Popcorn poppers: I looked around for a stove top popcorn popper

[hedgehog]

for husband and as near as I can figure out, there are two or three models on the market sold by just about every outfit from Amazon to Lehman's. For all I know, these all come out of the same factory in China. One problem: none of these models work properly!

It's trivial, but it's an example of what happens when buyers at large retail outlets determine what gets sold on our shelves.

[phantom power]

1. Microwave popcorn has probably all but killed the stovetop popper.

[kas125]

15. About eight years ago I decided that I wanted to make popcorn.

So, I got out my favorite pan and started popping away. Both my kids walked through the kitchen at separate times and said, "Wow, I didn't know you could make popcorn without a microwave."

[MineralMan]

2. Go on Ebay. There are several vintage poppers listed.

Buy Old if You Can't Buy American.

[Contrary1]

29. I just bought a 50 year old Sears Deep Fryer on Ebay...

It was practically new. A bit on the large size, but other than that, I couldn't be happier.

So tired of the Chinese crap burning out after a few weeks.

[Avalux]

3. I've found that a saucepan works just fine for stovetop popcorn...

no special popper needed. Just gotta put some oil in the pan with the popcorn and shake a little over the burner while it pops. They can keep their cheap China made stuff. :hi:

[geardaddy]

7. +1000

oh, and ------------> :popcorn:

[Morning Dew]

11. Yep - works great.

I'll even do it on an electric stove - just lift the pan to shake.

A gas range is better IMO, but maybe that's because we had a gas stove when I was growing up.

[Ganja Ninja]

17. Yup.

It's how we always made popcorn when I was a kid. On a high/medium heat use 1/8 to 1/4 inch of oil in the bottom of the pan, add enough popcorn so the kernels cover the bottom and maybe a little more than just the bottom and cover. When it stops popping remove from the heat.

It may take a little practice to get the heat right for the pan you use.

[Atman]

37. Whoa! That's some greasy popcorn!

1/8 to 1/4 inch of oil? You're deep frying it at that point. 1 or 2 tablespoons of kernals with a drizzle of oil is all that's needed. You don't actually need oil, but it helps to keep the kernels from sticking. The corn pops from heat/steam built up inside. Think about it...air poppers don't use oil. You just need heat.

[Scout]

46. yes and air popped corn tastes like styrofoam

we popped it just as described ... you don't eat the oil, just the popped corn.

[Atman]

53. I totally agree about air-popped corn, but...

...not the point. 1/4" of oil is a LOT of oil. Even a small amount gives popcorn flavor, and makes it moist for the salt to stick to. You really, literally, fry something in 1/4" of oil. It's total overkill!

.

[FirstLight]

19. ya,

it tastes better "the old fashioned way"

they can keep their bullshit air poppers too!

[alfredo]

23. Yeah, a saucepan works just fine.

[malaise]

27. That's how we pop our corn

A little olive oil -salt to taste, a nice low fire and on rare occasions butter after its finished and we're good to go.

[Avalux]

28. Yum!! That's perfect. I also prefer white popcorn; so tender and mouth melty. n/t

[freshwest]

44. Sounds very good.

[gkhouston]

49. +1. That's what we always did when I was a kid. n/t

[gateley]

4. I've long since popped my own by just covering the bottom

of a pan w/popcorn, cover them in oil, put the lid a-tilt to let steam escape and that's it. Don't even have to shake it.

I'm not missing your point, by the way which is right on, but thought I'd share this because my sister-in-law said she'd never had "real" popcorn like that. We grew up w/Jiffy Pop and it was a friend of my dad's who showed me how to do it this way. My SOLE cooking tip! :7

[Cirque du So-What]

5. I hope this helps

http://www.usab2c.com/product/06100_nordicwaregrillpopper

[maddezmom]

6. not a stove top, but bought a microwave popper made in the US

not sure you're interested since it's not stove top, but it works great. Both my kids eat popcorn almost everyday and I hated all the garbage in the microwave popcorn.


http://www.buynordicware.com/index.php?page=Product.Product&externalId=1984

got mine on Amazon but you can order directly

[qb]

8. We got a Whirley Pop at our local hardware store.

It works fine for us.
I do get you point about crappy foreign-made products.

[Phentex]

33. These are GREAT! And made in the US...

They make great gifts and are very easy to use.

Sure a pot will work but the Whirly Pop means NO BURNT POPCORN every time!

[Greybnk48]

43. Whirly Pop=USA. And you can make kettle corn with it.

Just google it, you can buy them online. I saw them featured on Martha Stewart. There are knock-offs so make sure to get the real one.

[coffeenap]

9. May I suggest?

Heavy-bottom pot, 1/4" oil, 2 kenels of popcorn, cover. Heat on medium until the 2 kernels pop. Add popcorn-about 1/3". Cover and shake occasionally until the lid starts to rise. Turn off heat and enjoy great popcorn every time! :)

[ChazII]

14. +1

That is how my mom made popcorn when I was young. College years - the hot air popper was all the rage.

