Ok, I've read probably all the popcorn threads. My wife bought me the CostCo Popcorn cart and it'll be here tomorrow. We both love real movie theater popcorn and know it's not that good for us. I know I can use unsaturated and trans-fat free oil, but is there any combination of oil/butter/topping that will make it taste like theater popcorn yet not cause heart attacks?

Yes, I know a little here and there won't hurt. If there is no good flavored/healthy alternative then we'll probably just cut back on our enjoyment of the real thing. Given how frequently we pop corn in the microwave, I suspect we'd be making a 4oz. batch every other night in the new machine if it wouldn't kill us.

So what are YOUR more-healthy oil/butter/flavor recipes?

Portion Packs with Sunflower Oil are available. They have a premeasured amount of sunflower oil and popcorn kernels. It doesn't taste quite as good as popcorn with Coconut Oil (what the theaters mainly use), but it won't clog your arteries as fast either!

You might consider doing a little research on coconut oil before making your decision. It's not nearly as unhealthy as one might believe.

Yes, it saturated but there are some benefits.

If you use 100% coconut oil, which is found in the megapop popcorn kits, you are using a trans fat free oil.. Plus the megapop also has butter flavoring mixed in so you might not feel the need for additional butter..

Sunflower oil is a good alternative, as mentioned above.

Any of the above, including the coconut oil, are probably far better for you than the things they put in the microwave bag! :(

The megapop pre-packs taste good enough that they don't need butter. Once in a while, if I am on a salt binge (I'm the person who used to just outright take the salt shaker from the concession stand into the theater with me) I'll add a dash of the flavacol stuff from those very inexpensive cartons. I rarely have the urge to put butter or anything else on it, and I love butter.

One thing is for sure, I never feel gross like I do after attacking a bag of "movie theater butter" microwave corn (or anything that says 'Act 2' on it) with the megapop.

(For the times I do want the whole "authentic" artery-clogging deal, there's Mor-Gold Plus, which is artifically flavored hydrogenated soybean oil... ewww. :) And yeah, that does make me feel gross inside, but it's gross with a smile.)

But wildfire99, that amount of salt is just as bad for you as the fats are.

Reedl

That's why you offset the salt by drinking a bunch of soda pop.

good tasting popcorn that is healthy?

nnaaahhhhh :)

I spent a couple of hours reading up on Coconut oil. Virgin non-processed oil is the only acceptable kind, and even it has the highest amount of saturated fat in it of all the vegetable oils. Of course that's why we like it so much. The small benefits of it are always outweighed by this fat content. Sunflower oil is amazingly better. Of course it's lack of saturated fats will mean it doesn't taste as good as coconut oil.

Oils are hydrogenated to make them harder at room temperature. Margarine, lard, anything solid. Stay away from any oils you have to cut or scoop. If you can't pour it it has trans fats.

This response is from my dietitian wife....

Try canola,soybean,peanut oil that can stand high cooking temperatures. Here is a good little chart to follow, pick one with the lowest saturated fats: http://encarta.msn.com/media_461524427/Fat_Content_of_Oils_and_Shortenings.html . Attached is another one as well. Butter is actually trans-fat free but higher in saturated fat so use in moderation. Smart Balance popcorn uses heart-healthy oils in their microwave popcorn. Spray butter or Molly Mcbutter are some very low calorie options to try. Also you could use a Mr. Kernel's seasoning sprinkles such as cheese, ranch, etc to help with flavor. Popcorn is a great whole grain, which USDA recommends at least 3 servings each day. 3 cups of popcorn = 1 serving with about 4 grams of fiber, a great source of fiber!

Hope this helps!

There are many things you can use to make popcorn better for you, none of them will make it taste like theater popcorn, you can have one or the other not both, you can perhaps get a PALE imitation of the real thing.

Thanks, Greg. Your link was something I'd already found when searching.

Yes McCall, I know. Kind of sad. You'd think with all the food scientists out there (working for major food companies) that someone could formulate a perfect mimic of Theater grade popcorn flavor but with none of the bad health consequences.

Movie Theaters don't seem to care, but I'd bet they would also benefit (and sell more overpriced popcorn) if they did offer a healthy low-carb, zero saturated/zero trans fat, still great tasting popcorn.

