Popcorn Maker

**tervsforme** · 01-22-2010, 09:31 PM

Originally Posted by shortstack

I use an old bottom of a pressure cooker with a mismatched glass lid. It pops the best popcorn, however I do have to use 2 tbsp of oil to keep the kernels from sticking. 2tbsp for a whole big pot of popcorn is not bad though. I flavor it with garlic salt. My whole family talks about how good my "old fashioned popcorn" is. In fact just today while my sister and I were running she started talking about it lol

Andrea

Are you sure we aren't the same person? I use the exact same thing, an old pressur cooker bottom with a mismatched glass lid!

It was my grandmothers. I never buy microwave kind, I love the popcorn when you do it in a stove top. I don't use much oil either, just enough so they don't stick on the bottom. I never really cared for the air popped kind.

**frugalwarrior2** · 01-22-2010, 10:59 PM

i get a lot of this kind of thing at estate and garage sales. I usually pay about $3. per popper and we usually have 1 and a spare. No butter or salt or oil required. We get red and black popcorn from cider mills and amish sites for variety. Amishmart.com My DD makes it all the time $50. is silly . Like someone said Salv. or other charities almost always have them.
Didn't someone just come on and say a paper bag worked too??

**Thrifty Mom** · 01-23-2010, 08:17 AM

Originally Posted by REJB

I got a West Bend Stir Crazy popcorn popper at Target around Christmas. It was under $20.00. My husband likes it because it pops every kernel - it has deal (stick that spins around - trying to think of a better description) on the base that stirs the kernels around so nothing sticks to the bottom. Then after the popcorn pops you flip the popcorn over into the lid.

We had one of these & used it so much we wore the bowl out. First the little cap on the end went, but we replaced it with an orphan lid from the cupboard, then the bowl cracked in two.

I have an air popper from Kitchen Collection, about $20.00. The taste is very bland when you are used to other types. I got used to it though & used it a lot. Then the popper got put away & we got into old habits of microwave bags. I need to go back to the air popper.

**old_lady_in_the_shoe** · 01-23-2010, 09:56 AM

We also have a stir crazy! and love it! My hubby eats popcorn all the time and uses it, he uses a bit of coconut oil with his, but it isn't necessary becasue of the "stick" that stirs the popcorn around as it is heating and cooking. We got ours at kmart for about $35 at Christmas time (our orininal one got dropped and broke and I thought hubby was gonna die, lol)

**MTS04** · 01-24-2010, 12:10 AM

Love the Stir Crazy. yep, look at target, they often go on sale for around $20 or less.

**shortstack** · 01-24-2010, 10:15 AM

I love to make fudge, oatmeal unbaked cookies and soup in my pressure cooker bottom too. My mom gave me the first one and I found a second one just like it at a yard sale for .50 just in case anything happens to the first.

Do you put anything besides garlic salt on your popcorn as it's cooking?

Andrea

Originally Posted by tervsforme

Are you sure we aren't the same person? I use the exact same thing, an old pressur cooker bottom with a mismatched glass lid!

It was my grandmothers. I never buy microwave kind, I love the popcorn when you do it in a stove top. I don't use much oil either, just enough so they don't stick on the bottom. I never really cared for the air popped kind.

**shoiji** · 01-25-2010, 05:07 PM

I use a Presto PowerPop that you use in the microwave. I found it at the thirft store. Have seen them at Wal-mart, Target, K-mart, etc., for under $20. I just put in store brand popcorn and pop. You do need to buy these special disks to put inside the popper. They are inexpensive and can be used multiple times, especially if you do not use oil.

**ahmom** · 01-25-2010, 05:48 PM

Use a large soup pot and a lid. YOu really don't need oil. Dump in a handfull or 2 of popcorn. Put the lid on it, turn the heat to high. When the popcorn starts to pop, hold the lid on and shake it back and forth. When there isn't pop's , turn the heat off.

