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11-28-2007, 06:10 PM
|  | Registered User Culinary Experience: Other | | Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA
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| |  What's YOUR Favorite Microwave Popcorn?
I've tried a few and they all come up lacking. Sometimes I just want a quick popcorn fix, so a microwave popcorn is a perfect compromise - works great with a made for TV movie 
shel |
11-28-2007, 06:17 PM
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Alton Brown to the Rescue. Pop bulk popcorn in a paper sack in the microwave. Roll and staple the end, the staple is too small to recieve the microwaves so it won't get too hot.
Meanwhile, melt some butter and get the bowl and salt ready.
Or buy an airpopper. They're $10.00 and about as fast as the nuker.
Phil |
11-28-2007, 06:53 PM
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Leave it to Alton to come up with a good alternative to comercial microwave popcorn. I checked the recipe and technique he suggests - seems perfect as far as time and convenience goes. Tks!
shel |
11-29-2007, 08:45 AM
|  | Registered User Culinary Experience: Cook At Home | | Join Date: Nov 2007
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I ran across the brown paper bag method a couple of weeks ago and tried it out. It really does work like a charm! You can even use a small piece of tape instead of the staple - works fine. You can also reuse the brown paper bag, since there is no oil or anything to mar it.
I have a Jennair convection microwave, and the auto popcorn sensor works beautifully for this. |
11-29-2007, 09:03 AM
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My favorite microwave popcorn? I used to like the stuff in the bag until I saw the trans fat amounts. Now they're saying the chemical that gives it a buttery flavor causes lung disease.
Having said that, I use either a Nordic Ware microwave popcorn popper without oil or an air popper. I do use real butter but in small amounts.
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11-29-2007, 09:29 AM
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Microwave popcorn?! 
I can understand it at work, if you are really jonesing for some, but at home? Folks, it really takes only a miniscule more amount of effort to pull out the stovetop popper and pop some. Really!! Popcorn in and of itself is one of the ultimate quick convience foods. Why resort to the microwaved stuff with its excess salt and artifical butter flavor (that seems to be worse for you than the real stuff anyway)? Sorry but I just don't see the point, and remember this coming from a chef who used to eat frozen pizzas and burritos after a long day at work instead of cooking for himself.
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11-29-2007, 09:38 AM
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It's funny -- popcorn is one of the few foods I'm snobby about.  I used to use bulk Orville What's-is-name, popped in the nuker in a plastic "microwave popper." It was okay, at least it was fast and it was popcorn without added fat. Then I ran out of Orville and I burned the plastic thing (well, actually I burned the popcorn in it, but it had the same effect.  ).
As it happens, (SHILL ALERT) my buddy Rancho Gordo sells popcorn, which I tried, popping it on the stove with duck fat. OMG. No more Orville, ever. Although I might try that paper-bag trick. 
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11-29-2007, 10:35 AM
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Oh, Suzanne.... popcorn and duck fat! Two favorites joined together. I don't have duck fat just now, but schmaltz I do have..... Hm.....
Pete, we used to make popcorn on the stove with vegetable oil when I was a kid. The largest pot we had was one my mom used to sterilize my youngest brother's baby bottles. It was PINK for some reason, and was fondly known as "the popcorn pot" no matter what we used it for. I don't think I've had popcorn popped in plain ol' vegetable oil for a long time. I'll do that right after I get my hands on some duck fat.
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Last edited by Mezzaluna; 11-29-2007 at 10:37 AM.
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11-29-2007, 11:32 AM
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Now we just need a recipe for good home-made cheese popcorn. |
11-29-2007, 12:12 PM
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Also try bacon fat, as I stated in the post on "Makin' Bacon". No butter needed then, just some salt. My parents had a black steel stove top popper with a hand and a crank to keep the popcorn moving. We have something similar in my household now, though it is made of aluminum. Works great with oil, bacon fat or, I'm sure, duck fat. We also make Kettle corn in it, by adding 1/2cup (I think that is the amount, my wife makes the Kettle Corn, while I am always in charge of regular popcorn or caramel corn).
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11-30-2007, 03:33 AM
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I quit the micro-packages and went to a Presto Power Popper which is very effective in the microwave with bulk popcorn. It produces the fewest "old maids" of any method I've ever used, including hot air and stovetop pots.
I dress it with garlic butter and shaved parmesan cheese. A little beer and you're set for the football game.
Mike 
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11-30-2007, 10:23 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vera Bradley  If you are a health-conscious popcorn (and convenience) lover, stop by your local Whole Foods Market and get Bearito's Organic No Salt No Oil Microwave Popcorn. | That's one I've tried - can't stand it. Thanks for jumping in though.
shel | |
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