I spent a couple of hours reading up on Coconut oil. Virgin non-processed oil is the only acceptable kind, and even it has the highest amount of saturated fat in it of all the vegetable oils. Of course that's why we like it so much. The small benefits of it are always outweighed by this fat content. Sunflower oil is amazingly better. Of course it's lack of saturated fats will mean it doesn't taste as good as coconut oil
Not quite so simple. Trans-fats are created how again? Oops, that's by heating the oil to high temps...........rats, that's the same as a popcorn kettle.

And let's look closer @ Mr. wonderful, aka Sunflower oil, using the chart above. Hmmm....let's see 14% Omega 6 fatty acids - holey lard *ss batman, that's a bunch - but it's offset by the 1% Omega 3 right? Oh no, the better ratio is 4:1 consumption, sunflower is 14:1 = not so good.

Let's also factor in how much are you eating? Three tubs a day? Or maybe more like a serving(s) per week. Given moderate consumption the coconut oil will likely do little.

Factored into an overall diet I doubt all but the most serious popcorn consumers will notice any negative effect from the difference in oils.

Buy hey - sounds good, reminds me of the "sea salt has less sodium" manure going around now.

You'd think with all the food scientists out there (working for major food companies) that someone could formulate a perfect mimic of Theater grade popcorn flavor but with none of the bad health consequences.

Well you have Olestra, but that and other similarly acting materials do bad things in your body and come out in bad ways. Ultimately there is a solution however that allows you to eat whatever you want (almost)--just live like humans did before cities and 24 hour quickie-marts. Walk all day, every day, picking at things constantly, with a bit of frenzied running from the occasional tiger.

The fat isn't the problem, our sedentary segway-riding habits are. :)

...reminds me of the "sea salt has less sodium" manure going around now.
Well it passes the marketspeak test since technically it would be of lower purity and has less mass when considered at equal volumes (e.g. a teaspoon). But yeah, thinking that way is like when you see someone ordering a big mac with cheese, large onion rings, and a diet coke.

OK, Bailey. A quick Google search found this: "Trans fats can be natural or artificial. Small amounts of trans fat occur naturally in beef and dairy foods. Artificial trans fats are made when hydrogen gas reacts with oil. They can be found in cookies, crackers, icing, potato chips, stick margarine and microwave popcorn. About 80 percent of trans fat in American’s diet comes from factory-produce partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. "

Trans fats are NOT made by simply heating up oil. It's the hydrogination process. That's also the same process that turns liquid vegetable oils into solids.

Look here: http://www.umm.edu/features/transfats.htm

I've heard tell the harder the oil is, the worse it is for you.
But, I also grew up in the butter is bad for you-margarine is good for you // butter is good for you-margarine is bad for you full circle scientific studies on health.
Moderation, I believe is key here. Most folks have some known or unknown vice that will affect their health in one way or another.
Soon studies will reveal bottled water is bad for you, and that the florinated city water you've been avoiding for years would actually have proven more beneficial. :D :cool: :D

Perhaps a solution is to hot-air pop the corn, and flavour it afterwords with less harmful and more healthy topppings. But, it's just not going to taste the same. Similar to the efforts to produce diet colas and sugar substitues. There really isn't a sugar substitute! Facsimile in food is difficult to create artifically.
I did think that perhaps the "aroma" approach may play a part. Does anyone know what level aroma plays in actual taste? :confused:

Hmm, and I always thought coconut oil was good for you :confused:

Is this all coconut oil propaganda? (http://www.coconutoil.com/)

I popped my corn in an air popper long before microwaves took over the job. My dilemma is that my wife and I throw BIG parties a few times each year on a huge deck built just for that purpose. Last year as the crowd enjoyed staying late around a woodburing fire pit we discovered that we couldn't microwave corn fast enough to keep up with the demand. So for my birthday this year she ordered me the Costco Popcorn cart. It arrived today and was assembled in 30 minutes. She got us a 10' inflatable movie screen for the deck for our anniversary in June, and this fall's party will surely end with popcorm and a movie. So we'll be cooking the corn in oil, and I know we'll use whatever makes the popcorn taste like movie theater flavor for the party. It's the rest of the year when we pop a batch for ourselves that I'll use something healthier. We've been eating the poor excuse for movie butter flavor microwave stuff and both decided we could lose some weight and eat healthier. Popcorn itself isn't bad, but you've got to either air pop it or cook it in a healthy(er) oil to enjoy the benefit without added risk.

Bakpakva: Coconut oil has some healthy attributes. They don't outweigh the danger of the high saturated fat content though, IMO.

