The Naked Kernel Popcorn - Sea Salt product reviews

A million life times ago most Saturdays were placed in front of the tv with a couple of DVDs and microwave popcorn with my then boyfriend/now husband. Majority of the time the popcorn and bag were either burnt or most of the kernels were unpoped. Fast forward a thousand years and we now have a popcorn maker that gets used a lot.

On a rainy day with not much to do, we decided to pop on a movie and relive the old days by using the microwave. Placing in the microwave for 3 minutes we listened to the gun shots going off from the microwave, even our sleeping beauty opened one eye to work out if it was fireworks or not. With all the noise I had expected every kernel to have popped but alas that was not the case. After the three minutes I left it for a couple of minutes before pulling it out and adding the corn oil and giving it a good shake. I then added the salt and by that time the oil had drenched the bag so I tipped it into a bowl.

I would say only 60% of the bag had actually popped and even though had followed the instructions there were a couple that were burnt. Luckily they are my daughters favourite parts. The rest were rather plain - and some were covered in the salt were others had nothing on them. I have to say I was a little disappointed as we tried the butter version and had really enjoyed it. I found the corn oil just did not really do much. The popcorn was nice and fresh and taste nice but I would rather have more flavour than what was on these particular ones. Not one of our favourite and in all honesty do not think I would purchase again.

When I decided it was time to give this brand, I choice to look at the sea salt, and the sea salt & butter variety. I then went ahead and tested the variety with butter first. What a silly idea. In hindsight, I would be lining this product up for failure as it will automatically feel like something is missing (i.e. the butter flavour). But anyway, here I am, after absolutely loving the butter and sea salt variety, compiling my thoughts on the strict sea salt variety.

The product is very easy to use, simply put the back into the microwave for 3 minutes, let it pop and then add the oil and salt. In the other variety, you have butter instead of oil, so despite the difference in flavour, the methods are exactly the same. so the results are pretty similar. They pack the microwave bags very well (they understand that not all the kernels will pop so they give you some extra. What that does mean is that the bag is extra stuffed with popped kernels of corn.

Having a full bag is great when it comes to maximizing your portion size and getting value for money, but it is a bit of a detriment when it comes to getting a consistent flavour. The microwaveable pack does not really allow the freedom of movement required to properly coat all of the popcorn in oil and then get an even dusting of salt. You are better off tipping the bag into a large bowl ahead of time and giving them a good mix up in there. Otherwise, you will end up with a mixed bag of popcorn. Some oily, some dry and bland and some super salty. You need to get that good and proper mix up going.

But I love this popcorn. I was impressed with the butter and salt, and now with the salt n its own, I'm still very impressed. I don't know how for sure, but I'm guessing that coating the kernels after the cooking time means that the popcorn doesn't soak up the oils and butter. Only the outside is coated. This creates a much crunchier, airy popcorn, that comes across very, very fresh. Me likey.

I am not a huge fan of the wasted packaging so tend to do popcorn the old fashioned way - kernels, oil, pot and heat. However, in a busy household with three children you need to have some quick and easy snack options for those unexpectedly playdates, the impromptu picnics or park visits, or just when you would like the kids to be able to sort their snack themselves!

I was intrigued and delighted to see The Naked Kernel ones came in a box, with not extra plastic and the actual pop bag is home compostable. What I did not realise was that these are actually cooked with oil and salt - that you can add if and when you like, so if you like your popcorn very natural or very salted or somewhere between, it is all catered for. The oil and salt come in separate packages and can be added as to whatever you desire.

Into the microwave for the recommended amount of time - and listening to the pops meant beautifully fluffy and light popcorn popped with no burnt bits. I was a little skeptical as to how it would work with adding the oil and salt after but it is not different to any other in the way you make it. Originally I thought this would be messy and a pain and whilst it takes a little more effort, the benefits outweigh that, and I think with practice it would be easy as pie. I managed however to get the oil down the pop bag and basically only (heavily) salt the top.... however - nothing that tipping into a container and giving a good shake wouldn't remedy.

It is pricey, but for those committed, like us to reducing waste and being more eco - paying that little bit more is well worth it. I did think you could change it up a little and add icing sugar or chicken salt (mmmmm) instead of the supplied salt and it would work just as well.

Really liked that lots of products are taking that step to change how they do things and helping with our committment to helping our planet, so whilst I could not afford all the time to buy this, I would absolutely purchase it again and recommend trying it.

We love popcorn in our house. It's the perfect snack for the whole family, and still nutritious enough to feel happy about eating it regularly. I usually make our popcorn in a pan with kernels from the bulk bins, but this can get messy and takes a lot of supervision. I was really excited to try The Naked Kernel - Sea Salt as I've been looking for a faster (read easier) popcorn without having to buy a pre-popped bag. This sounded like exactly what I was after.

