Looking for the right snacks to munch while binge-watching your favorite movies and TV shows? Dadong has done all the research work for you and has got a list of the best kettle corns along with the kettle corn brands reviews.
Kettle corn is the sweet and salty popcorn, introduced by the Dutch settlers in Pennsylvania in 1776. It was a festival special treat sold at fairs and stores mainly on festive occasions. Kettle corn is the sweetened version of popcorn prepared by cooking corn, sugar, oil, and salt together in an iron kettle. By this method, a sweet crust is created on the popcorn. Another method of preparing kettle corn is by sweetening the popcorn with honey or sugar before adding salt.
However, kettle corn was not used widely during the 20th century but again gained popularity in America in the 21st century. It started to be sold at flea markets and fairs during art and craft shows throughout the country. However, modern kettle corns are cooked in copper or stainless steel kettles. But large iron cast cauldrons are still used for cooking the corn and mixing all the ingredients publicly as it helps in retaining the original flavor of the kettle corn.
Check out our reviews of the best kettle corn brands to find a suitable snack as per the taste and calorie requirements for yourself.
Top Kettle Corn Brands 2021
[amazon bestseller=”Kettle Corn” items=”6″ template=”list”]Angie’s BOOMCHICKAPOP Dark Chocolate Drizzled Sea Salt Kettle Corn
Angie’s BOOMCHICKAPOP Dark Chocolate Drizzled Sea Salt Kettle Corn is just perfect for any dark chocolate lovers wanting to taste the same in their corns. The perfectly sweet dark chocolate and the salty-sweet corn makes for a mesmerizing combo. It has around 170 calories per serving.
[amazon box=”B01N9QHX4Q” template=”horizontal”]Pop-Secret
With just 120 calories per serving, the Pop-Secret is ideal for those who love theater style popcorn. The butter taste in the pop secret can remind anyone of the theater popcorn. The strong butter flavor and the crunchiness of the pop secret make it one of the best kettle corn brands. You do not need to add any extra butter or sat, just microwave it and your movie night snack is ready to eat.
Read more: Best Microwave Popcorn Review 2021
Black Jewel
Black Jewell butter kettle corn is perfect for those who want to have crunchier popcorn with a pleasant butter flavoring. Black Jewel, as the name suggests, uses black corn which makes the popcorn look darker than any other brand’s popcorn. The Black Jewell kettle corn is not very sweet but still has a great flavor and is perfect for those who want to munch on some subtly sweet kettle corn. They have small kernels as opposed to Pop Secret’s large and fluffy kernels.
Black corn is a very common variety of corn in South America. However, Black Jewell kettle corn has made the black corn available in other parts of the country as well. They are naturally produced corns grown on small Midwestern farms. They are a product of fertile soil and a fresh environment. Also, they are whole grain, gluten, and cholesterol-free and can be considered healthy.
Koepsell’s Popping Corn
With around 35 calories per serving and reduced sodium, Koepell’s Popping Corn is perfect for all the fitness freak out there. The kernels of Koepsell’s Popping Corn are also small, similar to the Black Jewell kettle corn. They are made up of high quality ‘White Rice’ popcorn and has a sweet and buttery taste. They are crunchy and have a nutty taste to them. Each piece is perfectly coated with butter.
365 Everyday Value
With a sugary and crispy taste to it, 265 Everyday Value is one of the best kettle corns. It is perfect for people with a sweet tooth as it has a lot of sweet coating. It has a mouth-watering buttery flavor to it. It has a great texture and appearance with giant fluffy kernels. Moreover, it has the perfect amount of butter on it and gives you a great buttery taste without leaving your fingers greasy.
[amazon box=”B074MFKY97″ template=”horizontal”]Steak & Scotch Green Chile Margarita Caramel Popcorn
The Green Chile Margarita Caramel Popcorn by Butter and Scotch is being made on all popcorn makers in Brooklyn kitchens. They use Hatch Chile peppers which were smuggled from New Mexico. Made with is green chiles and tequila along with some lime zest, it is a perfect snack to pair up with your margarita.
The Tiny Colonel Pink Himalayan Salt Mini Popcorn
The Little Kernel Pink Himalayan Salt Mini Popcorn offers 150 calories per serving. These are cute and little pop corns as the name also suggests. They are little and crispy kernels not having too much salt. They also have a taste of olive oil flavor. If you are not a fan of too much salt and prefer smaller kernels then this is made for you!
