes from annatto, paprika, and turmeric, all of them natural plant-based elements. 

If you like a variety of popcorn options made with similar standards, Orville Redenbacher's is a good choice. The brand starts with the same types of kernels and production process, adding extra butter for the ultimate butter or movie theater versions and sugar to the sweet kettle corn recipe. You can also find mini bags, perfect for younger participants during family movie night or those who just want a smaller helping of popcorn. If you want to doctor your popcorn up even more, pick up a shaker of seasoning salt or some butter oil to pour over top. If it goes on popcorn, chances are that Orville Redenbacher makes a tasty version.

Another option that you can find at numerous grocery stores is Act II butter microwave popcorn. The classic butter flavor comes in boxes of three, six, or 18. The six-count costs around $4, putting it just ahead of the Orville Redenbacher in price, but the 18-pack is the best value if you love this type of popcorn. It has a great taste, is super fluffy, and won't have you longing for popcorn that tastes better at the movie theater. Make sure to use the high-power setting on the microwave for the best results, and add your favorite seasoning blend to really take it up another level.

Act II focuses on butter as its main appeal, just like at the movies, with options ranging from classic butter to butter lovers to xtreme butter. The company doesn't have nearly as many options as some other brands, but there are still enough that you can customize the level of richness that your snack boasts. This is a budget-friendly choice that still has good flavor and poppability. The butter gets well distributed in the popcorn, but if you want to make extra sure that every kernel gets the same treatment, give the bag a little shake before you dump it into a serving bowl to share.

SkinnyPop butter flavored microwave popcorn claims to be a healthier alternative to other brands, but it still offers delicious flavor for a light and airy snack. It's made with GMO-free ingredients, is gluten-free, and doesn't contain any artificial chemicals. But other than a lower saturated fat content, it's not that much different than other brands with similar ingredients. It has a slightly less intense taste and texture than some others, although it's hard to tell unless you are tasting them side by side. We thought it was comparable to the light butter options that we tried from name brands. Popcorn might not be the most nutritious snack out there, but if you want to look for something with a slight edge in the nutrition department, SkinnyPop is a good option.

At more than $5.50 for a pack of six bags, this popcorn is a little bit more expensive than the others on store shelves. It's good, but not better than other cheaper options if you're going on taste alone. If limiting your saturated fat is important, SkinnyPop might be worth the higher cost. It comes in sea salt and butter flavors in the microwavable version, but one of the tastiest options is the SkinnyPop pre-popped white cheddar popcorn, which you can find at the store near the bags of chips. Of course, you can always go with SkinnyPop microwavable bags, which can be stored longer without getting stale, and just add your own white cheddar seasoning.

If you're after the best value, look to store brands to beat the competition almost every time. The store brand from Giant comes in a large box of 12 bags for just $6, one of the cheapest options on our list. Of course, you have to make a special trip to Giant, but if you already shop at this retailer, it's easy to toss a box of microwavable popcorn in your cart along with the rest of your groceries. There aren't nearly as many flavor options as some of the name brands. But if butter is what you're after, Giant's microwave popcorn fits the bill for a budget-friendly price.

It tastes similar to other name brands. We liked the butter flavor, which wasn't overwhelming and worked well with sweet additions like chocolate candies as well as more savory seasoning blends that we added. If you're looking for an ingredient that makes popcorn taste cheesy without the cheese, nutritional yeast is a good option. The Giant brand would be the perfect base popcorn to sprinkle some nutritional yeast over to get a fantastic snack. The next time we're at Giant, we'll likely be swapping out the pricier name brand popcorn in our cart for the Giant store brand.

Another household name when it comes to microwavable popcorn is Pop Secret. You can find this brand at most grocery stores in multiple sizes and flavors, although most focus on butter as the main draw. We went with the Pop Secret classic butter variety, but you can also opt for movie theater butter, extra butter, or double butter. Pop Secret doesn't have a sweeter kettle corn option, however, so make sure that you're ready for a rich, buttery feast if you go with this choice.

This popcorn is free of preservatives and artificial ingredients. It uses rosemary extract for freshness, although you can't taste any herbiness in the popcorn itself. Instead, the butter flavor shines through, along with plenty of salt. 

With a box of six costing as much as $9 or $10, it was one of the priciest options that we saw. You can get a slightly lower price by using a store loyalty card or stocking up during a sale. Overall, it was a nice flavor and very fluffy, but not a standout from other cheaper options. We'd happily enjoy a bowl of Pop Secret but be even happier if we could find it at a discounted price.

Signature Select is Safeway's store brand and a great way to get a top popcorn at a discount price, although it was a bit higher than the sale price of name brands on the same shelf. The box of six bags costs around $5, or you can go with the 12-pack value option for around $8 for movie-themed parties where you want to feed a larger group. Signature Select also comes in a smaller box of three bags, perfect for those who just want enough popcorn for one movie night.

