Truthfully? I am so cheap, I hate to use those prepackaged popcorn deals, so I buy the bags. And use a bowl made for the purpose of popping. Or did. I haven't in a long time. They work well as long as you get the top off of the bowl immediately so that the steam doesn't make the corn soggy. Hope this helps!

Here is a link that might be useful: microwave bowl for popcorn

Way back in the '70's I had a popcorn popper that plugged into the wall outlet. It was shaped sort of like a small wok, and you put the oil in the bottom, then the popcorn, and turned it on. I had it in my dorm room and wore it out. I don't know if they still make popcorn poppers, though. As for what I do now, is I just use a big pot and cook it the old fashioned way. Sometimes I use olive oil, which I like the flavor of. It's good with some parm cheese dusted on, and black pepper.

Sally

stir_fryi, I have a stir-crazy popcorn maker, and though I don't think it would be enough oil to be too worried about (YMMV), I'd choose an air popper next time. The stir-crazy is great, but much bigger to store (and if you go this route, melt the butter in the microwave rather than on top of the popcorn maker like it says you can do). Plus, I've been reading some things that make me nervous about using vegetable oil, and my nonstick coating is getting scratched, which probably isn't healthy, either. Still, 100 times better than that chemical nastiness that comes in microwave bags!

There might be a more recent review out there, but Slate.com recommends the Presto air popper.

Here is a link that might be useful: What's the best popcorn popper?

If you are looking for a healthy snack.....air popped is the way to go.....then spritz with a a butter flavored spray....
yes, a little like styrofoam but it's healthy!!
Popcorn isn't really good unless it's greasy!
The popper pictured below uses about 1/4 cup of oil for a batch.....the to really taste good you need to add butter too!!!!
I hate micro pop corn!!
Linda C

Here is a link that might be useful: The best popper!

LindaC, I absolutely agree on the Whirly Pop, but it's aluminum and I don't think it'll work on induction.

I don't like microwave popcorn either, and I like the salty, greasy, unhealthy stuff like you get at movie theaters. I've been known to walk into a theater and just buy popcorn then leave.

I did buy a popcorn bucket from the local rocket football kids, they were selling them as a fund raiser. Buy the bucket for $8 and the local Wesco station will fill it as many times as you care to bring it in for the year.

Not healthy, though, you want healthy and an air popper is the way to go, I think.

Annie

I make my popcorn the old fashioned way. Coat the bottom of a pot with a thin layer of oil. Pour in enough popcorn to approximately cover the bottom of the pot. Cover and cook on medium-high heat. I get a few old maids, they are inevitable. No biggie. I salt generously.

I never shake. Never have. Never understood why people do. I have no idea what shaking is supposed to accomplish.

I don't eat MW popcorn. It's super greazy and expensive IMO.

I don't butter except on rare occasions when I get in the mood for it. IMO if you add the right amount of oil to the pot you don't need butter. A thin layer of oil does the trick for me.

I recently found a recipe for a mix of spices which included salt, sugar, cumin and cinnamon (maybe something else, I'd have too look when I get home if you're intersted) to sprinkle over popcorn. It's great. I mixed up a bunch of it and put it in an empty spice jar and just sprinkle it on instead of straight salt.

I have been through the varieties of ways to make popcorn. In high school and college, I used that wok-shaped popcorn maker - ooh, yum. Then the hot air popper in the 80s and into the 90s. I admit to switching to those bags of popcorn, though, in the 90s. Looking at the poppers that stir and pop, I'm interested, but their use of oil worries me a bit.

A little on topic, yet off - with the popularity of bagged popcorn, kids don't have the wonder of watching popcorn pop like they could in the old poppers. I showed a plastic water bottle full of popcorn seed, and asked my 1st graders what it was. Most did not know. (Some of my students live on egg ranches, and answered "chicken feed!")

Donna

lowspark, I agree that popcorn made with oil doesn't necessarily need butter - unless you're craving theater style. I'd love to know what's in your spice mix, though!

West Bend Kettle Krazy Electric Popper is the one we have.
We love popcorn!! It has a stir rod so every kernel pops.
Uses very little oil and the top is the bowl.
You can add butter is you want on the top as it pops; there's a lid you lift off..

Linda

with the popularity of bagged popcorn, kids don't have the wonder of watching popcorn pop like they could in the old poppers

That reminds me of Jiffy Pop. They don't make that anymore do they? We used to take them on Girl Scout campouts and make popcorn over the campfire.

Jessica,
I will post the recipe when I get home tonight.

I do what Lowspark does. DH doesn't like popcorn(whaa??)so I make it just for me. I have an old crusty heavy bottom saucepan just for popcorn. A little oil, about 1/4 cup of corn and it's good to go with a little salt. Although if I'm craving it, I'll add a little butter and sprinkle with nutritional yeast.

