Every Last Kernel Tip of the Day

If you're like me, it fills you with unquenchable anguish every time you make microwave popcorn, and there are dozens of unpopped kernels in the bottom of the bag. Surely popcorn science has more to offer than this mediocre effort! In the meantime, there's a pretty easy way to get a few more handfuls of popcorn.

Take a small skillet and pour just a tiny bit of oil into it - just barely enough to cover the bottom. Heat it over a medium-high heat for maybe a minute or so, then dump the rest of the unpopped kernels in and cover the skillet with a lid. In a few seconds, they should be popping away. Don't take the lid off now, though, or you'll have popcorn and hot oil flying all over the kitchen. I kid you not.

Remove from the heat after most of the popping has died down, then uncover. (Be careful not to burn it, though!) Give it a couple minutes to let it crisp up, sprinkle a little salt, and enjoy sticking it to Orville with your ingenuity.

Comments

JCo said…
I totally agree with the crummy popcorn popping. I stay away from the magic "popcorn" button on the microwave. I have found you can get a few extra pops if you listen to the popping and stop the microwave when there are a few seconds between pops (which is always more time than that "popcorn" button.) Although you have to be careful not to burn the popcorn...oh it is a fine line.
Amanda said…
That sounds like a lot of work and coming from the lazy reader contingency, thanks for the tip, but I will probably just throw it away.
Jay said…
Wow, great tip. But I have to say, it's RIDICULOUS, as you said, that popcorn science forces us to this extremely manual way of getting the job done. Call me crazy if I expect my popcorn to be all popped!

That's why I've resorted to using Frank Benendetto to pop my popcorn.
Kris said…
Oh how I wish I had a magic popcorn button! Or even knew how to use my microwave other than how to add a whole minute at a time! Seriously, I have no instruction manual, and if I did, it'd be in German. It's so different that the only thing I can figure out is the "plus 1" button!
Anonymous said…
Or you could just buy kernels from the store and pop them all in the pot and save a lot of money. I should have added this to the meals under a dollar tip.
CGrim said…
I think Thor is onto something, although everyone knows the ultimate meal-under-$1 is ramen. At just 12 cents for 2 servings, it's good and good for you!

The popcorn popped on the stove is freaking tasty. I'm almost tempted to just rip the bag open, pre-popped, and dump the whole thing in the skillet.

Kris, the approximate time on most microwaves should be 2:30 to 3:30 on high. Use the "time-between-pops" trick. I think the magic popcorn button is 2:50 on our microwave at home.
Kris said…
Thanks Andy. I've been just putting 3 minutes on the timer here. I found it worked once...given that they use 220V instead of 120V, I was unsure if that would effect the power output of the microwave, but once tried, always used! Our microwave only has 4 buttons...the + minute, stop, "automatic" which by all counts I can't figure out what it does, and something that looks like a door stop! It makes me miss being able to put in an exact time, or any other function that "modern" microwaves have!
Jay said…
btw, "sticking it to Orville" is the most hilarious thing I've heard-- today anyway!
Unknown said…
Anybody remember Pop Secret? Where you put the popcorn in the microwave and you dont know what color its going to be.
Unknown said…
This comment has been removed by the author.

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