The box itself is well designed, with plenty of clear information about what to do with the contents. Now, believe it or not, I've never actually used a microwave to pop popcorn before, so I needed all the help I could get! The process itself was simple, and within three stress- free minutes, the popcorn was ready to go. This variety had a simple sea salt topping, along with a small amount of corn oil to help it stick. I loved having the sachets included, allowing you to put on as much as you wanted, or even leave it plain.

We were very impressed with the results- most of the kernels had popped, and there was no signs of burning (a common issue for me in the pan). The popcorn was crunchy and 'fluffy', with large pieces which felt really luxurious. The flavour was, as you can imagine, was true to the underlying popcorn, enhanced by the addition of the salt. This is a great option for everyday snacking, and also adding to lunchboxes or taking out when you don't want a sticky or dusty mess to deal with.

As well as eating it as it was, we decided to try adding some smoked paprika, ground cumin and garlic powder. This made a delicious savoury option, and showed us how versatile a pack like this is.

We loved this popcorn. Easy, nutritious and versatile, it is a perfect everyday snacking option. Knowing that the bag was free of nasties was a huge bonus. It will definitely be making a permanent appearance in our pantry for those snacking emergencies (those with kids will know what I mean) or just afternoon munchies.

I used to love microwave popcorn for convenience until I heard about all the harsh effects it can have on your health. My daughters both love popcorn so I have been having to make it in a saucepan which is a bit hit and miss and often requires the saucepan to be soaked afterward. I was really excited to hear that there was a healthy alternative to microwave popcorn that had no nasty chemicals or plastic coating.

The Naked Kernel popcorn comes in an attractive box with a nice big popcorn kernel and some sea salt on the front. When I opened it up, lots of different sachets fell out so I had a closer look at the box. I quickly realised that there were 2 pop bags with each having its own corn oil and sea salt sachet. This looked like it might be a bit of a mission but Miss 11-year old was on hand to help out. It said to microwave for approximately 3 minutes, but a word of warning, if you have a powerful microwave (like I do), 2 1/2 minutes is more than adequate. When I pulled the bag out, all the kernels had popped but I did notice a few burnt pieces. The corn oil sachet comes in a foil pouch that you rip open. Unfortunately, when I went to open it, it ripped a bit strangely which made pouring it into the bag quite awkward. Note to self: use scissors next time to make pouring easier! After shaking for a while, my daughter opened the salt sachet (again, it ripped awkwardly) and added the salt. She shook it for a minute and whilst she was getting a bowl, I tasted a piece. It was quite salty, but I put that down to taking a piece from the top where there would have been a bigger concentration of salt. After tipping the popcorn into a bowl, Miss 11 year old started merrily eating them. She complained at first that they weren't very salty (she'd got a bottom piece!) but after tossing the popcorn in the bowl, the salt was more evenly distributed and she was happy.

The popcorn was delicious and salty. Although a little bit fiddlier to make than the older style microwave popcorn, the health benefits more than outweigh the extra effort. I also like how you can control the amount of salt that you use which is great if you only want it mildly salted. Overall, it is a very tasty popcorn!

Popcorn is one of those foods I have enjoyed all my life. Although some people think of it as snack food, and relegate it to the "junk food" category, it is anything but. It is tasty of course; in fact, it can be hard to stop eating it once you have started! But it is high in fibre and much more filling for an after-school snack than cake or confectionery. Add in its versatility and you have a food for most occasions whether it be as a party bite, something to sustain you on a hike, or as an accompaniment to a meal in place of bread or potatoes.

I like the way the pack is divided in two. This gave us the opportunity to make a smaller quantity; even then, the tiny packet morphed into a huge bowl full once it had popped. I had made a chicken and sweetcorn soup, something I thought would go perfectly with the popcorn, but there was so much left over that we were able to keep it for the following day. (It kept perfectly fresh overnight in an airtight container.) We did add a little more salt because it was not quite enough for our taste, but that is all for the best. Some people might not like their food too salty, and while it is easy to add more, it is not possible to remove it again once it has been mixed in.

We tried the second packet at my daughter's place, I had warned her that the packet I had used had been ready at two and a half minutes. Had I left it in the microwave any longer it would have burned. As things were, mine had turned out perfectly with very few unpopped kernels. Her microwave, however, was less co-operative, and although we thought we had listened for the popping to slow down, the result was less successful and some of the kernels were singed. Clearly the make as well as the wattage varies from one microwave to another so it is imperative to monitor the process.

Luckily, there were enough successfully popped kernels for her and the rest of the family to try them. My son-in-law, like me, said he would like more salt. After he had added some to his share, he gave it the thumbs-up. My daughter, however, said she would not have wanted more salt - the amount included in the packet was just right. The children, being popcorn fanatics, were too busy eating to comment. It was very clear from their body language that they approved, however.

Next time she tries microwave popcorn she plans to stop the process thirty seconds earlier - that will almost certainly be enough. And if not, the popcorn can be returned for another few seconds' zap. As for me, my microwave delivered perfect results in two and a half minutes. The pack suggests three minutes, but also tells the cook to keep checking the regularity of the popping. Sound advice under the circumstances.