# Why is burned microwave popcorn so noxious? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 20, 2011, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-burned-microwave-popcorn-so-noxious/586174 "2011-06-20T17:08:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Curious3d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Curious3d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Curious3d)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-burned-microwave-popcorn-so-noxious/586174/1 "2011-06-20T17:08:31Z")
It’s right up there with the chemical warfare that is burned jalapeno peppers. What is it about microwave popcorn? When you burn a bag, it literally closes your throat, makes your eyes water, and leaves behind a smell that simply cannot be removed. I have never burned traditionally popped corn, does it do the same thing? ---
**Author:** ![Terraplane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Terraplane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terraplane)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-burned-microwave-popcorn-so-noxious/586174/2 "2011-06-21T15:16:55Z")
Traditionally popped corn stinks pretty bad if you burn it. I had a roommate who decided to have a midnight snack and cook some popcorn on the stove. He didn’t use oil, he used _butter_. I woke up in the middle of the night to a smoke filled house just saturated with that awful stench. It was just as bad as burnt microwave popcorn with the added smell of scorched butter. The apartment stank for days. ---
**Author:** ![Tequila\_Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/41988e/32.png) [@Tequila\_Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tequila_Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-burned-microwave-popcorn-so-noxious/586174/3 "2011-06-21T16:24:55Z")
I once burned a bag of microwave pork rinds at work. It was bad. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-burned-microwave-popcorn-so-noxious/586174/4 "2011-06-21T16:29:32Z")
> [@Tequila\_Mockingbird](#): > > I once burned a bag of **microwave pork rinds** at work. > > It was bad. I have never heard of these. Do they pop like popcorn? ---
**Author:** ![LilyoftheField](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@LilyoftheField](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheField)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-burned-microwave-popcorn-so-noxious/586174/5 "2011-06-21T16:31:21Z")
Yeah, burned popcorn is always noxious no matter the heating method. I think its just that the traditional stove top method requires constant attention and is therefore far less likely to be burned. With a microwave, we like to just pop it in, turn it on and walk away - at which point we go into the ‘out of sight, out of mind’ mode. Unfortunately resulting in the actor just not being there when the first hint of burning starts to pollute the air… ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-burned-microwave-popcorn-so-noxious/586174/6 "2011-06-21T16:40:00Z")
> [@LilyoftheField](#): > > Yeah, burned popcorn is always noxious no matter the heating method. I think its just that the traditional stove top method requires constant attention and is therefore far less likely to be burned. With a microwave, we like to just pop it in, turn it on and walk away - at which point we go into the ‘out of sight, out of mind’ mode. Unfortunately resulting in the actor just not being there when the first hint of burning starts to pollute the air… Clearly you are too young to have experienced the “joy” of Jiffy Pop. I don’t think I ever made it without burning it. ---
**Author:** ![LilyoftheField](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@LilyoftheField](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheField)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-burned-microwave-popcorn-so-noxious/586174/7 "2011-06-21T16:49:24Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Clearly you are too young to have experienced the “joy” of Jiffy Pop. I don’t think I ever made it without burning it. Aw…‘too young’…that’s so sweet! It’s been a long time since anyone has said that about me! I remember Jiffy Pop quite well. I suspect that if you burnt it, it was because you were ‘too young’ and your attention wandered! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![YWalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/6f9a4e/32.png) [@YWalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YWalker)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-burned-microwave-popcorn-so-noxious/586174/8 "2011-06-21T17:50:35Z")
I have a co-worker who LIKES his popcorn burned. We all get to enjoy the lovely smell wafting through the office on a regular basis. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-burned-microwave-popcorn-so-noxious/586174/9 "2011-06-21T18:32:08Z")
> [@LilyoftheField](#): > > Aw…‘too young’…that’s so sweet! It’s been a long time since anyone has said that about me! > > I remember Jiffy Pop quite well. I suspect that if you burnt it, it was because you were ‘too young’ and your attention wandered! 😃 LOL! OK. I won’t take it back, since my mistake is a pleasing one. . . 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-burned-microwave-popcorn-so-noxious/586174/10 "2011-06-21T18:36:39Z")
> [@YWalker](#): > > I have a co-worker who LIKES his popcorn burned. We all get to enjoy the lovely smell wafting through the office on a regular basis. …yeah… I’ve never done it on purpose… but unless it’s black as charcoal.. I can get behind burnt popcorn. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-burned-microwave-popcorn-so-noxious/586174/11 "2011-06-21T18:42:55Z")
It’s noxious because corn was never meant to be popped. Popping corn is an unholy act, just as is creating a human-like being from pieces you found in the cemetery, and making it come “alive” with electricity. When it goes bad, it goes _really_ bad. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-burned-microwave-popcorn-so-noxious/586174/12 "2011-06-21T19:34:27Z")
It smells like failure. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-burned-microwave-popcorn-so-noxious/586174/13 "2011-06-21T20:41:34Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > It’s noxious because corn was never meant to be popped. Popping corn is an unholy act, just as is creating a human-like being from pieces you found in the cemetery, and making it come “alive” with electricity. When it goes bad, it goes _really_ bad. Heh. Actually, there are strains of corn grown specifically as popping corn. I’ve relatives in Nebraska who grow popping corn, among other types. But most other corn strains will pop, too. We used to see stray popped kernels in fields after they’d been burnt off. Also, if you happen to be cooking corn in water, and the pot boils dry, and ittakes you a while to notice… smells like burnt popcorn. Although none of the kernels popped; they just charred. Nasty.