Yes, it is propaganda. Although free from cholesterol, coconut oil is 87-92% saturated fat. Although perhaps not as bad as "trans fat", it is still bad for you and is responsible for raising your LDL (bad) cholesterol in your blood. Coconut oil sellers and web sites that obviously promote its usage are the last people you should take health advice from. Here's more:

PCRM (http://www.pcrm.org/health/prevmed/chol_heartdisease.html)

The sellers of CO are quick to point out that some Polynesian cultures that consume it heavily are healthy, but they also are more active than western cultures, hardly smoke, consume much more fiber in their diet, and consume very little other "junk food". This doctor addresses some of those bogus claims in a Q. & A. here:

Dr. Pritikin (http://www.pritikin.com/askexperts/001.shtml)

Give the studies a decade or two and things change. I never buy into the hype. If I die 2 years earlier than had I been on a "Sweet-and-Low" diet, so be it. Quality of life/Quantity of life. Sure, a balance is the ultimate goal. But, as my tagline name serves, it reminds me of some things from the sixties. Many folks had plastic covers for their furniture and lamps. Remember those? Those awful heavy duty plastic/vynil lamp shade covers and seat covers. I always thought to myself; when do you ever experience the quality/comfort of your purchase if you cover it from day one with such stuff. Life's too short. Pleasure in things tasteful, in moderation. Sure there are some folks that have restricted diets and allergic or other definitive effects of certain oils and foodstuffs, but, a once a week tub of popcorn is something to savoir, not fear.

t reminds me of some things from the sixties.
Don't forget the miracle fiber of the future: asbestos!

Give the studies a decade or two and things change. I never buy into the hype. If I die 2 years earlier than had I been on a "Sweet-and-Low" diet, so be it. Quality of life/Quantity of life. Sure, a balance is the ultimate goal. But, as my tagline name serves, it reminds me of some things from the sixties. Many folks had plastic covers for their furniture and lamps. Remember those? Those awful heavy duty plastic/vynil lamp shade covers and seat covers. I always thought to myself; when do you ever experience the quality/comfort of your purchase if you cover it from day one with such stuff. Life's too short. Pleasure in things tasteful, in moderation. Sure there are some folks that have restricted diets and allergic or other definitive effects of certain oils and foodstuffs, but, a once a week tub of popcorn is something to savoir, not fear.


I agree! If you keep yourself fit, get plenty of exercise, eat a balanced diet and get plenty of rest, a bucket of popcorn a week isn't going to kill you (or at least not right away) :D If you do have health concerns, then that is a different matter entirely.

Not only must I confess to using coconut oil because I love the taste, but I also drown the popcorn in O'Dells Anhydrous Butter and lots of flavorcol butter flavored salt. It is just so good it is almost sinful!

Yes, it is propaganda. Although free from cholesterol, coconut oil is 87-92% saturated fat. Although perhaps not as bad as "trans fat", it is still bad for you and is responsible for raising your LDL (bad) cholesterol in your blood. Coconut oil sellers and web sites that obviously promote its usage are the last people you should take health advice from. Here's more:

PCRM (http://www.pcrm.org/health/prevmed/chol_heartdisease.html)

The sellers of CO are quick to point out that some Polynesian cultures that consume it heavily are healthy, but they also are more active than western cultures, hardly smoke, consume much more fiber in their diet, and consume very little other "junk food". This doctor addresses some of those bogus claims in a Q. & A. here:

Dr. Pritikin (http://www.pritikin.com/askexperts/001.shtml)


The last people I would actually want to take advice from is a group that thinks we should all become Vegans. Thanks, but no thanks to that! I will take my chances with a nice juicy burger or steak on the grill and die a happy man. :D I think it all comes down to moderation, but what do I know :confused:

That said, it is nice to know there are healthier choices available and a wide variety of toppings that are probably actually good for you like cheese and salt substitutes.

I hate it when the good stuff you grew up eating gets ruined, sometimes it's better not to know ha.

I went through this with peanut butter, most of the commercial brands use bad oils so I switched to the all natural, but then there's the aflatoxin that's found on peanuts that they say is carcinogenic. (on edit-it's probably not that big of a risk, but just another example of things we have to worry about)

Another thing with popcorn is it's not really good for your intestines but I think that's only if you already have problems.