[GoCubsGo]

18. A paper bag and a microwave work pretty well, too.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/plain-brown-popper-recipe/index.html

And, if you compost the paper bag, it's a little more environmentally-friendly than if you don't. I use a microwave popper. Unfortunately, it's made in China, I think.

[surrealAmerican]

55. I thought that wasn't safe.

I remember reading something about the bag igniting in the microwave.

[we can do it]

10. We've had a Nordic Ware Microwave Popcorn Popper for over 10 years

just pour in popcorn (no freaky poisonous ingredients) hit popcorn setting on microwave and perfect fat free popcorn everytime (melt butter and pour over if you wish)

http://www.buynordicware.com/?page=Product.Product&externalId=1984&leadsource=PS146&s_kwcid=TC|6221|nordicware%20popcorn%20popper||S|b|6952262419&gclid=CMDZ_t-OyKwCFYXrKgodFAIHqg

[EC]

12. I know, my daughter asked for a new one

like our old one that had a lid that turned with a stir thingie in the pot. It was easy to use and easy to clean. I ended up getting her that stupid whirley thingie with the turn handle. I don't like it and it looks like a pain to open and to clean. I use a plan old pan myself and shake it. But I've also used a baking dish in the micro wave with a paper plate for a cover.

[hedgehog]

13. Thanks for the advice: I have a confession to make: my husband

does just fine with a sauce pan and a lid; I'm the one who can't get the hang of it! I was hoping to find one with a stirring device.

[dixiegrrrrl]

16. Try ETSY

etsy.com

I have great luck finding all sorts of "old" stuff there, finding the REAL Pyrex, etc. and Etsy backs you in case of a problem, like Amazon does.

But I do second the recommendation above in using a heavy bottomed big pan on the stove, the way we used to pop corn when I was a kid.

Also, electric air poppers work just fine, you might some old ones, I found one, still have it, for 1.00 at a Goodwill.
Many of the older ones were bought out by people who used them to roast coffee beans, but some types cannot be used for that purpose and are still available for popcorn.( Maybe on Etsy?)

PS: Sadly, 80% of the corn in USA is GMO.

[freshwest]

47. Yes, that's made many people leave corn out of their diets.

[HopeHoops]

20. Try a wok. I'm not kidding.

I've done this for over 20 years and it makes nearly perfect popcorn. You have to use hot mitts and hold the lid on as you shake it, but that's not difficult and it pops very quickly.

[kentauros]

39. I have a "wok-pan"

and it works great for popcorn, too :D

[zbdent]

21. Try a pan and some oil ...

I hear retro is big these days ...

[kestrel91316]

22. I use a large stainless skillet with a lid. I would love to have my mom's

Revereware skillet for it - the copper bottom was awesome.

I can't manage to do it in a saucepan. I burn it every time. Skillet works great, though.

But never use nonstick.

[Silver Swan]

40. I have an old Revereware sauce pan

That is my dedicated popcorn pan. I don't put it in the dishwasher; I just wipe it out after using it. (If you are fastidious, this idea probably isn't for you, but I have found that a clean pan is more apt to produce burned popcorn.)

My method for non-burned popcorn: Pour a little cooking oil in the pan. Add two kernels of popcorn. Cover and heat. When the two kernels pop, add more popcorn. Make sure the amounts of oil and popcorn are not too uneven. The popcorn should "fill up" the oil. Re-cover the pan. Do not shake or stir. When the popcorn reaches the top of the pan, dump some into a large bowl, recover and continue to pop. If necessary, dump some more popped corn out, and continue. When the popping begins to slow down, lower the heat. When the popping nearly stops, you're done.

You can add melted butter, but I think the oil gives enough flavor. Add salt, and/or other seasonings, then eat.

[Missy Vixen]

41. I have an old Revereware saucepan, too

It has to be over 50 years old, and it's still going strong. I can't even imagine how many times it's been used for popcorn over the years.

If you don't own one, check garage sales and thrift stores. They're outstanding.

:woohoo:

[fizzgig]

48. revereware is great for popcorn

i use the same saucepan for popcorn now that my mom did when i was little.

[SixString]

24. Brown paper lunch bag...

1/4 cup of kernels...

Pop in microwave..popcorn setting...

1/2 to 2 tablespoons melted butter...

Parmesan cheese and salt.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

25. NOOOOO! NO NO NO NO!

You forgot the beer!

[SixString]

26. No Beer... Ice cold Co'Coler

[SixString]

30. And maybe a lttle Jack.

Daniels

[Atman]

31. It's called a pan.

Just make sure it has a lid.

Any ol' covered saucepan will do. Use just a small amount of oil. Once it starts popping, just be sure to keep the pan moving so the popcorn doesn't scorch.

