Most of the time, popping corn requires oil. Maybe an air popper doesn’t, but I’ve never used one so on this, I cannot comment.
Microwaved popcorn has “oil”, or “butter flavored oil” in the bag, but that stuff is nasty, processed chemicals.
We pop on the stove in a pot with a lid, so some fat/oil is required and better to use bacon fat than seed oils. After popcorn is done, use the same hot pot to melt the butter.
Never tried the cheese addition, but just before the popping starts, we do add a bit of Cajun seasoning. The popping action evenly distributes the seasoning.
Moar popcorn slide...
Try candying a bit of honey and butter with some crushed red pepper to mix in the popcorn. Put a couple of tablespoons of honey, a couple tablespoons of butter, and whatever amount of crushed red pepper you can handle in a small sauce pan and bring it to a boil. Remove from heat as soon as it it first boils. This should be close to “soft crack” candy or a loose toffee. Drizzle on popcorn. It’s a nice sweet treat.
Qell of course it takes oil when heating the kernels.
I can rephrase. I like the taste of plain old popcorn that doesn’t taste like bacon or other non’corny flavors, excluding what flavor is induced by the cooking oil.
Actually I have eaten microwave popcorn that tastes really clean and light, no butter flavor a’tall. very tasty and I would buy again.