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JennGM
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| Posted: Nov 11 2013 at 12:16pm | IP Logged
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I wanted to get a popcorn popper for Christmas. I'm trying to avoid microwave popcorn, but I need something that is easy enough for dh to use.
I was reading this post with two different kinds of poppers. I actually like the idea of both, one for the stove and one for the microwave.
But what do you use and do you like it? We have to avoid butter for food allergies, but I thought coconut oil would work.
Just looking for recommendations.
(BTW, I don't even EAT the popcorn, this is mainly for the other members of my family!)
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Jennifer G. Miller
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myheaven1967
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Ok, I am a SERIOUS popcorn lover. We currently have three different varieties of popcorn poppers. I want to share with you BEFORE I check your link so my own opinion is not weighted by what I read.
I have an air popper and we do like that. NOTHING really sticks to air popped popcorn however. We do add a slight amount of butter, but you cannot use butter so that is out.
We also have a stove top, handle turning popcorn popper. I like to add coconut oil, or olive oil, to the pan before the popcorn. When it is done popping and dumped into the bowl, I add either salt or nutritional yeast. VERY YUMMY.
I also have one that sits on the counter and plugs in. It is still oil operated. Then you flip it over and use the dome as the bowl if you like. Again you can use whatever oil you prefer and whatever toppings you prefer.....
Great - now I want popcorn.
We eat popcorn at least 3 to 4 times a week. I do not use the microwave for it, but have read some great ideas with it.
Good luck, enjoy and let me know what you pick! Now I am going to read that link. 
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Nov 11 2013 at 1:07pm | IP Logged
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I haven't done it but I have friends that have.. you can drizzle coconut oil on popcorn in place of butter and it tastes good, not just to cook the popcorn.
The person who told me this actually liked a coconut oil that still tasted mildly like coconut for this purpose.
We mainly use the air popper. Younger kids can manage it successfully without burned popcorn.
Though my oldest will get it into her head occationally and make kettle corn in a pot on the stove.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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organiclilac
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| Posted: Nov 11 2013 at 1:34pm | IP Logged
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I just use a pot on the stove and shake-shake-shake. I use oil to pop, and we usually just add salt and nutritional yeast, and sometimes taco seasoning.
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Servant2theKing
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I googled microwave popcorn in glass bowl and found this. It might be helpful to test the method out before deciding what method you prefer. A 2 quart glass batter bowl might work well, considering it has a handle and the spout could easily serve as a vent.
We like this air popper.
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myheaven1967
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Ohhh.... Taco seasoning... I never thought of that. Is it good??
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SeaStar
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I am also very serious about my popcorn.
I find that cooking on the stove requires the right pan and the right stove. I have an electric stove, and I just can't get very good results with it (the heat cycles off and on, and popcorn needs a consistent heat element).
I love, love, love my air popper. So EASY- just dump in the kernels and plug it in. I melt coconut oil or butter to drizzle on top, then add salt, which then sticks very well. Or I will use a spray bottle of canola or olive oil to spritz the popcorn, then toss and add salt. Works great.
Oh, how I love popcorn! And the air popper is great- no greasy pot to wash afterwards
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MelissaClaire
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We got a Whirley Pop last year for Christmas and I really like it. I use about 2T of coconut oil and 1/2 cup of kernels and it makes a ton and it is so good! You can also easily make kettle corn in it that tastes as good as the stuff we get at the farmer's market.
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SuzanneG
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myheaven1967 wrote:
I also have one that sits on the counter and plugs in. It is still oil operated. Then you flip it over and use the dome as the bowl if you like. Again you can use whatever oil you prefer and whatever toppings you prefer.....
Great - now I want popcorn. |
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We love our popcorn here too! It's a great, easy, snack for the kids! And, I LOVE popcorn.
We hate air popcorn poppers. It tastes like, well....AIR...unless you put all kinds of butter and salt on it, which is delicious, of course.....but expensive and my husband has a fit when he sees all that butter being ingested into our bodies! 
I have used a West Bend Stir Crazy popper forever and love it! The kids are happy with using just the oil from the popper, and some salt (different kinds out there which are totally yummy). The oil makes the salt stick, which doesn't happen on the air poppers.
And, after they go to bed I put just a TAD a melted butter on mine. 
You can use any kind of oil you want in it.
No wasted old maids.
Black Friday will have them for $19.99 all over the place.
The only thing I don't like about it is that the machine gets oily and you can never really get it clean without a lot of work, and who WANTS to anyway, when you're just going to get it dirty again in a couple days. 
So... I store mine wrapped in several layers of large paper....right now it's in the packing paper from when we moved, but otherwise, butcher paper or newspaper....and it just has it's own little nook in the cupboards. I take it out, open up the paper, leave the popper on it and pop. It never leaves the paper.
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Suzanne in ID
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CrunchyMom
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I have this popper and love it. We got it for Christmas last year. It was one of those deal of the day things, and I think I paid $19.95 or maybe $24.95.
