Uncanny Brands Darth Vader Helmet Popcorn Maker

Lift the top off this Darth Vader helmet, flip it over, and it becomes the serving bowl for the popcorn it just made. The whole machine is shaped like Vader’s helmet, about 9.5 inches across and just under 9 inches tall, and a transparent cover lets you watch the kernels jump while it runs.

It’s a hot-air popper, so there’s no oil. You measure kernels with the included cup, pour them into the main chamber and switch it on. Uncanny Brands says it pops in about 2 to 3 minutes, roughly as fast as a microwave bag, with up to a 98 percent popping rate. It’s UL listed and built for 120-volt outlets in the US, Canada and Mexico.

It’s made for the household that turns movie night into an event, where the Dark Lord of the Sith handles snacks before the opening crawl. Between batches it looks more like a movie prop than a kitchen appliance, which helps when it lives on an open shelf.

The catch: it weighs about 4.5 pounds and takes up real counter space, and a hot-air popper makes plain popcorn, so butter and salt go on afterward.