Black Pig Meat Co. Rodeo Jax Bacon Toffee Caramel Popcorn
Sticky caramel with salty savoring bits of real bacon is what Black Pig Meat Co. offers through its Bacon Toffee Caramel Popcorn. The non- GMO popcorn is coated with caramel toffee and studded with the Applewood Smoked Uncured Bacon by Black Pig Meat Co. the pork used is cut and set in brown sugar for around 21 days and given a classic finishing smoke over Applewood. These caramel drizzling pop corns can make anyone its fan.
Masala Pop Savory Masala Indian Spiced Popcorn
This spicy and crunchy variant of the Masala Pop’s new Savory Masala Indian Spiced Popcorn is a must for all spice lovers. If you are a fan of Indian spices, then this popcorn is made for you. It is opposite to the classic popcorn taste and has flavors of garlic and red chili to it.
[amazon box=”B00L6USAQY” template=”horizontal”]La Boite Savory Spiced Popcorn
La Boite sells 6 gourmet spiced popcorn flavors and each one of them is as delicious as the other. The ingredients of the kettle corn include milk, soy, salt, and garlic for the spicy taste.
Quinn Kale & Sea Salt Popcorn
Quinn Kale and Sea Salt popcorn have a bold taste to them. They use organic and non- GMO corn and all the other ingredients used are also organic. The Kale and Sea Salt Popcorn by Quinn is a perfect way to consume some greens in a fun and tasty way. Quinn Popcorn has reinvented packaging and now uses bags that are free from any chemical coatings. They are made of compostable papers.
GH Cretors Chicago Mix Popcorn
GH Cretors Chicago Cheese and Caramel Mix Popcorn are ADDICTIVE! There is no other word to describe these popcorns, they simply make you addicts. Unlike the usual cheese and caramel popcorns, these are not messy and have the perfect mix of cheddar cheese and caramel. They are crispy and are perfect to munch on while binge-watching your favorite movies and shows.
Pipcorn Heirloom Mini Popcorn – Truffle
Made up of popcorn, sea salt, sunflower oil, and irresistible truffle, the Pipcorn Heirloom Mini Popcorn is insanely delicious. It contains 40% less fat as compared to the top brands for salty pop corns. It also has 10% fewer calories. They are almost half the size of the normal popcorn and are crunchier. No artificial ingredients are added while preparing this kettle corn. It is made from sustainably grown popcorn kernels. They also don’t get stuck in your teeth while eating very often.
The truffle flavor is neither too much nor too little. It is just perfect to satisfy your truffle cravings too!
[amazon box=”B088TYXGKN” template=”horizontal”]Popcorn, Indiana Drizzled Black & White Kettlecorn
Made with dark and white chocolate, the Black and White Drizzle Kettlecorn by Popcorn Indiana is the next in our list of the top kettle corn brands. No artificial colors are added while preparing these little black and white masterpieces. It is just chocolate layered on the corn. Pure dark and white chocolate made with real cocoa over the crunchy kettle corn is the snack made for all chocolate lovers. It provides 140 calories per serving.
Huy Fong Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce Popcorn
Huy Fong Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce Popcorn is high in calories with around 170 calories in each serving. However, the taste of this kettle corn will make you forget about the calories. Popcorn mixed with the sriracha hot chili sauce is the right amount of spicy you were looking for!
Each kernel in the pack is infused with sun-ripened chili pepper and the sriracha sauce’ garlic taste. Huy Fong Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce Popcorn makes for one of the best kettle corns. It also comes without any artificial flavors or added colors.
LesserEvil Buddha Bowl Himalayan Pink Organic Popcorn
This kettle corn brand offers very few calories. Just 38 calories in one serving! Made with organic popcorn, Pink Himalayan Mountain Salt, and organic coconut oil, this kettle corn brand offers buttery delicious kernels. Known for its purity and organic ingredients, it is gluten-free and has the ability to detoxify and balance PH levels in the human body.
Gaslamp Popcorn California Crafted Authentic Kettle Corn
This kettle corn provides 130 calories per serving. It contains all the natural and authentic ingredients. It is sweetened and salty in the right amount. It is made up of natural pure cane sugar and canola oil with a pinch of sea salt on the popcorn.
Trader Joe’s Kettle Corn
Trader Joe’s Maple and Sea Salt Kettle Corn is specially made for all those with a sweet tooth. It has a light crunch with the maple-y sweetness and a pinch of salt. A 7-ounce bag is available for USD 2.49. This kettle corn is only available in Fall because of the availability of its most special ingredient- maple sugar.
