You'll find these terms: popcorn poppers, popcorn machines, and popcorn makers often used interchangeably. Sometimes you'll find them combined, like popcorn popper machines or popcorn popper makers, and popcorn maker machines.

Is there a difference?

Well, basically, they all perform the same function: heat the popcorn kernel until the moisture within reaches the boiling point...then pop!

In general, the difference is in size and use:

Popcorn Poppers: These are the guys that sit on your counter, stove top or in your microwave when you want to pop popcorn and then get returned to your kitchen cabinet when not in use. Their use is pretty straight forward: heat and pop. They come in a variety of styles - bubble shapes (retro 70s), cones, bright colors, stylish black, etc. You'll find four different popping methods:

• Oil popcorn poppers: A popular brand is the Cuisinart Easy Pop Popcorn Maker
• Hot air popcorn poppers: Presto PopLite Hot Air Corn Popper and Presto Orville Redenbacher Hot Air Corn Popper are popular products.
• Stove top popcorn poppers: Whirley Pop Stovetop Popcorn Popper is a popular and simple popcorn popper that uses a hand crank to prevent sticking and burning of the popcorn.

Microwave popcorn poppers: Healthy alternative to microwave popcorn bags.

Popcorn Machines: When you walk into the movie theater, these are the machines you see popping the popcorn. In recent years, bar style (table top) popcorn machines and popcorn machines with carts have become popular decorative and fun additions to home theaters and game rooms. Popcorn machines can range in the following sizes:

• 4 oz. popcorn machines: These make four 1oz. servings every 3 minutes and are appropriate for small home theaters and game rooms
• 6 oz. popcorn machines: Makes six 1oz. servings every 3 minutes and are appropriate with home theaters and game rooms and for mid-sized gatherings.
• 8oz. popcorn machines: Makes eight 1 oz. servings every 3 minutes (seeing a pattern?) and are appropriate for large home theaters and game rooms, large gatherings, smaller break rooms, restaurants, bars and waiting rooms. These can also be appropriate popcorn machines for fundraisers that attract small crowds.
• 12 oz. popcorn machines: Makes twelve 1oz. servings every 3 minutes and are designed for concession stands, snack bars, schools, and large fundraising events.
• 14 oz. popcorn machines: Of course, these guys produce a lot of popcorn and are appropriate for larger concession stands and theaters.

Popcorn Makers: You'll find all of the above called popcorn makers at times. Though in the past, popcorn maker was the popular term for popcorn popper, the term is not used as much today.

It's easy to pop popcorn. Just heat sand in a fire, stir in the popcorn kernels, and there you go. How simple.

Of course we have much easier popcorn popping methods than ancient Native Americans did. From theater style popcorn popper machines to microwaves, we have a wide range of popping methods at our disposal.  

However, as this YouTube video shows, popping popcorn in sand is still a method used in India.

Popping Popcorn in the Old Days

A popcorn breakfast recipe that appeared in a 1916 recipe book by Mary Hamilton Talbott.

In the colonial days, the method of popping popcorn took a huge pop from from the sand to a cylinder of thin sheet-iron that revolved on an axle in front of the fire. Popcorn was a popular breakfast dish served with sugar and cream. 

 Charles Cretors of Chicago, Illinois is credited with inventing the first popcorn machine in 1885. Popcorn street vendors became popular through following decades.

Popping Popcorn Today

The most popular method of popping popcorn today is, of course, with the microwave. A visit to the grocery store popcorn aisle will show rows of microwave popcorn. While this is an improvement to the hot sand method, many are questioning the health issues of microwave popcorn. Quite simply, those microwave popcorn bags have got a lot of calories plus an assortment of chemicals.

Step back a couple of decades and you've got a range of popcorn poppers. For the health conscience, hot air popcorn poppers, with only about 30 calories per serving. Oil popcorn poppers for those wanting a bit more taste. Most stores don't carry a good selection of popcorn poppers (not with everyone purchasing microwave popcorn), but that changes online. And the popcorn poppers today are much more sophisticated that those used in the 70's.

For people wanting to duplicate the movie theater popcorn experience, there are several popcorn popper machines that can bring it home. Ranging in prices from the low hundreds to thousands, these popcorn machines can be a great addition to a home theater or game room. And with the right seasoning, you can easily duplicate the movie theater popcorn taste.

So, we've improved the popcorn popping experience from what the ancient Native Americans had. However, they did have something called popcorn beer. We'll save that for another article.