# Popcorn poppers and popcorn **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 30, 2018, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popcorn-poppers-and-popcorn/823715 "2018-10-30T13:00:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popcorn-poppers-and-popcorn/823715/62 "2018-11-09T21:30:58Z")
Most theaters use Flavacol salt and colored coconut oil. If you like that sort of thing. > **[Amazon.com : Snappy Popcorn Starter Pack: Pure Coconut Oil, Flavacol, Yellow...](https://www.amazon.com/Popcorn-Starter-Pack-Coconut-Flavacol/dp/B073QYTFDC)** > > Amazon.com : Snappy Popcorn Starter Pack: Pure Coconut Oil, Flavacol, Yellow Popcorn : Grocery & Gourmet Food ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popcorn-poppers-and-popcorn/823715/63 "2018-11-09T21:41:17Z")
"Flavacol is composed, after all, of only four ingredients: salt, artificial butter flavor, FD&C Yellow #5 Lake (E102) and Yellow #6 Lake (E110)” The flavoring is fairly insignificant compared to the salt. The claim is that it’s a special “sliced thin” salt. So, sort of like (good) Kosher salt. Which I use. And I use a tiny bit real butter. And I certainly don’t need or want the artificial coloring. I’ll pass. ---
**Author:** ![dzeiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@dzeiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzeiger)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2018, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popcorn-poppers-and-popcorn/823715/64 "2018-11-10T01:39:33Z")
Kosher salt is generally considered too big, popcorn salt is very, very fine. I think the Good Eats popcorn episode had Alton Brown putting kosher salt into a food processor to make homemade popcorn salt. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2018, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popcorn-poppers-and-popcorn/823715/65 "2018-11-10T02:40:45Z")
It’s not a highly complex thing with the salt. Regular salt is OK on popcorn, it’s just nicer when the salt is a finer texture, because it sticks better and doesn’t fall to the bottom as much. (Plus it probably tastes slightly better because it’s distributed more evenly.) ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2018, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popcorn-poppers-and-popcorn/823715/66 "2018-11-10T07:45:56Z")
Should have posted my Grand-mamas recipe: \*Melt half a cup of coconut oil in a large pan. \*Float 2-4 kernels of Orville Redenbacher in the melted oil until they pop. \*Pop 1 cup of corn in the heated oil \*In a separate pan melt 1 pound of Land-O-lakes butter \*Serve popped corn with melted butter on top to your Grandchildren. \*Yeah it’s more like popcorn soup than anything else. So what? \*Be dead years before the heart disease from eating an entire pound of butter on one single batch of popcorn every weekend for years catches up to your Grandkids. \*I’m not kidding about this recipe. \*It was freaking delicious!!! \*Gak! My chest! ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2018, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popcorn-poppers-and-popcorn/823715/67 "2018-11-10T15:43:32Z")
Popcorn has been the go-to snack in my family for generations. Depression era farm families could grow their own. I too am a fan of Whirlypop and even have a salt shaker dedicated to flour salt. I also like ‘mushroom’ (as opposed to ‘butterfly’) popcorn. I buy both [here](https://nuts.com/cookingbaking/grains/corn/popcorn-kernels/). ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2018, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popcorn-poppers-and-popcorn/823715/68 "2018-11-10T23:42:03Z")
If you add the Flavacol to the oil along with the kernels rather than sprinkling it on afterwards then you’ll get a much nicer, evenly salted bowl of popcorn. ---
**Author:** ![snoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@snoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snoe)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2018, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popcorn-poppers-and-popcorn/823715/69 "2018-11-11T01:16:40Z")
Weirder toppings: 1. The Capitol Theater in Olympia, WA used to have a squirt bottle of **tamari** and a shaker of **brewer’s yeast** at their condiment stand for the popcorn. (Perhaps they still do?) That was a weirdly delicious combo. Squirt, shake, close the bag and shake, repeat if needed. [Schedule | OlympiaFilmSociety.org](http://olympiafilmsociety.org/calendar/) 2. I first saw popcorn topped with **[furikake](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furikake)** in Hawaii; also weird, also delicious. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popcorn-poppers-and-popcorn/823715.md?page=3)