Also the butter flavoring they use for microwave popcorn contains diacetyl which seems to be causing lung problems in factory workers, similar to asbestos, and they actually refer to it as "popcorn lung". But I think that's only if you are regularly exposed to the vapors like someone working in a plant where they make the stuff would be.

Now that we've all agreed on the oil, do any of you have opinions on specific brands of popping corn? Bagged or in a jar? Ice box or pantry? White or yellow? I'm not sure I'll have many choices in my small town, as the last time I looked all any place had was one brand of bagged corn.

I'm sorry if this is a little off topic. I doubt there is any health consequence to your corn choice, but there are obviously some variables. When I air popped corn I preferred white corn as it seemed to have a bit less hard shell to get stuck in my teeth after popping.

Now that we've all agreed on the oil, do any of you have opinions on specific brands of popping corn? Bagged or in a jar? Ice box or pantry? White or yellow? I'm not sure I'll have many choices in my small town, as the last time I looked all any place had was one brand of bagged corn.

I'm sorry if this is a little off topic. I doubt there is any health consequence to your corn choice, but there are obviously some variables. When I air popped corn I preferred white corn as it seemed to have a bit less hard shell to get stuck in my teeth after popping.

I have been very happy with the MegaPop pre-packaged 8 oz size that has the popcorn on one side and the oil on the other. I have tried many other brands of popcorn in my machine, but none seem as good or pop up as full. I am not sure but it might be genetically modified. (J/K) :D It is packaged by Gold Medal I think, the makers of my popcorn machine.

I tried some multicolored (blue, purple, yellow) stuff, but it didn't turn out any good at all as it popped up very small with lots of old maids. I bought some of the stuff that the Boy Scouts sell in a large plastic bucket, and it wasn't bad. Had a few more of the hard shells left that I didn't like.

I have heard that if you keep your popcorn in a glass jar in the refriderator that helps keep the moisture content high, which makes fewer old maids. Since mine is prepackaged, I keep it in the cool basement.

Today we went all over town, and of course walmart was the only place that had coconut oil for sale. Picked up a jar of the white popcorn seeds and a resealable bag of the same. Also got some popcorn salt and a couple of different seasonings. We also got some sunflower oil. Plan is to clean the kettle and inside of the warming area, then pop a batch with coconut oil. We'll bag it up and my wife will take it to work and put it in the snack room for all the employees to share. Of course we'll sample the taste ourselves and keep a small bag for comparison. The next day we'll pop a batch with sunflower oil and do the same. If the employees eat the sunflower as readily as they eat the coconut oil corn then we'll probably save the coconut oil for the rare movie night on the deck. Normal parties that last into snack time will get the sunflower version and we'll probably eat the same ourselves for the occasional batch.

Looking back at the fat content tables reminds me of chili-cheese fries which some news show claimed was the food to eat regularly if you were trying to get to a heart attack as soon as possible. My wife would always get extra butter on movie popcorn for a double dose of saturated fat. She won't now that I've showed her those fat tables, despite how good it tastes.

That's not a scientific test, where's the control? The second batch will be affected by the first. :p

Maybe better would be to pop all three batches at once. Make a big bowl of the microwave stuff, the coconut oil stuff, and the sunflower oil stuff. Then put all of them out at once, and see which bowl is most depleted at the end of the day. That of course assumes people know the popcorn is different, most would probably just assume it's all the same, eat out of one bowl, then grumble that it sucks.

Maybe you could do rating cards to go with the popcorn, and people can score each type (bowl 'A', bowl 'B', bowl 'C') from 1-10 for flavor, so you can tally final scores and earn a nerd merit badge. :)

That's not a scientific test, where's the control? The second batch will be affected by the first. :p most would probably just assume it's all the same, eat out of one bowl, then grumble that it sucks. so you can earn a nerd merit badge. :)

Hehehehehe!!!!!

Don't you know you can't trust science, Wildfire? Whoever tallies the numbers can spin the results how they want. Mostly I want to make popcorn, and since we can't eat it all I'll give it away. If they have opinions then great. Ultimately I'm gonna make what I want and eat what I want. ;-)

I've only done one scientific test in the past. Had to. Science class. I'm pretty sure my lab partner was the reason we got an A. I picked her cause she was the serious studious type.

Living causes death.

SOMETHING has to kill you. If it's not the oil you use in your popcron, it's getting hit by a bus.

You might as well enjoy what tastes good and not be afraid to cross the street.

