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[doncale]

if so, please descibe your method of popping popcorn. be it stove top, microwave (not microwavable popcorn bags or whatever!) or popcorn popper machine, etc.

if you do your popcorn on the stove in a pot, what do you add to it?

i've been making popcorn ever since i learned it from my mom. lol. i use an iron pot on the stove.

man i love popcorn. having some now

 

[WasabiKing]

Used to use a machine, but it was a bitch to add melted butter to them. Stuck with the microwave for now.

 

[aoi tsuki]

It's been ages since i've popped corn, but when i used the stovetop method, i used a heavy cast iron pan, filling it with ~two tablespoons of oil and a quarter to a third cup of kernels. i'd pop it until the duration between pops was about three seconds, then remove the lid. After turning the heat off, i'd drop the butter (a good four or so pats) in the pan, or if there was another pan free, i'd have it warmed up, then drop the butter in it. It's important (to me at least) that the butter melts, but doesn't fry. When it fries, it turns brown and gets a burnt taste. Melted butter retains the sweetness and flavor of the butter. Then i'd lightly sprinkle salt (usually powdered) on the popcorn.

Using the electric popper was a lot easier since it alleviated messing with the oil and pan, and risking making it too wet by leaving the lid on a hair too long.

Occasionally, i'd put different seasonings on the popped corn, like cayenne pepper, garlic powder, grated cheese (like Kraft), or Tobasco sauce. Non-salted blends like five spice blend tasted pretty good too.

 

[Spiritreaver]

Stove top is the way to go, microwave is horrible and I can't stand how people can take slight convenience over taste.

Anyways, I mainly use a deep dish type pan, oil the entire bottom of it then I add the kernels an dperhaps some butter as well. It depends on how I feel. Sometimes it's better just heat the butter afterwards in the cooling pan and then pour it out on the popcorn. I cook it till it fills, empty slightly and then let it finish. Then you add your salt and what have you, I guess. That's the simple way, anyways. I'm actually still pretty rusty on it. I'm going to have to try using other means of oiling the pan so it doesn't burn as quickly.

My mom is awesome at it though, she's never made a single batch of poor popcorn and it's got a nice taste to it. You don't really taste the popcorn itself, but the butter and salt as well so it's just wonderful.

 

[aoi tsuki]

Stove top is the way to go, microwave is horrible and I can't stand how people can take slight convenience over taste.

Anyways, I mainly use a deep dish type pan, oil the entire bottom of it then I add the kernels an dperhaps some butter as well. It depends on how I feel. Sometimes it's better just heat the butter afterwards in the cooling pan and then pour it out on the popcorn. I cook it till it fills, empty slightly and then let it finish. Then you add your salt and what have you, I guess. That's the simple way, anyways. I'm actually still pretty rusty on it. I'm going to have to try using other means of oiling the pan so it doesn't burn as quickly.

My mom is awesome at it though, she's never made a single batch of poor popcorn and it's got a nice taste to it. You don't really taste the popcorn itself, but the butter and salt as well so it's just wonderful.

That's how my popcorn turned out, and i used the same type pan. The sides were probably four inches high. Haven't popped in years, but i doubt i'd make a bad batch.

What oil are you using? Olive and corn oil have low burning temperatures, so use canola or standard "vegetable oil". If you use the latter two, the oil should be ready right before it starts to smoke. It really just takes practice getting used to your stove and pan to get the right feel for the temperature you need to pop optimally.

One way to test if your oil is right is to drop three kernels in the oil. When they pop, add the rest. As your corn pops, tilt the lid so that the steam escapes to prevent dampening the corn.

 

[Error Macro]

Criticizing microwave popcorn always makes me scratch my head. What brands did you guys use? It usually turns out great for me, pretty much on par with the stove top brands.

 

[aoi tsuki]

i've tried basically every brand available in supermarkets. My main problem with them is that the corn is tasteless and the butter is just horrid. It doesn't have the sweetness real butter or the flavor, just the salt. It's passable, but frankly, i just take it as one of the tradeoffs you get for convenience. Convenience foods never taste as good as making it yourself, assuming you actually know how to do so.

