OSCARS make us think of movies, and movies get us thinking about popcorn.
But we discovered such a glut of microwave popcorn brands at the supermarket that just trying to make a decision almost left us too pooped to pop.
So we tried them all — 11 varieties of “light” microwave popcorn gathered from Gristedes and Food Emporium, to be exact. We popped until we dropped — then popped some more.
Random tasters from The Post’s discriminating staff tested samples and rated them from 1 (worst) to 5 (best) for overall excellence, taste and texture. The results, while not scientific, produced some clear favorites and some unfortunate duds:
The top pop with our panel, scoring 3.4, was Orville Redenbacher’s Light Butter ($2.99 for a box of three envelopes). Tasters found it “very fresh and crisp,” though some thought it “unevenly buttered.”
Jolly Time Light ($2.49) exploded as No. 2 chew with 3.3 points. Its “crisp and light” texture was a selling point, and one tester mentioned that “best of all, it didn’t get stuck in my braces.” To some, it “could use more of a buttery taste.”
Third choice, at 3.1 points was Newman’s Own Light Butter ($2.75). “For ‘lite,’ it’s pretty perfect — just the right balance of salt and butter.” Dissenters detected a slight metallic or artificial taste.
The gourmet black kernel corn called Black Jewell ($3.49) tallied in at the No. 7 spot, with a 2.8. The tasting team liked its bright white color, but thought it was over-salted. One comment: “It would make good packing material.”
Bringing up the rear with a score of 2.1 was Jolly Time Butterlicious Light ($2.49). Despite complaining of a “chemical finish,” one honest soul confessed he “ate the whole thing.”
Additional comments from obviously experienced poppers included “fat always makes it taste better” and “a lot depends on knowing when to stop popping.” Enough said.