Last Updated: Jun 6, 2023 @ 1:49 pm.

What's the best salt for popcorn? We tried out 8 brands of popcorn salt in a blind taste test. Which was closest to theater popcorn? Which salt also adds buttery flavor? Here are our favorites.

FYI: We've been reviewing and rating products for the home and families since 1994. To keep things independent, we don't take money or freebies from brands we review! Our work is 100% reader-supported!


Tips & Advice: The Best Popcorn Salt

To find the best popcorn salt, we went to work the old-fashioned way: we started with batches of freshly popped popcorn. Then we took eight brands of popcorn salt and started tasting!

FYI: We used the stove-top method of popcorn for these tests. When we narrowed down the field, we also tried air-popped popcorn to see if the best salt worked on these kernels as well.

For the salt to stick, we recommend using the stovetop method for making your popcorn. With air-popped popcorn, you have to put melted butter on your popcorn first so the salt can stick.

Here are a couple more tips when it comes to popcorn salt:

  • Finely ground salt is best. We found this sticks better to kernels.
  • Skip the Kosher salt. Yes, we love Kosher salt and it’s a staple in most kitchens—but the grains are too big to stick to most popcorn kernels.

Ok, enough tips! Here are the winners of our popcorn salt taste tests!

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Best Theater-Style Popcorn Salt

Easy on the wallet
The overall winner in our tests for flavor and look—yes, you get that golden theater popcorn look and taste! Super fine grain stays on popcorn.
$3.19 ($0.09 / Ounce)

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Best Tried & True Brand

No iodine added
Hard to find in stores, this two-pack of salt-shakers won over our testers with its smooth taste. Sticks well to most popcorn kernels.
$3.44 ($0.46 / Ounce)

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Best Butter-Flavored Popcorn Salt

Powdery texture
Wowsa! We loved the taste of this savory salt, with just the right balance of butter and salt. Also nice: the lid has a built-in shaker. Caveat: some say it is too salty.
$9.49 ($0.50 / Ounce)

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Best Flavored Salt

Made in the USA
If you want something beyond plain salt, we loved this pack—our favorite was Bacon Cheddar . . . but it was also fun to mix and match more than one flavor at a time!
$17.58 ($1.54 / Ounce)

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Why Trust Us

We’ve been rating and reviewing products for the home and families since 1994. We do hands-on testing—we buy the products with our own money and evaluate with an eye toward quality, ease of use and affordability.

Here’s another key point: we don’t take money from the brands we review. No free samples, no sponsors, no “partnerships.” Our work is 100% reader-supported!

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