# Which is better, air popped popcorn or microwave popcorn?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-better-air-popped-popcorn-or-microwave-popcorn/607257>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [December 24, 2011, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-better-air-popped-popcorn-or-microwave-popcorn/607257 "2011-12-24T06:14:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2011, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-better-air-popped-popcorn-or-microwave-popcorn/607257/41 "2011-12-29T23:45:50Z")

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> [@Jaledin](#):
>
> **Lab** Do you mean that the Orville situ is not that dire? Ever since I saw _Twin Peaks_ I know what good corn tastes like, but I’m still not sure Orville isn’t it. Not a connoisseur, believe it or not.
> 
> (And, no, you’re right. A fork is the best way of closing a paper sack. My bad.)

I have a large heirloom garden in the back yard that usually includes a variety of popcorn. Some of it is better than others, but OR’s holds up fine, overall.

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**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-better-air-popped-popcorn-or-microwave-popcorn/607257/42 "2011-12-30T00:03:14Z")

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I use a Whirly-Pop, and have never washed it. Wipe it out with a paper towel, done. I don’t know what all the complaining about cleanup is about.

As far as buying popcorn that’s not “Orville’s,” if you’ve got a Whole Foods or another locally-focused store nearby, I’d start there. Both the tiny organic store that’s next door to me and Whole Foods carry nice organic stuff in bulk, that’s something like $1.25 a pound. Since I eat a lot of popcorn, and it’s kinda hard to wash, I decided to go organic (potatoes, too).

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**Author:** ![Turble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-better-air-popped-popcorn-or-microwave-popcorn/607257/43 "2011-12-30T23:25:33Z")

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Regarding staples and forks in the microwave:

A typical microwave oven operates at 2.45GHz. A bit of mathematical manipulation on the relationship of frequency to wavelength (insert funny greek letters here) leads to the conclusion that a wave in a microwave oven is about 122 millimeters or 4.8 inches long.

That makes a staple more or less invisible to / unaffected by the wave. A fork, however, is the right size to get very hot, likely hot enough to start the paper on fire.

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**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-better-air-popped-popcorn-or-microwave-popcorn/607257/44 "2011-12-31T01:56:59Z")

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> [@Sandra\_Battye](#):
>
> I’ve bought from [amishcountrypopcorn.com](http://www.amishcountrypopcorn.com/popcorn.html) several times. (I like the purple and blue varieties the best.) They have a “fill the box” offer that saves money on shipping and lets you try various types.

From the “well, crap…” file:

I just got back yesterday from visiting my girlfriend’s family. In Indiana. 700 miles from here. And twenty minutes from this Amish Country Popcorn place.

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