We love it. I like having the boys able to make it on their own for a snack. I'm also totally with Suzanne. Popcorn made in oil tastes SO SO SO much better.
Suzanne, have you tried coconut oil in your popper? We made it on the stovetop for years and years, and with vegetable oil, it always had that yellow/brown sticky oil stuck on, but coconut oil is much easier to get clean. No scrubbing. Anyway, we've never used anything except coconut oil in our dome top popper, and while the boys don't always clean it  , no scrubbing is needed. Just soap and a dish cloth.
I personally think that coconut oil makes the best tasting pop corn. It is what movie theaters used to use until they changed to the "healthier" trans fats 
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Pilgrim
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| Posted: Nov 11 2013 at 5:29pm | IP Logged
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We have one of these air poppers, Had the great luck of finding it at thrift shop for $2, and it works GREAT! It so much easier than the Stir Crazy we had before, less clean up, etc. You could put coconut oil in the butter cup to melt it on a model like this and sprinkle it and salt on the popcorn.
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Mackfam
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Also have the West Bend Stir Popper - have had it for nearly 8 years now and I really didn't think it would last this long because we eat popcorn ALL.THE.TIME. But, ours is still going strong!!
I don't like cleaning the thing! But here's how we do it (taken directly from the little note card taped to the inside of the cupboard which houses the popcorn popper....so that all may see and know! ):
:: Clear domed top, little black lid that goes over the steam holes, stirring wand, and the little black thing that screws down over the stirring wand --> ALL get a hot, soapy hand wash. Dry. Put away.
:: Base of unit:
1) Wipe out with damp (with hot water) paper towel over trash can. Remove all leftover kernels, etc.
2) Get washcloth wet with hot water and add a little dish soap - squeeze until washcloth is dryish/damp. Wipe around non-stick base once.
3) Rinse washcloth in hot water, add a little more soap and clean, hot water - squeeze until cloth is dryish/damp. Wipe again.
4) Rinse washcloth and wipe out with dryish/damp-with-water-only washcloth.
5) Dry with clean dishtowel immediately and put away.
Works well and the popper stays clean.
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Chiming in on the coconut oil used for popcorn, too! We use 1 1/2 tablespoons in the bottom of the popper. I only like Spectrum brand because it doesn't taste like coconut when the popcorn is done. I've tried other brands and have regretted it. They taste ok in baked goods like cakes and muffins because the stronger/sweeter baked goods can handle the slight coconut taste...but NOT popcorn. ONLY Spectrum brand coconut oil for popcorn!
Then I   add TONS of melted butter and we all love ball park popcorn salt!!
This thread is making me hungry for popcorn!!!
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Jen Mackintosh
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Mackfam
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Adding....a good popcorn salt is a MUST!! It's super fine and sticks better than regular salt! Make sure you add immediately after popping and don't be stingy with the oil or it won't stick! Not that I'm a popcorn fanatic or anything!
And...Orville Redenbacher White Corn Popcorn pops the best to me!!! Very few Old Maids!
Ok....I have GOT to go make my lasagna or else...or else...IT'S POPCORN TONIGHT FOR DINNER!! 
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JodieLyn
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Lindsay the popcorn oil theatres used to use was palm oil/palm kernal oil before the whole blow up about how "bad" it was.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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SuzanneG
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Would love people to link to any good popcorn salts that you love! St. Nicholas always brings new popcorn salts every year, and now that we are "more rural" I am not finding any salts in the stores, so I need to buy online.
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SuzanneG
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I like this one: Wabash Valley Farms, but some of the little kids think it's "too spicy"....so I think it's too salty for them, but I like it.
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Kristie 4
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I use a pot on the stove. I try to stay away from non-stick finishes because I have a headache sensitive kid who seems to get sick from them...
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JennGM
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I'm enjoying all this feedback. Can I admit I want something that I don't have to do much? We do have a gas stove, so that helps, but if *I* have to do the cooking for the popcorn and hover over the stove, I can see that's not going to work for us. It needs to be dh friendly and fast, or he's going to keep trying for that horrible microwave brand.
I just don't even like the smell of popcorn.
The best thing about popcorn is that you don't need to worry about GMOs.
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CrunchyMom
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I really think the stir popper is the way to go for you. Seriously, my 9 and 7 year olds can *easily* use it independently. They could make dh's popcorn for him.  Even after a year, the novelty has not worn off for the boys to make popcorn themselves for a snack.
JodieLyn wrote:
| Lindsay the popcorn oil theatres used to use was palm oil/palm kernal oil before the whole blow up about how "bad" it was. |
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I think that it must have varied then. Even now, I think different theaters use different brands. I think palm does have a similar flavor to the more refined coconut oil. It would definitely be a good oil to try if someone were sensitive to the coconut flavor in coconut oil.
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Lindsay
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JodieLyn
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Oh it did probably vary. I do know that the big thing was how bad (high in cholesterol) the palm kernal oil was and how *gasp* the movie theatres used it for their popcorn.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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Topic: Popcorn Popper?