Try this recipe, it's really different and really good.

CHILE LIME POPCORN

2 Bags Microwave Popcorn, popped
1/2 Cup Butter, melted
Zest of One Lime, grated on a microplane grater
1/2 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
2 Teaspoons Ground Cumin
2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 Teaspoon Onion Salt

Pop Popcorn according to directions, pour popped corn into a large bowl. Melt the Butter and stir in the Lime Zest. In a small bowl mix the Black Pepper, Cumin, Chili Powder, Garlic Powder and Onion Salt.

Drizzle the Lime Butter over the popped Corn and toss to coat. Sprinkle on a bit of the Seasoning Mix and toss, adding and tossing until it is as spicy as you like it. If you want it especially hot you can add 1 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper, more or less to taste.

Steve

I think popcorn is a healthy snack, even if you use some oil. Its the butter that kicks it over the top in my estimation! Coconut Oil is my preferred fat, and even though it used to get a bad rap, it is actually better for you than some of the other oils. Because the oil is so flavorful, you really don't need extra butter. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it! I use a medium size flat bottom wok that sits on top of the burner. No shaking, ever! I start the popping on high heat, and turn the heat down just a bit to medium high when the popping begins.

1 oz. coconut oil
1/2 cup popcorn

This makes the kind of movie popcorn everyone loves and is my favorite. Organic popcorn tastes the best, but when I can't get that, I go for the Jiffy Popcorn I pop myself.

OMG, I loooove popcorn! Like lowspark, I much prefer cooking it the old fashioned way on the stove...just a little oil, kernels, then salt afterwards.

I'm also a little weird in that I sometimes like it "slightly" burned, but if I'm sharing, I'll be nice and cook it perfectly.

I'm in love with this recipe lately:

Curried Popcorn
Recipe by: Pam Anderson "Perfect Recipes for Having People Over"

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon curry powder (I use Penzey's Sweet Curry)
2/3 cup plain popcorn kernels
Salt to taste

Place all ingredients in a Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot. Turn heat to med-high and cook, stirring occaisionally, until corn starts to sizzle. Cover and cook, shaking pot frequently at the beginning, then constantly at the end, until corn is completely popped, 4-5 minutes. Salt to taste.

Another fan of the air popper here! Hardly any unpopped kernals, nor the tooth-fracturing semi-popped ones. I can even eat it dry and enjoy it when it is fresh and hot. Teen-aged DD makes it more often than I, and always dumps on too much melted butter, but I probably did too at that age.

It's also great fun to roast green coffee beans in this appliance. Makes a fine party trick.

I too avoid microwave popcorns since they're not healthy and they're too expensive. I do popcorn the old fashion way too, stove top popcorn. It's easy and fast.

I purchase bags of Great Value Popping Corn at Walmart which are about .99 cents/bg. I just use a tall saucepan with lid.

The link below is a video that shows how to pop them. Remember to use medium heat. If I want butter, I mix butter with oil at the beginning before popping. The butter will stick to the corns when popping. It'd be a mild flavor and not too heavy.

You don't really need to have exact measurements for popping popcorns. It's actually fun to pop them this way.

Here is a link that might be useful: Popping popcorns over the cooktop

I don't really like popcorn, and I really dislike the microwave bags but my kids like it. I saw Alton Brown make microwave popcorn using regular popcorn and a brown paper bag. I've tried it and it actually works. I did use less oil, and I didn't have a stapler, so I just folded the bag.

Tracey

Here is a link that might be useful: Microwave Popcorn

Here is the recipe I promised above. I'm showing it here exactly as I copied it although I'm sorry to say I did not note where I got it. I tried it this way once and it was a gloppy mess. The butter just glopped over the popcorn and most of the popcorn got no flavor with chunks of buttery overspiced popcorn interspersed. The flavor was right on though, so I eliminated the butter altogether and just mixed the spices together and sprinkled it on. Worked MUCH better.

Party Popcorn

2 tbsp butter
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
4 tsp salt
4 tsp sugar

Melt butter with cinnamon, cumin, paprika, salt & sugar.
Pour over popcorn and shake.

I go through spells where I want popcorn almost every night for days or weeks at a time...then one day, it's almost like I simply forget about it, and weeks or months might go by before I want it again.

I don't worry too much about it being, "healthy." I figure, it's one crispy snack that actually has some food value. O.k., o.k., an apple would have more, but it has some.

Anyway, I'm another pan on the stove kind of gal. Only I pop it in butter because I like that browned butter flavor. Then I drizzle it with a little more butter melted in the same pan (more brown flavor) and dust it with popcorn salt. Popcorn salt is basically powdered table salt. You can buy it, but I just whir some salt in my spice grinder. It clings to the popcorn better than granulated salt does, and you actually end up using less salt because the flavor, coming from a powder, releases more quickly on your tongue.

