money I tried all 6 options of the new AMC Theatres microwave and ready-to-eat popcorn, and there's one that tastes just like what you get at the movies
AMC Theatres is now selling microwave and ready-to-eat popcorn.
All six options are available now at Walmart.
Insider taste-tested them and found there's one in particular that tastes just like the popcorn at an AMC.
I tried the ready-to-eat options first.
There are three options: extra butter, classic butter, and lightly salted.
On the top-left corner of the bag, it advised to "heat and eat."
Even though these aren't the microwavable options, it's still recommended that you heat them up a bit.
On the back of the bag, instructions suggest heating the popcorn for 20-30 seconds.
I tried each flavor of the ready-to-eat popcorn after heating it up for 20 seconds.
I also tried the popcorn right out of the bag unheated.
The extra butter ready-to-eat popcorn had a good flavor.
Price: $4
The extra butter option had good flavor and a nice yellow-buttery color.
When I ate it warm, I could definitely taste the butter — though it was a little oily.
It also still had good flavor when eaten unheated.
I preferred the classic butter ready-to-eat popcorn warmed up.
Price: $4
The classic butter option definitely did not have the same buttery kick as the extra butter.
It also tasted better when warmed up versus right out of the bag.
The lightly salted ready-to-eat popcorn had a weird aftertaste.
Price: $4
AMC touts the lightly salted version as "all the flavor with less sodium."
This bag consisted of more white popcorn with some yellow, buttery pieces mixed in. It was certainly less salty than the others, but it left a weird aftertaste.
I ate the least of this one.
After the ready-to-eat bags, I turned my attention to the microwave options.
Like the ready-to-eat bags, the microwave options are extra butter, classic butter, and lightly salted.
AMC Theatres' extra butter microwave popcorn is aggressively buttery.
Price: $5
If you like your popcorn with lots and lots of butter, then this is the option for you.
AMC describes this option as having a "bold flavor." That was no exaggeration.
Each popcorn tastes like it was soaked for days in the extra-butter fountain at the theater.
The classic butter microwave popcorn has just the right amount of butter. It's my favorite of all the options.
Price: $5
This option has got a ton of flavor and has the perfect amount of butter on it.
Though the ready-to-eat version tasted good, the microwave option provides that hot freshness, which puts it over the top.
This was definitely my favorite of all the options.
AMC Theatres' lightly salted microwave popcorn is the least overpowering but still has good flavor.
Price: $5
AMC redeemed itself with the microwavable version of the lightly salted flavor.
If you don't like a lot of butter on your popcorn, this is the option you want.
And unlike the ready-to-eat bag, this one doesn't have any weird aftertaste.
The microwave popcorn was better than the ready-to-eat options.
You just can't beat microwave popcorn, even if you heat up the ready-to-eat options.
It's fresher and has more flavor.
But it wouldn't be a true taste test if we didn't compare these to the popcorn you can get at an AMC.
I needed to know if the at-home versions could live up to the real deal.
I went to my local AMC in New Jersey and bought a large popcorn.
Price: $11 (I know!)
The flavor was on point and it had the perfect amount of butter.
The classic butter microwave option is the closest to the popcorn that's at an AMC theater.
The ready-to-eat classic butter popcorn tastes exactly like popcorn from the theater if you didn't add any extra butter.
But who doesn't put at least a little extra butter on their popcorn when going to the movies? The microwave version is remarkably close to movie theater popcorn with extra butter on it.
I couldn't tell the difference between the popcorn I bought at the theater and the popcorn out of my microwave bag.
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