Kernel

I usually just buy these since they are popped and seasoned perfectly to my taste.

I have tried popping my own several times, but the kernels just never puff out right and end up small hard/crunchy and slightly burnt.

Maybe someday I'll invest in an air-popper and hope that will have better results.

Microwave popcorn is disgusting and bad for you. Try Boom Chicka Pop, its lighter and doesn't taste stale as all hell. I used to like American Farmers movie theater popcorn but I can't find it anymore in stores.

Mix MSG, potassium chloride, and calcium chloride, to form a salty tasting dust, with less sodium overall than table salt (sodium chloride). Apply to popcorn. Add melted butter or just olive oil. Apply more salty shit until you're satisfied. Shake briefly in container.

Make it on the stove. It's cheaper, easy as hell, and tastes better.

just make it on the stove?

Yeah? It will taste better just putting it on the stove.
Hmmm ..

It's so fucking easy.

Peanut oil: cover the bottom of the pot. put it on medium heat.

Put 4-5 kernels in the pot, cover. Wait for all 5 kernels to pop.

Take the pot off the burner, put the rest of the kernels in. let it sit for about 30 seconds, swish them around in the oil.

Put it back on the burner, leave it until everything's done popping (agitating as necessary). Perfect every time.

It tastes better because you can control the level of oil you use. That's really the primary reason. Seasonings are just bonus, ontop of that. Use Kernel Seasons or just a bit of sunflower oil for topping.

some fresh dill is actually really good on popcorn or that parmesan cheese that comes in a powder.

you should also trying cooking your popcorn on the stove cause it doesn't burn the shit out of your popcorn. just cut open the bag of microwave popcorn into a wok or soup pot that has some oil in it on medium.

youtube.com/watch?v=ZP-8aF_CjMk

>I have tried popping my own several times, but the kernels just never puff out right and end up small hard/crunchy and slightly burnt.
How the hell do you fuck this up? Wait till oil is right temperature (leave a couple of kernels in there, when they pop, it's right), put in popcorn, shake it around everyone once in a while to avoid burning and vent steam by lifting the lid a little. Stop when it's nearly all popped. Easy.

>Maybe someday I'll invest in an air-popper and hope that will have better results.
It won't, it has nowhere near the same crispness.

You got an air popper, senpai?

I was thinking about getting one because then I wouldn't need to buy so much oil, wouldn't need to babysit the pan, etc. Worth the cost?

It's not as if I'm suffering becuase of HUGE OIL COSTS or some shit, it just ends up being more convenient if I can save the oil for the topping and not use any while cooking.

I have an air popper, it's handy, and much healthier, but the texture will never be as good as oil. It's not quite as crispy, doesn't have the same satisfying bite that good popcorn does.

Also you can replicate the effects with a paper bag, some masking tape and a microwave.

I'll give it a shot, hopefully they're not that bad of a moneysink.

I end up making popcorn for my little sister most often so let's see if it passes that test.

How to make stovetop popcorn easily:

Pour a bit of oil into a pot. Enough to cover the bottom. Drop in three or four popcorn kernels, spaced out. If you want salt or other seasoning, you can add it to the oil now, I find it distributes better, but you do you.

Turn on the heat, put the lid on. When the kernels you dropped in all pop, you know the pot is hot enough, and QUICKLY put in the rest of the kernels before putting the lid back on. You don't want all the hot air to escape.

Keep agitating the pot regularly while the rest pops, so you don't get any burnt pieces. Make sure to lift the lid just a little a couple of times too; it vents the steam, which is what makes popcorn go soggy and lose its crispiness.

When it's done, if you want to add butter, just drop it into the pot, put the lid back on and shake it around. Distributes nicely, the still-hot pot melts it easily.

Venting the steam and making sure the oil is hot enough BEFORE you put in your popcorn seem to be where most people fuck up, but they're both crucial to getting ideal results.

gadgets that only cook one type of food are always money sinks.

Just use a microwave man, it's so easy.

Cost like $20 at Wal-Mart. You spin the handle and have your oil or whatever and seasoning and kernels in the pan and it swirls it all around and evenly coats it all as it pops. Put on medium heat on a burner and just start turning the handle when it begins popping and pour into a bowl. Easy as crapping.

bagged popcorn is definitely more expensive

I'm not telling you to buy bagged popcorn I'm telling you to buy a paper bag, put popcorn kernels in it, tape it shut and nuke that shit.

It's air popping without the need to buy an obnoxious space wasting monotask appliance.

This is somehow dumber than buying a popcorn maker.

Actually, no. It's not. It perfectly seasons every piece. An air popper doesn't season a fucking thing. If you want plain dry unseasoned popcorn, sure. If you think you can get every piece the same by shaking a saucepan over a burner, sure. Otherwise take a long hard deep look at yourself and go fuck off.

Is popcorn your special interest user?

Yes. Sadly, I guess.

Just any brown paper bag? This seems like a retard-level question but I don't make a habit of setting my microwave on fire.

Yeah. Use masking tape to close the bag if you're super paranoid but I've been using plain old clear tape for years with no issue.

I guess the caveat being that it's harder to remove non-masking tape and can destroy the bag or whatever bullshit nonsense

Gunna give it a shot. Thanks for the advice. I'd seen that method mentioned before but was skeptical about it popping without oil.

All air poppers do is create a space with heat in it to force the kernels to pop. That's all the microwave is really doing too.

I can't beleive no one has suggested a microwave popcorn popper yet. You can pop with little or no oil. It's made from food grade silicone and can go in the dishwasher if you're lazy. I picked one up a few weeks ago and love it.

I make mine with coconut oil and salt.

I enjoy the flavor of plain airpopped yellow corn.

Tony Chachere's and brewer's yeast

Dry flake yeast, mrs dash, spike, cayenne pepper, butter and fresh garlic

Thank me later

meh, buying just straight kernels and making popcorn on the stovetop is much cheaper is healthier if done right

also salt is pretty much the only dietary source of iodine

lemon pepper

you'll thank me later

just sprinkle sugar over them or caramelize them

salt should be enough. if you don't like just eat them unsalted.

if you are still looking for stuff to put on it you might actually have mineral deficiency.

stop being an idiot just use salt

>MSG
degenerate

just throw pesto in them lmao

Why not just use a paper bag

This was directed at you, by the way, just fucked up the quote.

I don't get the point of buying a plastic box to put stuff in when a generic paper bag does the job fine.

Parmesan cheese

also cleaner residue in food storage tanks.

I get mine from a half teaspoon daily of dulse.

this, underrated as fuck

if you make your own on the stove top, you can add salt, pepper, Kerrygold butter and rosemary. it's a simple way to make something new.

I buy kernels in bulk and cook them over the stove in olive oil.

My secret ingredient is onion salt. I mix the popcorn with butter, then sprinkle a little salt, mix it around, then some onion salt and mix it around again.

Truly, popcorn kino.

If I'm lazy I dump a bunch of grated parm cheese on top

Hell ya nigga