A couple of tricks...don't pop over the highest flame, use a medium high flame and wait a bit longer. The kernels heat through more evenly and you end up with fewer of the hard bits. Leave the lid slightly ajar, so that the steam can release for fluffier popcorn.

Also, I really do think there is a difference in quality between the cheapie bags and the Orville Redenbacher. Whether it is a $4 big enough difference depends on my budget. :D

Sometimes I think I'd like to try some different spice mixes, but Emily M. Scampercat would likely disapprove. I shudder to think of her disillusionment should she smell corn popping and then be offered something with a curry flavor or Cajun seasoning.

Ooo, rachelellen, your popcorn with browned butter sounds like comfort food!

lowspark, thanks for posting your spice mix!

I don't remember who posted about Jiffy Pop. We did that in girl scouts, too! I think they still make it; lots of fun, but our was always a little burned and/or with too many old maids.

Now which recipe to try first?

Yes, Jiffy Pop is still made and still available, and it still says not to use it over a campfire, LOL, like anyone ever paid attention to that!

I bought some a few months ago and popped it for the grandkids, they were amazed, just like I was. (grin) It still tastes pretty good too....

Annie

I can't stand the microwave popcorn that comes in bags with all of the gunk in it and I have to rush through the lobby at the movies because what they use makes me cough, but I am a nut for popcorn. I have a plastic popcorn popper that I bought at Walmart for about $15 and you add the dry corn and put it in the microwave. In my microwave it takes 2 min 20 seconds. After I dump it in a bowl I add butter (melted in a cup in the microwave) and kosher salt. My poodle fights me for it.

Nordic Ware makes a microwave popcorn popper that costs about $9.00 on Amazon and it makes amazing popcorn. It is similar to the one posted by rob333. I put in about 1-2 tablespoons of popcorn oil and 1/3 cup of Orville popcorn, nuke for 3 minutes and perfection!
I too got tired and a little concerned about the safety of those microwave bags and wanted to find another way to pop corn. My daughter recommended this and I just love it. Once popped you can eat it right out of the bowl, watch out, the bowl will be hot! Use hot pads or a towel!
Thanks for the recipes for toppings, I sometimes sprinkle a little garlic powder along with the salt or just some seasoned salt. If I am feeling particularly needy, I add melted butter. :)
Popcorn is one of my favorite dinners!
Murphy

I use an air popper and then flavor the popcorn with melted butter and popcorn salt. Friends use grated parmesan cheese and garlic salt too, but we like the simple butter and salt route. We also like candied popcorn, which I make using more popcorn than the recipe calls for so that it is not so cloyingly sweet.

I love popcorn!
I have an air popper and I drizzle with olive oil and salt liberally.
I do keep the 94% fat free in my desk at work since the microwave is our only cooking option. I don't eat that often but once in awhile......

Since I joined Weight Watchers more than 3 years ago, the air popped was a guilt free way to get in a whole grain and a healthy oil while breaking my potato chip habit. I still eat the occasional chip or two (love Kettle Baked BBQ), but far less than I used to.

The nutritional (Brewers) yeast is really good too. Almost tastes buttery.

Deanna

I've always felt that air popped corn is... tough, for whatever reason.

In college before they turned the heating system on for the winter we used to use the air poppers as ersatz room heaters. Worked fairly well, but noisy. :-)

So I just tried stove top popcorn for the first time, and it was excellent! First I melted the butter on low, sprinkled in salt, then added my kernels and turned the heat up to medium. Some kernels that could have popped a bit more fully (too low heat? too old kernels? needed to vent the pan?) and I wish my salt hadn't turned dark & made the yummy popcorn ugly...but the butter & salt flavor was better than the theater, and I didn't have to drag out a giant, hard-to-clean appliance. Thank you rachelellen! Now back to try another batch.

PS - I was wondering earlier this evening if bacon fat (I keep a jar of it frozen to add flavor as needed) would make yummy popcorn or a greasy mess, and a commenter on simplyrecipes.com said it's yummy. So, another option to try!

I use an air popper and as it come out of the shoot and into the bowl I spray Can't believe it's not butter on it! So each piece gets a hit. My mom had that old one that plugged in and it made great pop corn. Yes they do still make Jiffy pop, last one I got was from my Italian meat market.

We use a whirley popper and I know they probably don't work on induction, but we're hooked on kettle corn. I imagine it would be doable in any popper that uses oil....1/4 c. oil (I use coconut oil), 1/2 c. popcorn, then sprinkle with 1/4 c. sugar before it starts popping. Every bit as good as the $5/bag stuff.

I went with an air popper. Very fresh tasting and almost no unpopped kernels.

Only problem -- directions say do not use less than 1 cup of kernels -- that is an enormous amount of popcorn for 2 people!