Owner Manual

3
NOTE: Popcorn can easily scorch so never leave microwave oven unattended during popping.
5. Use the popping bowl handles to carefully remove popper from microwave oven. Carefully lift the cover toward you to keep any
steam away from you. Serve popcorn in popping bowl or pour into another bowl if you would like to make additional batches of
popcorn.
CAUTION! Some hot oil residue may remain in the bottom of the bowl after popping; use caution when pouring popcorn into another
bowl as the residue could drip out and cause burns. The PowerCup

concentrator becomes very hot during popping. Use a tongs to
remove a hot concentrator or allow concentrator to cool before handling.
6. Before popping additional batches, wipe the PowerCup

concentrator with a damp cloth to remove remaining salt and oil. Because
microwave function varies, some microwave ovens perform better when allowed to cool 10 to 15 minutes before popping additional
batches of corn.
Helpful Hints
♦ This popper is designed to pop all kinds of popcorn—yellow, white, baby rice, and premium brands. Try different brands to nd the
one you like best. Yellow popcorn generally pops into larger kernels than white.
♦ Always use fresh popcorn. Fresh popcorn pops into larger kernels and with more consistency than older, dried out corn.
♦ You can vary the amount of popcorn popped. Since the popping bowl has a 3-quart capacity, you can pop as much as ⅓ cup of
premium yellow popcorn. For other types of corn that produce smaller kernels, a heaping ⅓ cup is recommended. If you want just a
little popcorn, you can pop as little as a tablespoon of corn. When popping small amounts, make sure you monitor popping closely
as popping will be completed faster than normal.
♦ You can use any kind of cooking oil (corn, vegetable, peanut, olive, canola, sesame, etc.) or any kind of solid shortening or lard in
the popper. No more than 2 tablespoons should be used for any batch of popcorn. Feel free to mix oils or shortenings. Butter and
margarine may be used. When cooked at high temperatures, like those in the microwave popper, butter and margarine both tend to
brown, imparting a different, but delicious, avor.
♦ You can preseason your corn by adding salt and other ne powdered seasonings to the oil prior to popping. Avoid the use, however, of
cheese powders or powders made with granulated sugar or chocolate, as they tend to burn. They may be added to corn after popping.
♦ If you want oil-avored popcorn, but don’t want the added fat or calories that oil gives you, either before or after popping, spray
popcorn with a no-stick cooking spray. This will give you a hint of oil avor and will also allow salts and other seasonings to stick
to the popcorn better. For a hint of butter-avored popcorn, use the butter-avored sprays.
♦ If you like extra butter or margarine on your popcorn, you can add more after popping. Simply place a few ⅛-inch pats of butter or
margarine on the popped corn, cover popper, and reinsert in the microwave oven for approximately 20 seconds. Butter or margarine
will melt and can then be mixed through.
Questions and Answers
1. Sometimes I get a lot of unpopped kernels and/or scorched corn. Why?
A number of things may be causing this:
a. You may have forgotten to use the PowerBase concentrator or PowerCup

concentrator. Quality of popped corn will diminish
if the PowerBase concentrator or PowerCup

concentrator are not both used.
b. Your PowerCup

concentrator needs to be replaced.
c. You were not using the “High” setting on your microwave oven.
d. Your microwave oven may have areas where microwave energy is not evenly distributed. Next time you use the popper, try
positioning the popper in a different location inside the microwave oven.
e. Your microwave oven and the PowerPop

popper do not work together. Presto would be very interested if you have such an
oven. Please write or call Presto if you believe this is the case.
2. How many unpopped kernels are considered normal for a batch of popped corn?
The number of unpopped kernels will vary depending on the quality and freshness of the corn used, the microwave oven used, and
the condition of the PowerCup

concentrator. If the instructions are followed correctly, as indicated on page 2 and above, on the
rst use you will usually get anywhere from 0 unpopped kernels to 1 teaspoon unpopped kernels. Fresh corn and premium corn will
give you the best results. You should always get fewer unpopped kernels than microwave bagged corn. If you consistently get a lot
of unpopped kernels, review this “Question and Answer” section.
3. How many batches of popcorn should I be able to pop with each PowerCup

concentrator?
The number of uses will vary from microwave to microwave. When popping with oil, you should be able to make up to 8 batches
with each concentrator. When popping without oil, you should be able to make up to 15 batches with each concentrator.