a low - headroom popcorn popper , particularly for under - cabinet mounting , employs a charging drawer alongside an intermediate chute for entering kernels of corn into a popping chamber . the corn remains in the charging drawer until a charging slide is pushed to permit the corn to enter the popping chamber . a horizontal air path between a blower and a plenum surrounding the popping chamber further reduces headroom . air enters the perimeter of the popping chamber from the plenum in a horizontal swirling motion produced by slanted louvers . a door closes an open bottom of the popping chamber to permit removal of unpopped kernels of corn and other debris therefrom . heater elements are disposed in the plenum chamber non - uniformly in angle about the popping chamber to attain a substantially uniform air temperature entering the popping chamber . separation of popped corn from unpopped kernels of corn is attained using two cylindrical sections connected by a diverging conical section . popped corn rises upward on the air stream until it passes over a dam , whereupon it falls down a discharge chute . an electrical control system controls a wait light and a ready light to indicate to a user the time that an optimum popping temperature exists in the popping chamber . an overtemperature sensor deenergizes the heater , blower and the ready light , and energizes the wait light when an unsafe temperature is approached .