After assembling my popper, I found two recipes for making the popcorn. One, ON THE GLASS of machine say 1/2 cup of oil for 6 0z of corn. The one on the bag of corn I bought says 1 TABLESPOON per 4 oz. I went with the 1 TBS of Canola oil and thought it tasted GREAT! THe corn comes out dry and crispy like in the theater. It's proably the buttery topping I add that will kill me.

Tom

Thanks for that reply, Thread-Ender. Oops.... sorry ;-(

I'm only health concerned due to my addiction to Dark Chocolate Milky Way bars. Without really noticing my weight climbed from 180 to 215 eating one or two of those a day for a couple of years. Blood pressure went from "low" to dangerously high. The last straw was trying to suit up to have my picture taken only to discover the suit didn't fit anymore.

So I've given up the candy bars. Given up bread, potatoes, and most processed foods. Heck, I've given up almost all the good tasting things with my wife's encouragement. I've lost 15 lbs in the last three weeks and dropped my blood pressure into the "still high but not gonna kill you today" range. So yes, a bus may hit me. The odds were better though that I'd drop dead before one had the chance.

LIke I said, my previous popped corn was air popped. My wife insisted on microwaving it, though, and she has eaten 4/5 of all the microwave corn we've cooked in the last 7 years or so. This thread is about education. I needed to know if popping corn in my new cost-co popper with oil could be relatively healthy. It looks like it can, but may not taste like that movie theater popcorn tastes.

My real point is to try to reduce the amount of oil to get it to taste as much like theater corn as you can. Using 1 TSB HAS to be better (healthier) than a 1/2 cup.

Tom

Is there a reason to use sunflower oil over canola? I used the latter before getting coconut oil and found canola to be very delicious with popcorn.

No, Wildfire. Other than that I'm in Kansas where sunflowers are the state flower, and not Canada where CANola oil/canola plants were developed.

Once you get the oil figured out, you might want to jump over and read the thread about the toppings if you haven't already seen it. toppings (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=869040)

The fat isn't the problem, our sedentary segway-riding habits are.
Exactly..........as with anything moderation is the key. A small amount of coconut oil doesn't matter much with a generally healthy lifestyle.


Well it passes the marketspeak test since technically it would be of lower purity and has less mass when considered at equal volumes (e.g. a teaspoon). But yeah, thinking that way is like when you see someone ordering a big mac with cheese, large onion rings, and a diet coke
Yep, it certainly does. Sea salt DOES have less sodium...........but sea salt is comprised of 99% NaCl.....a lot like 2% milk - it's less, but not enough to make a darn bit of difference.

And yep, that's so American. Hi, welcome to Lardo's.........I'll have a xtra large grease burger w/ bacon & cheese, a jumbo fries, and a DIET coke. :D

Look here: http://www.umm.edu/features/transfats.htm

Just one quote from that article -

but public health experts warn that these kinds of fats clog arteries and cause obesity.

Horse-manure, the fats don't cause obesity - sitting on your arse & shoving garbage down your gaping maw as fast as you can causes obesity.

Another -

Trans fats increase the risk for heart disease. Therefore, children who start at age 3 or 4 eating a steady diet of fast food, pop tarts, commercially prepared fish sticks, stick margarine, cake, candy, cookies and microwave popcorn can be expected to get heart disease earlier than kids who are eating foods without trans fats.

Take the trans-fats out of that same diet & you'll still end up with a group of lardos that die early. Try removing the pop tarts, cake, candy, cookies, and microwave popcorn.........then have Jr. Lardo put down the game controller & go outside.

I'll not argue that the processed coconut oil that some of use in popcorn is healthy, just don't see it as being any detriment when taken as a part of good overall diet. I'd be willing to bet you could cook the popcorn in coconut oil, add some butter flavored topping and it would STILL be healthier than ANY chemical laden microwave popcorn.

Yes, it is propaganda. Although free from cholesterol, coconut oil is 87-92% saturated fat. Although perhaps not as bad as "trans fat", it is still bad for you and is responsible for raising your LDL (bad) cholesterol in your blood. Coconut oil sellers and web sites that obviously promote its usage are the last people you should take health advice from. Here's more:
So who should we listen to? The medical/dietary community? Yeah - lmao - that's a good group...........let's see thier track record:

- if you drink a bathtub of saccharin a day you'll get cancer
- eggs are bad for you
- don't eat butter, eat margarine
- don't eat margarine, butter is better
- milk is good for you, milk solids are bad for you
- coffee is bad for you
- coffee is good for you
- alcohol is bad for you
- alcohol is good for you

Notice the trend? Most if the "bad for you" aren't so bad when taken in moderation......there's that word again moderation.

