Lekue Silicone Microwave Popcorn Popper Review

By Maya Hill · Kitchen gear reviewer

Covers home & kitchen appliances; ranks by spec, price and verified buyer feedback.

Maya compares small-kitchen appliances by spec, price and buyer feedback so you can pick once and pop for years.

4.4 (8,700) Amazon rating$22.99900+ bought last month

Our verdict

The Lekue is the simplest popper here: a collapsible silicone bowl that pops oil-free in your microwave, then folds flat and goes in the dishwasher. It's a strong fit for small kitchens that want fast, low-effort snacks over machine-level capacity.

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Best for

Apartments, dorms and anyone short on counter space who wants a quiet, oil-free popper that cleans up fast and stores flat.

Skip if

You're feeding a crowd or want a dedicated countertop machine. At 4 quarts and microwave-bound, it's built for one or two people, not big movie-night batches.

  • Capacity 4 qt
  • Popping method Microwave
  • Oil needed No
  • Butter tray No
  • Dishwasher safe Yes
  • Weight 0.8 lb
  • Priced 39% below the category median ($37.49 across 10 tracked models)
  • Capacity of 4 qt - smaller than 89% of the 10 models we track
  • Weight of 0.8 lb - lighter than 100% of the 10 models we track

Pros

  • Oil-free popping in your existing microwave, no separate appliance to power
  • Dishwasher safe and collapses flat for easy cleanup and storage
  • Very light at 0.8 lb with a compact footprint for small kitchens
  • Low noise, since the only sound comes from the microwave
  • Budget-friendly at $22.99

Cons

  • Smallest capacity here at 4 quarts, best for one or two servings
  • No butter tray, so you add seasoning after popping
  • Results depend on your microwave's power, so timing takes a test run
  • Requires a microwave, unlike standalone hot air or stovetop poppers

Specifications

Capacity
4 qt
Popping method
Microwave
Oil needed
No
Butter tray
No
Dishwasher safe
Yes
Weight
0.8 lb
Footprint
Compact
Color
Red
Noise
Low

Overview

Among popcorn makers, the Lekue takes the opposite approach from countertop machines. There's no motor, no heating element and no wattage of its own. It is a food-grade silicone bowl that you fill with kernels and run in your own microwave, which keeps the footprint compact and the price low at $22.99.

Capacity is 4 quarts, the smallest in our lineup, so think single bowl rather than party batch. Because it pops with microwave heat instead of oil, it's an oil-free option, though many buyers add a small amount of oil or butter for flavor. There's no built-in butter tray, so you season after popping.

The big practical wins are cleanup and storage. It's dishwasher safe and weighs just 0.8 pounds, and the silicone body collapses to store almost flat. Noise is low since the only sound is your microwave, and the red silicone is a tidy fit for tight kitchens.

Performance notes

With 4 quarts of capacity, the Lekue is sized for a single bowl rather than a movie-night crowd. Pop time is tied to your microwave rather than a fixed wattage, so expect to dial in the timing for your unit to limit unpopped kernels and avoid scorching. Going oil-free keeps the calories and the cleanup down, and the dishwasher-safe silicone means rinse-and-go between batches. For one or two people who want a quick, quiet snack without claiming counter space, the numbers line up well.

What buyers say

Buyers of silicone microwave poppers like this one tend to praise how compact and easy to clean they are, and how the collapsible design tucks away in a drawer. The oil-free option and dishwasher-safe body are common favorites. Frequent gripes center on dialing in microwave timing, since results vary by oven, and on the modest serving size for larger households. With a 4.4 rating across roughly 8,700 reviews and around 900 bought in the last month, it reads as a steady, well-liked budget pick rather than a high-capacity machine.

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Frequently asked questions

Does the Lekue popper need oil?

No. It pops kernels with microwave heat, so it works oil-free. Many people still add a little oil or butter afterward for flavor, since there's no built-in butter tray.

How much popcorn does it make?

It holds 4 quarts, the smallest capacity in our lineup. That's a single generous bowl, ideal for one or two people rather than a big movie-night batch.

Is it easy to clean and store?

Yes. The silicone body is dishwasher safe, weighs just 0.8 pounds and collapses nearly flat, so it cleans up fast and stores in a drawer without taking counter space.

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