 

[doncale]

most microwave popcorn is horrible, some are just edible, but never delicious.

when i use the microwave its only for popping kernels that've bought, never pre-bagged microwave popcorn.

anway

It's been ages since i've popped corn, but when i used the stovetop method, i used a heavy cast iron pan, filling it with ~two tablespoons of oil and a quarter to a third cup of kernels. i'd pop it until the duration between pops was about three seconds, then remove the lid. After turning the heat off, i'd drop the butter (a good four or so pats) in the pan, or if there was another pan free, i'd have it warmed up, then drop the butter in it. It's important (to me at least) that the butter melts, but doesn't fry. When it fries, it turns brown and gets a burnt taste. Melted butter retains the sweetness and flavor of the butter. Then i'd lightly sprinkle salt (usually powdered) on the popcorn.

Stove top is the way to go, microwave is horrible and I can't stand how people can take slight convenience over taste.

Anyways, I mainly use a deep dish type pan, oil the entire bottom of it then I add the kernels an dperhaps some butter as well. It depends on how I feel. Sometimes it's better just heat the butter afterwards in the cooling pan and then pour it out on the popcorn. I cook it till it fills, empty slightly and then let it finish. Then you add your salt and what have you, I guess. That's the simple way, anyways. I'm actually still pretty rusty on it. I'm going to have to try using other means of oiling the pan so it doesn't burn as quickly.

basicly I do any combination of the above. though I'm going to try being more careful and trying out DarthWufei's and Aoi Tsuki's exact methods ^__^

 

[Spiritreaver]

i've tried basically every brand available in supermarkets. My main problem with them is that the corn is tasteless and the butter is just horrid. It doesn't have the sweetness real butter or the flavor, just the salt. It's passable, but frankly, i just take it as one of the tradeoffs you get for convenience. Convenience foods never taste as good as making it yourself, assuming you actually know how to do so.

This is exactly what I dislike about it. It's very salty and the kernals are really light, almost as if they are nothing.

More importantly, Error Macro, what brands do you use? I'm willing to try something different, I've been through so many.

Oh, and I do thank you for the tips aoi tsuki. I've got to try them out. My biggest problem is this gas stove we have when we moved in. I'm so used to this electric one we had back home in Tulsa, and the heat is put out in a different pattern than the gas stove. It just seems quite different. I will give your oil tips a try though, probably the real problem.

 

[Error Macro]

It's been so long since I've eaten popcorn, that I can't remember the brand I used. But I would buy them in the box, like 10 bags per box, from Sam's Club, or Wal-Mart or something like that. I may have an old bag or two in the cupboard, I will check.

 

[doncale]

btw, lately ive been using olive oil, the only oil i have now, and been getting pretty good results with it, dispite the lower burning temps. also have been using far less salt than in the past. tastes much better that way and doesn't leave me dying of thirst.

 

[Dyne]

Olive oil, eh? That's interesting.

Yeah, my dad usually makes kernel machine popcorn during movies. Adds melted butter (real, not margarine) and salt.

 

[Ecrofirt]

I really enjoy the popcorn that boyscouts sell as fundraisers.

It's mircowavable, and it's probably got the best taste of any popcorn I've ever had.

Oh, and I really enjoy microwavable popcorn, because it'll get buttery without the kernals of corn dissolving to nothing when you put butter on them.

 

[Error Macro]

I'm a big fan of the butter, but not the salt. I have weaned salt out of my diet.

 

[XMonkey]

Pop-Secret Homestyle, best microwaved popcorn ever.

 

[JoshuaJSlone]

I've only been popping my own corn recently, because we were out of microwave stuff and it didn't seem difficult. Nothing complicated; put some oil at the bottom as it suggested, put in a kernel and wait for it to pop, pour in some more, put a plate on it as a lid, shake back and forth until done. I've still not got my guesstimations quite right; it tends to end up filling the thing and thus necessarily getting a bit smooshed together. I prefer my popcorn on the plainer and drier side, though I do like a sprinkle of salt.

Honestly I still probably prefer the "Light Butter" style microwave popcorn yet, but it's not quite as fun to make, nor does it allow for as much variation in amount and flavoring.

 

[Jim Bowie]

I pop my own corn at home, but I don't have an electric popper up here.

I've been digging on the microwavable kettle corn, though. Kettle corn >= Sex.