[sammytko]

34. LOL- we used to use an old cast iron dutch oven on the stove

no fancy pan needed. I still make it on the stove, but now use a pan with a glass lid, so I can see what is going on.

[haele]

32. A six quart calphelon with the air gap in the bottom of the pot works very nicely.

Your ingredients - three tablespoons of vegetable oil (or Canola), 1/3 cup of good yellow popcorn, and a teaspoon of onion or garlic powder, Old Bay or a good barbeque rub if you want a bit of flavor.
Do not use olive oil, the "heat point" is wrong and takes forever to pop, as well as leaving the popcorn a bit oily, and suprizingly enough, corn and nut oils don't tend to pop as "fluffy".
Don't salt your popcorn until after it's done! The salt will not stick to the hulls of the kernels, and will evaporate into the heat before the kernels start popping.
Put the oil and one or two popcorn kernels in the pot on high. Wait until the kernels pop, then put the rest of the popcorn and the seasoning (if desired) in the pot, shake to even them out and get the oil over all the kernels, put the lid on, and let it commence popping for about two - three minutes. If you want the flavor of buttered popcorn, plop a pat of butter once the rest of the kernels start popping to flavor the oil - any earlier, and you will burn the butter.
Take it off the heat once there is about a three to five second gap between pops.
Turn over into a big bowl, cover with shredded parmisan or just salt if you popped it plain.

There you go. Stove-top popcorn.

Haele

[Phentex]

35. The Whirly Pop means NO burnt popcorn...

in 3 minutes, you have delicious popcorn without the chemicals of the microwave kind and in less time.

Kids can use this.

Easy to clean, too.

[pansypoo53219]

36. i grew up with a mid century West Bend pot that was 'the popcorn pot'

it has done over 40 , shit, almost 50 yrs just for popcorn, had a lid handle prob i fixed w/ super glue, knock wood. YES, the exterior looks horrible, but the inside is clean. also only made WHITE popcorn and i discovered the BEST is organic white from a local health food store.

[LWolf]

38. A nice cast iron dutch oven works fine. nt

[JDPriestly]

42. It's what happens when we buy stuff from factories in China and other

countries in which PEOPLE PROBABLY DO NOT EAT POPCORN.

Popcorn is popular in the US, but I doubt that it is eaten much in other countries.

Popcorn poppers need to be manufactured by people who understand and eat popcorn.

Typical of the many, many problems with "free trade."

[FedUpWithIt All]

45. I've been using a whirley pop for years. Love it. n't

[nuxvomica]

50. I love my Whirley Pop. I think it's the best way to pop popcorn

I use it a minimum of twice a week and have had it for years. I put in the oil and white kernels and let them cook on the stove at between "low" and "medium" until they start to brown at which time one or two might actually pop. Then I turn the burner up to "medium high" and keep cranking till the Whirley Pop is full, which takes less than a minute.
I wrote the manufacturer and asked them about where the popper is made. They sent me this statement:

Thank you for your questions regarding the Whirley Pop.



My father is the creator of the Whirley Pop and patented the design back in the early 80’s. You are correct in that the Whirley several years ago was 100% made in the USA. Since that time, several of the costs to remain manufactured in the US have increased significantly – to a point where it was going to cause the cost of the Whirley Pop to be priced so high that not many people would be able to afford it.



Believe me, we thought long and hard about what would be best for our customers and our company before deciding to have some of the parts manufactured overseas. But the decision was made that we would like to be able to provide Whirley Pop’s to our customers and at a price that they could afford. I made a trip to China myself to visit the factories to see firsthand how and where our products were being made. I was very pleased to find that they are top notch facilities who treat their employees very well. In fact, their employees even got to try out popcorn for the first time made in our very own Whirley Pop!



We are currently having some parts of the Whirley Pop made overseas and some made here in the states – then we bring all the sub-assemblies to our farm and do the final assembly and inspection here in Indiana. Due to the packaging laws – even though some parts come from the states and some from overseas we have to say that it is all made in China.



I hope this has answered your questions and that you will continue to use and enjoy the Whirley Pop. If you have any additional questions feel free to give me a call at 800-270-2705, I would be more than happy to talk with you about it.



Thanks,

Dani Paluchniak


President

Wabash Valley Farms, Inc

For further questions, they gave me this contact info:
"We can be reached online at www.popcornpopper.com, by e-mail to [e-mail], or by phone at 800-270-2705."

[Liberal_in_LA]

51. I have an air popper. they still sell them. Popcorn with no salt, oil or taste!

[Red State Rebel]

54. The trick is to spray the popcorn with Crisco butter flavor spray and salt it

I love it this way for a low calorie snack.

[BrendaBrick]

52. Lodge Cast Iron

is still made in the USA (as far as I can tell) Coat it, season it with some olive oil and pop away! Plus there are extra advantages insomuch as iron is concerned!