The Naked Kernel Popcorn - Butter & Sea Salt product reviews

I have learned my lesson with this brand of popcorn - don't cook it for too long! I gave the first packet exactly two minutes; that was when the popping started to slow down, and the result was perfect. There were a few unpopped kernels, but that always happens. What mattered was that those that DID pop were just right, crunchy and fresh tasting. I added the contents of the two flavour sachets after I had tipped the popped kernels into a bowl because it was easier to mix them, and then put the bowl on the table. We had home-fried fish fillets with tartare sauce and salad for dinner, so I thought the popcorn would be a healthy addition in place of chips or buttered bread.

What I had not bargained for was the amazing taste combination when Miss Nine accidentally dropped a flake into a blob of tartare sauce. She ate it and a big grin came over her face. I immediately did the same thing because I was curious to see what the effect might be. All I could say was - Wow! This was a brand new sensation, and one I would not have thought of doing. The still-warm crisp flake and the pickle aftertaste of the tartare sauce were just delicious. Mr 12 was intrigued too; he got a jar of ordinary mayonnaise from the fridge so we could see if that worked as well. Our fish meal had turned into a full-scale popcorn test. And the plain mayonnaise was even better than the tartare sauce!

We had the second packet the following day, and this was a more traditional tasting. We watched a movie together and just passed the bag of popcorn around. Everyone liked it that way too, although there were eight of us so nobody got very much! I think I needed to use both bags on this occasion so everyone could have a decent sized helping. However, that is what testing is all about. I can always get another packet and plan to use the entire contents in one go next time.

The ease of preparation meant that the children were able to cook the second packet without assistance. They are old enough to know that the packet may release hot steam when it is first opened, and it is useful to be able to delegate tasks like this. It is also good to know that the product is a healthy snack - I would be concerned about their eating large quantities of lollies or kettle chips. They like popcorn just as much, and the adults too prefer it. Knowing that you are buying a chemical-free product is so important; for me, this is just as much a selling point as the taste.

I love popcorn but have found myself having less and less as the years have gone by because I LOVE it nice and buttery but it ends with me having a big of a gross feeling left in my mouth. I had seen this product on the shelf but been wary of it due to the price (I could get four of another brand, for the same price, roughly) which is where getting some to review is a win win. The bag definitely has a different feel to it to other brands and comes with a small butter sachet and salt sachet that you add after you've popped the popcorn. Popping wise there wasn't really any difference in comparison to other brands I've used.

The packaging does state to add the butter to the bag of popcorn and shake, and then add the salt and shake. Well, I tried this initially and had no luck as there was simply too much popcorn in the bag. So, my ten year old and I emptied the pack into a big bowl and gave it a good mix and then added the salt with another good stir. I was worried that not having shaken it in the bag would mean uneven coating of the salt and butter but it mixed well and there weren't many that had zero flavour. The popcorn passed the final test in that there was no icky film of grease in my mouth afterwards. My ten year old asked me to get more of this brand, saying that this butter tastes so much better and that they love it. This brand has been a big hit and I've already bought us some more.

A million life times ago, my then boyfriend/now husband would regularly indulge in microwave popcorn along with 3 DVD's. Many a nights we would wait patiently while the microwave done its thing and we would find either half the kernels were not popped or we had over cooked and some were burnt along with the packet. Thankfully technology has come along way and we now own a couple of popcorn makers and the girls are pros and making them.

We were excited to sit down and watch the new Marvel movie and seriously no movie is complete without snacks. I excitedly pulled this out and went over to the microwave. You are given two packets and both have instructions written all over it including what way to face it. The bag was longer than I was expecting but I placed it in and keyed in three minutes. I was rather shocked what happened next the microwave went crazy sending sparks and making a noise so I quickly turned the microwave off.

My husband came over to examine and said it looked like someone had cooked something in the microwave and spilt it and it was reacting. For a temporary measure he put a glass of water in for a part of it just to start the process off. Because of this the timing was all thrown and he ended up over cooking it. I still wanted my popcorn so I added the butter and salt to the bag and we enjoyed most of it. Some of the kernels had not popped where some had burnt in places.

The next time (after cleaning the microwave) the process went much smoother - although I did jump when the kernels started popping. We did find that not all of the kernels had popped, which was not really that much of a surprise - but we were impressed that the majority had. Adding the final elements of the salt and butter, the girls appeared saying we smell popcorn.

We found we loved the salt but found the butter did not give a full coverage which is a pity as the ones with butter were my favourite. I would of loved another bag of butter to add because between butter and the salt it gave a great additional taste. We were really surprised at how much popcorn we received but with four hands grabbing at it constantly it did not last long. Lucky that it does come with two bags.

I might consider purchasing again just because they did taste really nice and fresh and as long as no one had made the microwave dirty it is a nice quick snack that anyone is capable of making. Also, doing this way creates less dishes and who doesn't love that at the end of the day.