[amazon box=”B00CX8SDC4″ template=”horizontal”]
How to Prepare Delicious Kettle Corn at Home
Kettle corn is easily available at all summer state fairs or festivals. However, with COVID-19 cases on the rise, we all want to feel safe and avoid traveling to crowded places. But food cravings will never understand that the virus is spreading. So what to do then? Have you ever wondered if you could prepare the delicious kettle corn at home? The answer to this is yes, you can! We have got the recipe to make the best kettle corn for you.
This salty-sweet popcorn is slightly golden in color and a crispy taste because of the sugar coating on it. Kettle corn is different from caramel corn as caramel corn usually sticks to your teeth but kettle corn does not. Also, it takes less time to prepare kettle corn than what it takes to prepare caramel corn. Homemade kettle corn lasts for around two to three weeks if stored properly in airtight containers.
Let’s move ahead towards the procedure to prepare the kettle corn.
Needed equipment
You do not require any massive equipment to make your kettle corn. You will surely find the required equipment in your own kitchen and will not be required to invest any amount in purchasing new vessels. You just need to look around your kitchen and put on hands on the following material:
- 4-quart saucepot with lid: Using a vessel with a glass lid would be advisable as you can also watch the progress
- Parchment Paper
- A spoon with a long handle used for stirring
- Baking sheet
Required Ingredients
Gather the following ingredients before moving towards preparing your kettle corn.
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup corn kernels
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
Read more: Best Popcorn Machine Review 2021
Cooking Oil
The oil used for making kettle corn has a great influence on the taste of the kettle corn. It is not just medium to pop the corn but also influences the flavor of the kettle corn. You can use the cooking oil which you like the most.
Refined coconut oil gives a clean and light flavor. But remember to use refined coconut oil only as using unrefined coconut oil make your kettle corn taste like coconut. You can also use palm oil. Coconut or palm oil will give you a taste similar to the kettle corns available at movie theaters. Another alternative is to go for the cheaper canola oil. Canola oil will give you the most classic kettle corn flavor, almost similar to the ones you get from the stalls at fairs and festivals.
Choosing the Kernels
You can choose the kernels which you like the most. A huge variety of corn kernels are available in the market. However, you should remember that kernels also influence the taste of the kettle corn. So choose the ones which you think will give your kettle corn the perfect taste. Some of the varieties of the kernels are described below:
- Yellow: Yellow kernels can easily be found at grocery stores. This is the most used variety of corn and is also the one we get at movie theaters. It is large and yellow in color.
- White: They are almost similar to yellow in shape and size, but they pop up white. They are also a little more tender than the yellow ones.
- Mushroom: The next type of kernel is called the Mushroom kernel. This mushroom kernel pops up as big and fluffy and is the ideal variant for making kettle corn.
- Red: Red kernel pops up white in color. They are a little smaller than white and yellow kernels. They are also crunchier than the traditional popcorn.
- Blue: Blue is also similar to red, just a little smaller in size.
- Purple: Purple kernels pops up yellowish and have small purple spots on them. they are larger than red and blue but smaller than yellow and white kernels.
- Ladyfinger: Ladyfinger also gives small-sized popped corns but they are not advisable to be used for making kettle corns.
Steps to Prepare Kettle Corn:
The steps are listed below. Follow this recipe to make the perfect, sugary sweet, and crunchy kettle corn to munch on while you’re running a movie marathon.
- Pour the oil and drop 2-3 kernels in the pot and set it over medium-high heat. These kernels will indicate when the oil is hot. Cover the pot with the lid and wait.
- Pour the kernels in the pot once you see 1 of the kernels pop. Also, add sugar and salt.
- Stir everything together so that all the kernels are coated in sugar and then cover the lid.
- Lift the pot several times and shake it well and then place it again on the stove for 10-15 seconds. Repeat this for 3-4 minutes and once all the kernels have popped, transfer them to the container layered with the baking sheet and parchment paper.
- Let the popcorn cool and they are ready to eat!
Conclusion
Skip the Most Famous Standard Brands
Now, straying away from the most famous standard brands can be a good option. It is so because the lesser-known kettle corn brands mentioned above talks about their great taste outcomes and flavors. It can be said that putting your hands on a lesser-known, more unique brand the next time you go shopping kettle corns can introduce you to a tastier and addicting flavor.
It is all about the butter
While preparing the kettle corn brands review given above, we realized that the most important factor influencing the reviews was the butter taste. However, some people like the overtly added fake butter taste while others prefer a subtle buttery flavor to their kettle corns. But one thing is for sure that butter is a major taste influencer when it comes to kettle corn.
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