**momof2leos** · 01-27-2010, 08:50 PM

Wow! I just found this site today and I love it. I have so much to learn but am definitely an expert when it comes to popcorn. I have been through my share of hot air poppers, the older ones are better, many fewer "old maids" (unpopped kernels) than the newer styles. I bought my last 2 on e-bay but recently saw the prices there going up because so many people use them to roast coffee beans too. If you use a hot air popper, keep your kernels in the freezer, the water in them freezes and the causes them to pop much more efficiently however you decide to heat them.
Also, I love the nordic ware implement someone else posted. I bought that years ago for my job and we wore it out. It doesn't pop as much as most hot air poppers but still good to have at the office where I couldn't make a pig of myself.
The new trick I learned was the brown bag trick that was also already mentioned. Regular brown lunch bag, 1/3 cup frozen corn, turn top down, pop about 4.5 mins, done!
An old timer told me that an ear of dried corn, i.e. indian corn, works too but use a grocery size brown bag.
Seriously, I could go on and on...I think popcorn is my comfort food.....

**brennasmom** · 01-27-2010, 09:02 PM

I have an air popper.... I think it was under $30.. been going strong for a couple years now

**shortstack** · 01-27-2010, 09:05 PM

Thanks for the freezer tip. I'll try it

I'm wary of the brown bag method because of all of the chemicals in the brown bags. They are not made to be food grade.

Andrea

Originally Posted by momof2leos

Wow! I just found this site today and I love it. I have so much to learn but am definitely an expert when it comes to popcorn. I have been through my share of hot air poppers, the older ones are better, many fewer "old maids" (unpopped kernels) than the newer styles. I bought my last 2 on e-bay but recently saw the prices there going up because so many people use them to roast coffee beans too. If you use a hot air popper, keep your kernels in the freezer, the water in them freezes and the causes them to pop much more efficiently however you decide to heat them.
Also, I love the nordic ware implement someone else posted. I bought that years ago for my job and we wore it out. It doesn't pop as much as most hot air poppers but still good to have at the office where I couldn't make a pig of myself.
The new trick I learned was the brown bag trick that was also already mentioned. Regular brown lunch bag, 1/3 cup frozen corn, turn top down, pop about 4.5 mins, done!
An old timer told me that an ear of dried corn, i.e. indian corn, works too but use a grocery size brown bag.
Seriously, I could go on and on...I think popcorn is my comfort food.....

**momof2leos** · 01-28-2010, 01:14 PM

Oh...gross, I did NOT know that about paper bags. Are they okay to pack lunches in then??

**shortstack** · 01-28-2010, 01:42 PM

I'm sure they are fine. You don't put your food directly in them for lunches. You usually have the food in baggies or containers and then place them in the bags.
Andrea

Originally Posted by momof2leos

Oh...gross, I did NOT know that about paper bags. Are they okay to pack lunches in then??

**leighcat** · 01-28-2010, 06:27 PM

I have a Hamilton Beach Popaire 2. My mom got it for me at a thrift store 8-9 yrs ago. It is vintage and works great!!

I hope this doesn't double-post. My computer is whacky.

**pita1213** · 01-30-2010, 12:38 AM

we currently have 4 popcorn poppers. Yes I said 4. we have a air popper that is on it's last legs and just hasn't made it out of the cabinet yet. we have one of the stir cray ones that we bought to replace the air popper. Our Target had it for 29.99 and so far hasn't had it on sale, the goobers. We also have two of the microwave poppers from nodricware. I prefer the microwave ones since all you have to clean is the bowl and the lid not the bowl, cap, stirring rod, that cap and base. you can pop with or with out oil in it. we bought the first one for our son as he is a popcorn fiend and I didn't want him eating the regular micro stuff anymore but it was too much to deal with to get out the stircrazy if he was the only one eating popcorn. after we tried his out (it was a Christmas present) I went back to target and got a second one. It's still less work to use both of those than it is to get out the stir crazy. I wish we had seen the micro ones before we bought the stir crazy as I would have just bought 3 of the mirco ones for the same price as the stir crazy.
I'm going to put micro ones in the Christmas baskets for my sisters in law this Christmas.