In our house the children absolutely love to eat popcorn, usually we buy the microwave popcorn as opposed to the ready made popcorn. The children particularly like the extra buttery popcorn, but I would prefer a healthier alternative. When I saw there was a new brand of popcorn available I was intrigued, this was advertised as having 'no yucky stuff' and having a natural pop bag. I figured it was worth a shot to see if the kids would like this healthier option.

The box is visually appealing, with a large corn kernel taking prime position on the front, also a key point is that the butter is NZ clarified butter. In the box there are 2 90g natural pop bags, and the bags themselves are chemical free, and no plastic coating. Like the majority of microwave popcorn, the instructions said to pop these in the microwave for 3 minutes, but also it showed that there are 2 sachets inside the box per bag, 1 is the butter, and the other is the sea salt sachet.

When I opened the box and felt the bag containing the kernels you could feel the difference compared to other brands, the texture was almost silky in a way. I put the natural pop bag in the microwave for the 3 minutes and got a bowl ready for it when it finished. I noticed when I poured the popcorn into the bowl, there were very few kernels that hadn't popped, which was great. The popcorn is a nice white colour, I opened the butter sachet and poured it over the popcorn and mixed through, then added the sea salt and mixed through. The amount was pretty minimal, I would of liked a bit more butter, taking the first mouthful and the flavour was impressive, could taste the goodness in it. The children said they liked it, but was lacking flavour, and surprisingly they didn't demolish the packet like they normally would.

I'm a fan of this product and would definitely be keen to try different flavours also, would love just a little bit more butter in this one so that the majority of pieces could be coated.

My two boys, espcailly my toddler are pop corn lovers. My wee one often asks for pop corn at least once a week. I love the easy microwave bags, pop it in and wow pop corn. I was excited to try this new healthier option. Butter and sea salt, two of my boys favourites mixed together. The box is inviting, a big kernel on the box, and then down the bottom a cow with made with real NZ clarified butter. 2 natural pop bags with butter and sea salt sachets. No chemicals, no platic coating. I could tell when I open the bag the difference in the packaging.

The bag is heap lighter then the normal ones I buy, and a lot thinner. It said to cook for 3 minutes but I always do 2 and a half minutes as I fine anything more burns the popcorn, I think my microwave is powerful, as even there was one little patch that burnt that I picked out. So I cooked it up, my toddler sitting on the bench all excited and wanting to open the butter packet up and I kept saying not yet. Once I cooked I open the bag, making sure my boy wasnt around when the steamed comes out.

My toddler was happy to pour the butter in the salt packet, then I held it and gave it a shake and then poured the flavoured pop corn into a bowl, well two bowls, as my toddler doesnt share to well with his big brother. I noticed it was a lot healthier. The boys really enjoyed it and ate it down fast well they watched thier movie. My toddler espcailly enjoyed making it. He would be keen for us to get this again, and I will get them some more.

Having been stuck at home for 12 weeks in Auckland during this latest pandemic lockdown, the one thing that has gotten the biggest workout is my Netflix account. Movies, television shows, documentaries, anything to stave off that boredom as the government continues to keep my favourite hobbies and excursions closed. Luckily I have a projector attached to my Xbox, so I can project movies onto my wall and relive the joy that is movies on a large(ish) scales with surround sound.

What has been largely missing, however, was the popcorn. I've had plenty of the Act III popcorn, but the cost was getting too much, and the flavour was getting more artificial with every handful of popped kernels. I eventually stopped buying the popcorn packs and started buying kernels to make myself on the stovetop. That ended up being quite tiresome and ended up with a high probability of the popcorn being either burnt or too hard. My patience got to an all-time low, and popcorn stopped being eaten in my household.

Enter the naked kernel. I had seen these in the supermarket before but they were even more expensive than the brands that I had purchased previously. Being a poor student in the past, the cost has always directed many of my decisions. But now that I'm finally in the "home-owner" bracket, it was time to actually spend time finding out what the best quality and value for money was.

With a natural pop bag, that has no chemicals or plastic coating, and being made with real NZ clarified butter, the naked kernel varieties already come across as a lot more health-conscious and environmentally aware. The additives (the butter and the sea salt) being separately packed does mean there is slightly more waste, but it also allows more control over the calories that I want to add to my meal. I can add to or reduce the butter and salt as per my own preferences, which is nice.

Taking the packet out ready for the microwave, it is clear that the packet holds a lot more popcorn than the other brands that I have previously tried. Kernels not popping has always been a thing with popcorn, but they have just packed the bag to the point that you won't really care. After 3 minutes in the microwave, the packet is now fully expanded. There is not a single space in this bag that could fit another expanded kernel of popcorn. The effectiveness of the bag did pose an issue when it came to shaking the bag with the butter and salt. The bag was so full that I couldn't actually get any movement in the exploded kernels. I ended up having to tip the bag into a bowl and then add the additives.

The popcorn was delightfully crisp and hot. The butter and salt worked well together and were thin enough to give all of the popcorn a coating without absolutely drowning some and leaving others bare (which is usually the case). Fresh, hot, and crunchy, this pack of popcorn was tastier than the movie popcorn. Would definitely recommend it. Two packs for $5, is not that much more expensive than the other brands, but that flavour quality is so much higher.