Hamilton Beach Electric Hot Oil Popcorn Popper 73400 Review

Specifications

Capacity

4 qt

Popping method

Oil

Oil needed

Yes

Wattage

800 W

Butter tray

Yes

Dishwasher safe

No

Weight

3.0 lb

Footprint

Medium

Color

Black

Noise

Moderate

What Does a Popcorn Maker Cost to Run?: this model, $0.64 at typical use.

Overview

The Hamilton Beach 73400 is an electric hot oil popcorn popper, which means it heats oil and kernels together for the fuller, richer taste many people associate with old-school movie popcorn. Its 4-quart capacity is on the small side, so it suits solo snacking or a couple rather than a crowd. At 800 watts it has enough heat to cycle a batch without much fuss.

The build is practical rather than fancy: a medium footprint, 3-pound weight, and a black finish that hides oil splatter better than light colors. A butter tray sits on top so melted butter drips over the popcorn as it pops, which is a nice touch for flavor. Noise sits in the moderate range, in line with most countertop poppers.

The main trade-off is cleanup. Because oil is involved and the unit is not dishwasher safe, you will be wiping the popping surface and bowl by hand after each use. That is the cost of oil-popped flavor, and it is worth weighing against a hot air model if low effort matters more to you than taste.

Performance notes

With a 4-quart bowl, expect roughly enough for one or two servings per batch, so plan on a second round for a group. The 800-watt element is geared for oil popping rather than the higher-wattage hot air units, and oil-popped kernels tend to leave fewer unpopped kernels at the bottom than dry methods. The butter tray is the standout for use case: if buttered popcorn is the goal, this design bakes that step into the pop instead of melting butter separately. Its medium footprint and 3-pound weight make it easy to lift down for movie night and tuck away after, though it asks for more counter space than the smallest hot air poppers.

What buyers say

Buyers who choose an electric oil popper like this generally do so for taste, and feedback for this category tends to praise the deeper flavor and the convenience of a built-in butter tray versus stovetop methods. The common complaints for hot oil poppers are cleanup effort, since oil residue and a non-dishwasher-safe design mean hand washing, and batch size, since a 4-quart bowl fills up fast for more than two people. Shoppers comparing it to higher-rated models often note it has fewer reviews, so expectations should track its mid-pack rating rather than the best-sellers.