I have used all the methods for popping corn mentioned here. Air popped is what I’ve done mostly over the last 40+ years. I find some butter and popcorn salt make it taste just as good as oil popped or microwave corn.
I have scanned the thread, and I don’t think anyone else has mentioned this. When stove top oil-in-pan popping the best results happen when the corn is added to hot oil. Just put the oil in the pan and add a few kernels of corn. Turn the heat on medium high. When the kernels in the pan pop, add the rest of the corn. This really makes a difference! Of course using good, fresh popcorn really helps.
To those who haven’t tried it: black pepper, salt and butter are an awesome combination on popcorn.
The most fun-looking way to make popcorn involves an enormous cast-iron cauldron, a long paddle, and adding sugar and salt at the end - i.e. the way I see them making it at the kettle corn stand at the farmers’ market. I feel sorry for those guys in hot weather!
The sugar melts of course, then coats the corn. Now I want some, and it’s not available until April. Grrrr.
What type of difference? Better taste? More kernels popped? Bigger kernels? I add the kernels and oil cold at the same time and never had a problem. What turns out better by pre-heating the oil?
Ghee in a Whirley-Pop works great for popping and flavoring, or avocado oil and then a pat of butter once the popping gets going. Plus Cabot cheddar powder of course.
I have that same popper, but I have never used the “powerbase” or “power up”. When I got it second-hand, it didn’t have them, and after I bought a new one years many later and discovered it came with them, I just never bothered.
When I had a Stir-Crazy, I occasionally used bacon fat as the cooking oil. Nowadays, I make air-pooped, on the extremely rare occasions I make popcorn (maybe once a year, if that).
I use a 12" nonstick wok with a glass cover. The narrow flat bottom keeps the unpopped kernals over the heat, while the curved sides allow the popped corn to rise away from the heat, reducing burned popcorn.
My other protip is using bacon grease instead of oil to pop the kernels. Because everything is better with bacon.
POPCORN is a very healthy snack. You can eat giant handfuls of it without guilt.
All the grease you put on it, isn’t. Of all the mentioned choices, probably plain butter is the healthiest. Flavacol has horrible chemicals in it I wouldn’t feed to a dog. Coconut oil is not good for you at all.
Two seasonings I can’t get enough of to add after popping are both made by Urban Accents. The Chili Lime and Spicy Sriracha are awesome. Unfortunately I haven’t found a way to but them outside of this set: Urban Accents Box Office Hits, Popcorn Set, 8 Pieces : Target