The last people I would actually want to take advice from is a group that thinks we should all become Vegans.
Yeah, that's a group we should listen to :rolleyes:

Really it's simple - eat less & move more = you can enjoy the popcorn cooked in coconut oil.

You forgot one....

Chocolate is bad for you....no wait, it's GOOD for you.

And oh yeah....
Alcohol is bad for you...but wait... a glass of wine a day is GOOD for you.

Tom

I just waiting for them to say A LOT of alcohol is good for you......

"I just waiting for them to say A LOT of alcohol is good for you...... "

why wait? :p

I have instructed my wife that when I die she can have my gravestone inscribed:

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO EAT THAT"

She's a vegetarian with an occasional piece of fish for the Omega 6s or is that 3s?
I'm a carnivore.

Isn't it funny how all of us (me included) cherry pick the data to make it fit our own lifestyles! :)

Moderation is the key, you all say? Try applying that to cigarettes, cyanide capsules or abdominal stab wounds! ;) [I'm trying to cut down, myself. :rolleyes: ]

4D, There has been a lot of discussion over the past years about popcorn varieties, popping oils, toppings and the actual process. By popping a bag and then taking it to work the next day you will get some pretty poor popcorn. Popcorn is best when it is dry. If you get up the next morning and take a handful of popcorn from the last nights bowl you will find it pretty stale. It has absorbed moisture. However if you take that same popcorn and put it into the warmer of your popcorn machine and dry it out for an hour, it will taste fresh. Theaters do this every day. Popcorn is graded by expansion ratio. The higher the expansion ratio the lighter and better the popcorn. There are two types of popcorn. One is referred to as Butterfly which is what we get in theaters and the second is referred to as Mushroom. This is the corn that is used to make carmel corn or similiar products because it does not break into fine pieces when it is being carmelized. White popcorn is often more tender but is always much smaller. Commercial poppers only use yellow corn and typically it has 40:1 expansion ratio or greater. MegaPop is a good commercial corn and one of the highest rated corns by many here on the forum. You should send for some of that if you can't find it locally and use that as a standard for comparing various corns. Each of us has health and flavor preferences so one needs to beware of that when taking advice. Some like their popcorn popped in olive oil, I find that a poor choice but I am not going to try to change their opinion. The popping process is key. Make sure your popper has fully heated. Typically at least a 10 to 15 minute warmup. Add the oil first and after it has heated add the corn. When the batch has popped, it will be tempting to scoop and eat it immediately but let the popped corn dry. I find that tossing it to air it out and release some of the moisture helps. On many commercial poppers, the lid actually pops open as the kettle starts getting full and you can see the steam being released into the air instead of held in the popping chamber. In my case, I use coconut oil and real butter but I am only eating it once or twice a week.

..Doyle

I have a squirrel test for popcorn. I lived in Iowa with a bird feeder in the back yard.The squirrels loved that and the tree it was hung on became their nest. So with a large array of animals attracted to the yard we would also put out stale bread, old popcorn, and whatever else we thought the animals would eat.

I cooked my popcorn in an air popper and added real butter. My wife preferred popcorn popped in a pan on the stove in a little oil. Then came early microwave options. The squirrels would eat almost everything EXCEPT the left over microwave popcorn. I should be taking advice from the squirrels. Oil or air. Never radiation.

4D, There has been a lot of discussion over the past years about popcorn varieties, popping oils, toppings and the actual process. By popping a bag and then taking it to work the next day you will get some pretty poor popcorn. Popcorn is best when it is dry. If you get up the next morning and take a handful of popcorn from the last nights bowl you will find it pretty stale. It has absorbed moisture. However if you take that same popcorn and put it into the warmer of your popcorn machine and dry it out for an hour, it will taste fresh. Theaters do this every day. Popcorn is graded by expansion ratio. The higher the expansion ratio the lighter and better the popcorn. There are two types of popcorn. One is referred to as Butterfly which is what we get in theaters and the second is referred to as Mushroom. This is the corn that is used to make carmel corn or similiar products because it does not break into fine pieces when it is being carmelized. White popcorn is often more tender but is always much smaller. Commercial poppers only use yellow corn and typically it has 40:1 expansion ratio or greater. MegaPop is a good commercial corn and one of the highest rated corns by many here on the forum. You should send for some of that if you can't find it locally and use that as a standard for comparing various corns. Each of us has health and flavor preferences so one needs to beware of that when taking advice. Some like their popcorn popped in olive oil, I find that a poor choice but I am not going to try to change their opinion. The popping process is key. Make sure your popper has fully heated. Typically at least a 10 to 15 minute warmup. Add the oil first and after it has heated add the corn. When the batch has popped, it will be tempting to scoop and eat it immediately but let the popped corn dry. I find that tossing it to air it out and release some of the moisture helps. On many commercial poppers, the lid actually pops open as the kettle starts getting full and you can see the steam being released into the air instead of held in the popping chamber. In my case, I use coconut oil and real butter but I am only eating it once or twice a week.

