Netflix and chill? More like Netflix and chow down. Bagged popcorn is binge watching’s best friend, helping sustain you through hours of TV time from your comfy bed, without ever having to deal with that pesky microwave. So, if you’re gearing up for a full night of Stranger Things, you should probably add some bagged popcorn to your arsenal.
Heads up: there are no kettle, caramel, or cheese popcorns in this taste test. If I learned anything from science class, it’s that every experiment needs a control variable. To keep judging fair, I’ve opted for plain bagged popcorns only.
6. Skinny Pop Original Popcorn
I have no idea how Skinny Pop got to be so POPular. Every handful tastes like cardboard and I could practically hear my taste buds screaming for a sprinkle of salt. If flavorless and bland is what “healthy” tastes like, I’ll pass on Skinny Pop any day.
5. Trader Joe’s Movie Theater Popcorn
Yes, this popcorn tastes like one you might find in a movie theater, but probably not in the way you’re thinking. Imagine this. You ate a big dinner before a movie. Now, the end credits are rolling and you have a half-eaten bag of sad, cold popcorn sitting on your lap that you haven’t touched since the middle of the film. Unfortunately, everyone’s favorite snack shack popcorn reminds me of that. Trust me, the taste of stale butter isn’t appetizing.
4. Buddha Bowl Himalayan Pink Popcorn
Praise the pink buddha for working his magic with this popcorn. The taste of coconut oil is potent, which makes this unique bag slightly salty and slightly sweet. Buddha bonus points for trying something different, and lucky for us, it works. Warning: if you’re not crazy about coconut, this won’t be the bag for you.
3. Trader Joe’s Organic Popcorn with Olive Oil
Oh, you thought Trader Joe would only POP up once on this list? Not so, for Mr. Joe’s second take on bagged popcorn is a huge improvement from the first, with a high binge-ability factor. You can taste the olive oil, but it’s more subtle than the coconut oil flavor of #4. Because of this, I could grab endless fistfuls of TJ’s popcorn, while I’d probably have to stop at (a still admirable, yet slightly less absurd) 50 fistfuls of Pink Buddha.
2. Whole Foods 365 Organic Classic Salted Popcorn
Did we expect to see Whole Foods popping in at #2? Not really, but the healthy grocery chain’s bagged popcorn checks all the salty, crunchy, binge-worthy boxes. It has just the right amount of salt with no extra flavor from butter or oils. On your next visit to Whole Foods, skip the hit-or-miss healthy snacks and opt for something you know will taste good.
1. Boom Chicka Pop Sea Salt Popcorn
Drum roll (on your desktop) please… the Netflix-approved title of number one bagged popcorn goes to Boom Chicka Pop. From my very first bite, it was clear that the bag with a pop of color was also poppin’ with more flavor than all the rest. Even though my stomach was on the verge of bursting from too much popcorn, I couldn’t stop myself from eating more. Once you start eating this one, you won’t even need Netflix to start binging.
Whoever first thought to bag pre-popped popcorn deserves more recognition than he or she is currently getting. In the olden days, waiting for (and all too often burning) microwaved popcorn could tear movie night to pieces. Bagged popcorn not only maximizes our screen time, but low-calorie, low-sodium options ensure our stomachs will last for as many hours as our eyes do. Oh, and don’t stress about finding room for the bags in your dorm room snack drawer – they won’t last long enough to need storage.