I gave up on stovetop popcorn years ago and now have a glass-top which recommends no sliding pans on the surface. Now I pop in the microwave:

Glass bowl, a little oil, popcorn - appropriate amount for size of bowl - I use a big bowl and maybe 3/4 cup popcorn, or a little less. Stir it around in maybe 1/2 tblsp oil (I've also popped it oil free, which works, too. I put a glass plate on top of the bowl, turned upside down to give more room for popping.

Microwave on the popcorn setting until done. My popcorn setting is for 2 min default and I usually do 2 or sometimes 3 rounds (depending on the amt of popcorn used). When it slows down, I watch it carefully and pull it out before it stops completely (because I've burned it by leaving in too long).

Elise is the original blogger . Simplyrecipes.com Perfect Popcorn. Works every time.

We use an air popper, and then I add melted butter and popcorn salt.

I used my glass pyrex bowl earllier this year to make popcorn and it broke. It could easily have shattered. I'll never use a glass bowl again.

I just use paper lunch bags, doubled up, in the microwave. Fold the top and tape shut with masking tape.

That sounds pretty much the way my father did it when I was a kid.

Thanks for bringing it forward again!

What you're describing, shuffles, is the way I learned to do it when there's no lid for the pot--put a little in and then those popped kernels will keep the popping ones from flying out, mostly.

Air popper here as well. There's usually only a few old maids left.

I've made popcorn on a stove plenty of times, but not for years now.

I used to love crunching those old maids, but no more - too much expensive dental work!

I use a wok, and my stove has a special wok holder that keeps it in place. I put it on the burner with the most heat, which is left front. I used to use the method of letting the first kernels pop, remove from heat for one minute and then return to heat, but I have not found that necessary when using a wok. I use a lot more oil that most people, and this way I can make extremely huge batches of popcorn and have zero unpopped kernels. The trick is to start out on high heat and move the pan quite a bit at first, and then turn the heat down, or off when popping has almost ceased. I continue shake the pan until there is no more popping. That said, I rarely make popcorn any more, as I am on a low carb diet, and popcorn is not part of it. I heat the oil to the smoke point before adding the corn. The wok is very efficient at getting the kernels close to the heat. I've never made it in the MW.

I pop stovetop in the Wear-Ever pan my dad used when I was a kid in the 60s. Turn on the heat, add oil, then popcorn in a single layer. Cover and stand back. No shaking necessary. Almost every kernel pops.

I make it like your recipe, Shuffles. Almost. Two or three kernels in the skillet with oil. When those kernels pop, I add 1/3 to 1/2 c. more popcorn. I keep it on the heat, though. I'm going to try removing it from the heat per your recipe. Makes sense in that the kernels will start to heat up somewhat more gently.

I use an old T-fal 4qt. chicken fryer for making popcorn. Like to make kettle corn, too. Just use a bit more oil and add a couple of tablespoons of sugar with the kernels after the first ones have popped.

ETA: I keep the steam vent open on the T-fal lid; otherwise the popcorn comes out soggy.

MIL gave us a hot air popper years ago. Good idea except that I'd sooner eat cardboard than air popped corn. :-)

I found the Simply Recipes post several years ago when I googled about popcorn, since it had been a very long time since I had made what I call real popcorn and not the stuff in the bags for the microwave. I had forgot the popcorn to oil ratio. The taking it off the burner was the key that I had never used, just like Shuffles said. I never make it any other way now. I have a Revere Ware sauce pan that I dropped and bent a long time ago. The lid doesn't sit tight and lets the steam out perfectly!. And no, no air popped for me. If I am going to eat popcorn, I want the oil, butter, and salt. We may only make it once or twice a year.

Air popped popcorn is a bit tasteless on its own, but it's fine with lashings of butter and salt, which is how we usually enjoy it. I also make "Cajun" popcorn w/ cajun spice, parmesan and butter.

Actually, when I melt the butter I use half extra virgin olive oil, to make it * ahem * "healthier"...

I always add Cajun seasoning to popcorn, but not butter or Parmesan - mainly because I use enough oil not to need butter. I used to add brewers' yeast to popcorn back in the 1970s, and that made it taste a bit like chicken.

I love cayenne pepper on popcorn but can't eat it because the cayenne makes me sneeze.

Lars, that reminds me that I bought some nutritional yeast to use on popcorn but I keep forgetting to use it.

Wow, that's scary about your glass bowl Jasdip! I use a French Duralex bowl; not sure if they break as easily as Pyrex, but maybe too risky to take a chance.

I wonder what taking off the heat for 30 seconds is supposed to do? If you can't shake your pan, you can't go wrong with the whirley pop pan. We use a similar on our induction stove top and it works great.

Lately I've been making popcorn in the microwave, in a regular brown paper lunch bag. It seems to work okay.

I like using nutritional yeast; it tastes like cheese.

Sherry, yes that is where I found the recipe. In our household, microwaving is out since my wife will not partake of anything coming out of a microwave. Not even re-heated coffee, which is mostly what I use the microwave for. Actually, popcorn is relatively low calorie and high fiber, and dirt cheap if you make your own.

I've noticed that when I'm patient and pop corn on medium heat--that the corn pops up maybe a little larger and I have very few unpopped kernels. So I definitely think that letting the corn rest in the hot oil and off the heat for a bit would definitely help. A preheat that would even out the temperature throughout the kernel, I think.

We've been using that method for a long time.

One third of a cup of kernels will just cover the bottom of the pan, and that's all you want. Otherwise some of the kernels on top don't pop, and some of the kernels on the bottom get scorched.

We use white popcorn kernels. We find it's a bit softer, and easier, and less troublesome, for kids, with braces.

Popcorn

I don't know if there's a correlation to color, but my favorite is Baby White from Amish Country Popcorn. Nearly hulless and very tender. The popped kernels are smaller, but that's fine with me.

https://amishcountrypopcorn.com/

Little oil, layer of PC kernels at bottom of pan. Med-high heat BUT I keep removing the pan from the heat and shaking and also opening the lid a bit and venting out the moisture (with kitchen exhaust fan on high). Moisture will make the popped corn tough.

Brewers yeast mixed with dried dill leaf and a little bit of salt is great.

I have a couple of those antique screen containers on a stick. We used to have popcorn like that at the fireplace when I was a kid. I bet somebody still sells those screened boxes on long round handles.

Recipe: Old Fashion Popcorn Balls made with MOLASSES! (The only good type)

My aunt used to coat her hands with butter before gathering up the coated popcorn to shape it into balls. Move along quickly as the sugar-molasses coated popped corn in extremely hot. Compress the formed balls a bit, but not too much.

If handling hot candy unnerves you, you can add a cupful of roasted Spanish peanuts, mix to combine, then spread out on a marble or Corian tabletop (or a large cookie sheet) and let cool. You'll get something very like Cracker Jack (R).

Mmm - love old fashioned popcorn balls - my mom used to make those for Christmas when we were little.

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