Posted on 02/28/2025 5:43:27 PM PST by CondoleezzaProtege
People are opinionated about microwave popcorn brands, and in this instance, I am people. Throwing a trifolded bag in the microwave for a few minutes brings back childhood memories of sleepovers, Blockbuster rentals, and jamming out on my Walkman. I want steaming popcorn that is equal parts buttery, salty, and crunchy—if it doesn’t leave my fingertips slicked with grease, I’m not interested. Nowadays, popcorn is still a top-tier snack in my eyes, though I’ve started dressing it up a bit more for variety. Otherwise, my criteria for a great bag of microwave popcorn has largely stayed the same.
And so I brought these strong, smart, and correct opinions to our latest staff taste test. We tried seven popular brands of microwave popcorn to find the one that best balanced saltiness and butter flavor, while maintaining a yellow-but-not-too-yellow color and an airy, snappy crunch. I admit, I came to this taste test with my biases—both Pop Secret and Act II are brands I grew up with. But the panel of tasters and I went in blind, guaranteeing some upsets, heartbreaks, and disappointments. (Orville Redenbacher, I have a bone to pick.) Thankfully, there was one clear winner that we unanimously agreed on—we just had to get through the flops first.
Firmly in its Flop Era: Skinny Pop
The Hard No: Act II
The Salt Lovers’ Dream: Pop Secret
Strangely Sweet: Orville Redenbacher’s
Desperately Dry: 365 Organic
Good: Newman’s Own
Perfectly Balanced: Jolly Time
(Excerpt) Read more at bonappetit.com ...
i bought us an air popper for Christmas. It’s great to have fresh hot popcorn.
‘ Nothing beats popcorn, home made with coconut oil. No more microwave popcorn.’
Bingo.
Stove top. Big pot, preferably a cast iron Dutch oven, heat up, add coconut oil, heat until hot, kernels, some butter and seasoning salt like flavacol and enjoy.
They have plastic pots that can microwave popcorn. I don’t know how it stacks up in taste to an air fryer,
Since I retired, I cut up potatoes like french fries and put a little oil in a frying pan and cook them and repeatedly turn them over. Close to french fries in taste but a lot cheaper as well.
‘ Since I retired, I cut up potatoes like french fries and put a little oil in a frying pan and cook them and repeatedly turn them over.’
If you don’t do this, try it, you’ll get better results.
After cutting the fries, soak in cold water for like an hour. If you have time, drain and rinse after 30 minutes and soak again.
Then dry them well.
Fry in 325 degree oil until cooked through.
Remove and drain on paper towels.
Raise the heat of the oil to,375, then refry until golden brown.
The absolute best microwave popcorn is the cheapest, butter-flavored one that anyone can find. ;-)
Pop in an air popper.
As it’s coming out into the bowl, drizzle melted butter and sprinkle Parmesan cheese. Then mix it all up.
“”””After cutting the fries, soak in cold water for like an hour. If you have time, drain and rinse after 30 minutes and soak again Then dry them well.
Fry in 325 degree oil until cooked through.
Remove and drain on paper towels.
Raise the heat of the oil to,375, then refry until golden brown.””””
Ran into those with the French Army, they are out of this world, I think they are frequently called Belgian fries.
“One of the most tremendous differences among Dutch and Belgian fries is the type of oil used to fry them. The Dutch fry their potatoes in plant oil, Belgians typically use red meat fats to fry french fries.”
Well, hell yes. You have beef tallow, use that. But that’s much more expensive and harder to find that coconut oil. Wouldn’t recommend bacon fat though.
All my daughter knew was microwave popcorn - she got it as a semi-healthy snack. She didn’t really believe me when I told her you could make it in a saucepan on the stove top. So I had to demonstrate - vegetable oil, popcorn, salt and real butter. Even better than Jiffy Pop.
Same here. I was always the Jiffy Pop champ when it came to cooking it. There is a technique and I had it down. Wouldn’t burn one kernel.
Men were better at making jiffy pop because the motion was familiar.
ROTFL!
Jolly Time Blast-O-Butter.
Nothing else compares in the Microwave popcorn market.
Whirley Pop is the best way to make pop corn. You use little oil and butter whips into the popped kernels evenly. Add seasonings just after the first pop and wind that crank to perfectly incorporate it. It makes few unpopped kernels and they are big.
I skin my potato leaving some of the skin for taste. Once I cut my potatoes into french fries, I put them into a pan of cold oil and turn on the burner to high. Once the oil reaches a rapid bubbling, I turn down the burner and cook on a medium boil until they turn a golden brown.
The cold water soaking draws out the flavor Starting them in cold oil allows the outside surface of the fries to achieve an effective seal; allowing the inside to cook to a creamy consistency.
I used to skin the potato but stopped when I was told it would lead to blindness.
Seriously though, most microwave popcorn is good if you closely monitor the time between pops near the end of the recommended setting. Finding that perfect stage right before burnt with minimal un-popped kernels is a worthwhile endeavor.
Blind Taste Test... *snicker
Amen to Whirley pop using kettle corn recipe and Big mushroom corn. Better than crack!
Don’t know about that flavor, but I would agree Orville Redenbacher is indeed the best - best, largest popped kernels - sometimes the bag looks like it going to burst open.
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