I like Alton Brown’s paper-bag popcorn at work (see below) No gadgets required. And it works great with my favorite popcorn, Bob’s Red Mill.
I loved the air poppers as a child, but as an adult they are a nightmare. Kernels fly everywhere like you’re in a popcorn firefight. This product seems to solve that problem. thanks!
I second the paperbag method. It doesn’t even need the spray oil or tape to close the bag. Just crimp it over. And it’s easier to add seasonings and butter with the bag than the bowl popper as you can shake the bag to coat evenly.
I have a multi-purpose microwave corn popper/steamer, but I’ve been kind of reluctant to use it much since as a steamer it generated so much steam that it (apparently) corroded the magnetometer. Is that not a problem with popcorn popping?
Another vote for a $0.05 brown paper lunch bag.
I picked up an air popper last year hoping to avoid the microwave situation where if you try to do too much at once, early-popped kernels end up getting burnt. Did not like! The air popper had a nasty habit of kicking out unpopped kernels that would then pop in the bowl, exploding popcorn all over the place.
I’ve gone back to brown paper bag exclusively, and just do a little less at once.
I too do the brown bag technique but find that just crimping over can lead to opening. What I end up doing is doing three cut tabs in the fold over (like when you needed to attach papers in school but didnt have a stapler) and it stays closed perfectly.
What kind of ridiculous freaking wuss uses a microwave to make popcorn? In China we use coal, and if you cook it too long it doesn’t burn, it blows your head off.
In a pinch you can just put the popcorn in a brown paper lunch sack with a very light sprinkle of water, roll up or fold the end, and microwave. works better then most microwave popcorn brands.
This device looks convenient, as it is the bowl, and reusable, so if you eat a lot of popcorn then it might be worth the purchase.
3-4 minutes to pop a bag of popcorn? You must be using a low watt microwave! If I go over 1:45 in mine, the popcorn starts burning.
Popcorn is a great snack, but to make it taste good, it has to be coated in crap.
Do you mean the standup poppers like http://www.amazon.com/Presto-04821-Orville-Redenbachers-Popper/dp/B00006IUWB?
The best tip I got about those was once you hear the first kernel pop, tip the popper backwards (holding the top on) at about a 55% angle until the popcorn is higher than the ledge, and then place it back upright.
Then just make sure you take the full bowl out of the way before the last few kernels get ejected.
Instead of butter as a topping, try lemon juice or lime juice.
I use melted coconut oil. Being almost complete saturated, it’s much more heat stable… and it’s delicious!
That’s good advice. I’m sure you should probably use an oven mitt to hold the top on – that sucker is hot.
Personally I find it really hard to beat the crank style popcorn poppers. Street vendor pyrotechnics aside of course.
That was amazing. Thank you for that. The Iroquois used heated sand and pots. Lame.
Great idea. Other favorites around my house are Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (which come in a handy dandy spray bottle, perfect for popcorn), brewer’s yeast, and Sriracha sauce.
Furikake is awesome too, and when I’m feeling indulgent, nothing beats freshly grated Pecorino.
No love for Jiffy Pop?
Sure it’s probably the same mix of high oil and butter flavor/salt as bagged stuff.
But you just can’t beat a swelling retro tray of Jiffy pop with that space age atomic mushroom cloud of the foil dome that magically expanded before your eyes.
The box spec say ‘don’t use on a flat top range’ IMHO I think it’s lawyer talk about worries for scratching the cooktop. I’ve used it and no problem. Just give it a light lift.
When I was a kid we always used it on a coil top range.
The local custom is olive oil from a sprayer, and then a healthy dose of Cheddar Shake! on top (http://www.cabotcheese.coop/pages/our_products/product.php?catID=19&id=22).