It has a lot of flavors in the microwavable version, including buttery options and sweeter kettle corn. You can also find multiple choices in the bags of kernels and even a pre-popped cheddar and black pepper popcorn.

This is a store brand, so it's best to already be a frequent Safeway shopper if you want to go with this option. It tastes good but isn't one that we'd go out of our way to buy. Make sure to store it in a cool, dry place to avoid having chewy popcorn due to the exposure to moisture. If you want to get your popcorn extra crispy, use the TikTok hack and stick it in the freezer for a bit after popping it.

Jolly Time Blast O Butter Ultimate Theatre Style butter flavored popcorn had an almost overwhelming flavor that drowned out the airiness that we normally love about popcorn. Of course, the perfect amount of butter in your popcorn is a matter of personal preference, so if you like to load it up, this might be the perfect popcorn for you. The Blast O Butter option isn't as buttery as some of the ultimate and extreme versions from other brands, but it still has more than a classic butter. It's made with non-GMO popcorn and real butter, buttermilk, and salt. It also has annatto for coloring and rosemary essence for freshness, two plant-based ingredients. 

If you want to take things to even butterier heights, use this spray bottle hack on your popcorn to add a generous spritz of butter. It also helps you get the melted goodness evenly coating all of the kernels. Give the bowl a generous shaking and multiple spritzes for the best results.

This variety costs just under $8 for a six-pack and can be harder to find, but it has a good taste and pops evenly. It's also one of the only options that has a super cheesy flavor in addition to more common offerings like butter. Jolly Time also has smaller 100-calorie bags for those who want an individual serving or an even simpler version with just butter, salt, and oil for popping in addition to the non-GMO kernels.

It's not surprising that Aldi, with its reputation for budget-friendly options, has some of the best prices around for microwave popcorn. We like the retailer for snacks that won't break the bank, not to mention the ever-changing Aldi Finds section. We've seen special seasonal popcorns in this limited release part of the store, but for this test, we stuck with the classic Clancy's movie theater butter popcorn microwavable bag. This box has 12 bags of popcorn for around $5, which is double the amount for the same price as some of the other brands. When serving popcorn for a crowd or using it as a base for another snack recipe, you can give popcorn the Rice Krispies treatment for a sweet and salty snack that has been our go-to choice on many movie nights.

The downside of Aldi is that, like other store brands, it's only available at one specific store. It also only comes in one flavor, movie theater butter. If you want extra butter or other seasonings, you'll have to purchase and add them separately. There aren't smaller or larger packs, so it really works best for those who specifically need six bags and like butter.

We're frequent Aldi shoppers and are always able to pick up a box of popcorn when we need it, but some Aldi items are harder to keep in stock. If you want to hedge your bets on finding full shelves with popcorn and the best chances of getting goods when they're freshly unpacked, stop by the store in the late morning.

In the world of microwave popcorn for those who want to go organic, Newman's Own organic popcorn is the best option. The organic popcorn is made with non-GMO kernels and comes with butter flavoring and salt. Newman's Own also has standard options with butter, light butter, and a touch of butter. If you prefer simpler, fluffy popcorn that's made with high-quality ingredients and without a lot of extra flavoring, look for Newman's Own. Just be ready to pay a little more than you would for some other brands.

Newman's Own also donates its profits to charity, which is nice to know when you're supporting the company with your purchase. If knowing where your dollars go is important to you, this is one of the most transparent brands out there. Its philanthropy focuses on youth programs through the Newman's Own Foundation.

Newman's Own microwave popcorn can be hard to track down. We ended up ordering it online for delivery since we couldn't find the brand in the six grocery stores where we looked. If you do see it on the supermarket shelves, give it a try to decide if it's worth stocking up on or possibly special ordering. We liked the lighter touch when it comes to butter because we like to load up our own seasonings to transform our popcorn, and this popcorn was perfect to customize.

To look for the lineup of the best microwave popcorn out there, we scoured our supermarket shelves first to see what was available and then which options had plenty of offerings that we could test. Some were household names that we'd enjoyed even in our own childhood, while others were specific to individual stores. We considered the taste of the popcorn, sticking with a butter flavor for the best comparison between brands. Trying a mixture of name brands and store versions, we ate them side-by-side to evaluate each for how easy it was to prepare, how clear the instructions were, and how great the popcorn tasted.

Brands that popped consistently and offered a good value got special mention on our list, but all would work well for an at-home movie night as is or with extras to make them even more scrumptious. Most popcorns shared similar tastes, so saving a little bit of money on the budget-friendly options was a bigger factor in this comparison than we expected. Of course, not everyone wants to go with a classic butter flavor, so we made note of which brands also had other styles and flavors that could appeal to those who wanted to change things up with a kettle corn or cheesy version. Some popcorn lovers, especially those who want to replicate a true movie experience at home, want their snack practically swimming in butter, so we included options that are super charged with buttery goodness as well.