..Doyle


Megapop kits have an expansion rate of 48:1 and we are pushing the 50:1 expansion rate..

The major movie theaters are using no less than 48:1 expansion rate corn and most are popping with Coconut oil, if anybody was curious.... :)

Megapop kits have an expansion rate of 48:1 and we are pushing the 50:1 expansion rate..

The major movie theaters are using no less than 48:1 expansion rate corn and most are popping with Coconut oil, if anybody was curious.... :)


I was more interested in the squirrel test, but yours was good info too! :D

Ah! Expansion ratios!

So why don't they print that info on every brand/bag/jar of popcorn? I just checked my Orville's gormet corn and some Jiffypop corn.... nada.

Perhaps there's a web site chart somewhere?

If they printed it on every bag, then there would be a lot of popcorn that wouldn't get sold. Commercial poppers have testers and check incoming batches to ensure they are getting high grade corn. MegaPop and some of the others have seen a new market with the home theater crowd and with a little packaging they can get a pretty high margin for their popcorn. 20 years ago, anything above 38:1 was pretty premium corn but with the continued development of hybrid strains, the expansion ratio has climbed. I don't think you are going to find a chart that shows all the various corns and recognize that there are variables in each years corn and so the numbers move around. Before MegaPop and some of the others were around, I purchased my corn at a commercial poppers supply that carried a wide variety of concessions products. They had the test hardware to compare corns. Orvilles when it first came out was around 33:1 but now you see them adverstising 50:1. I think you will find anything over 40:1 to be good corn.
Here is a typical link where you see them advertising the ratio.
http://buy.chesters.com/PopCommerce/Popper.asp

..Doyle

I have a squirrel test for popcorn. I lived in Iowa with a bird feeder in the back yard.The squirrels loved that and the tree it was hung on became their nest. So with a large array of animals attracted to the yard we would also put out stale bread, old popcorn, and whatever else we thought the animals would eat.

I cooked my popcorn in an air popper and added real butter. My wife preferred popcorn popped in a pan on the stove in a little oil. Then came early microwave options. The squirrels would eat almost everything EXCEPT the left over microwave popcorn. I should be taking advice from the squirrels. Oil or air. Never radiation.
ROTFLMAO - great test.

Moderation is the key, you all say? Try applying that to cigarettes, cyanide capsules or abdominal stab wounds! [I'm trying to cut down, myself. ]
Yeah because dietary moderation is very similar to cigarettes, cyanide, and stab wounds :rolleyes:

this threads is making me hungry

Yeah because dietary moderation is very similar to cigarettes, cyanide, and stab wounds :rolleyes:
OK, you got me, those aren't all eaten. How about arsenic, cyanide, plutonium, and botulism. Here's to moderation! :D It's just a joke, guys, chill.

I only used a quarter of a cube of butter on my popcorn last night. Then I watched an America's Test Kitchen show where they compared American and French butters. The taste test winner was Land O Lakes Ultra Premium, the French butter came in second while Land O Lakes regular butter came in third. Much higher fat content in the ultra premium. I think we'll give it a try on toast first.

..Doyle

I only used a quarter of a cube of butter on my popcorn last night. Then I watched an America's Test Kitchen show where they compared American and French butters. The taste test winner was Land O Lakes Ultra Premium, the French butter came in second while Land O Lakes regular butter came in third. Much higher fat content in the ultra premium. I think we'll give it a try on toast first.

..Doyle


Do you melt the butter and pour it on top, or do you cook it into drawn butter.(melt the butter over medium heat, bring to a boil until the milk solids have separated and sunk to the bottom of the pan. Ladle out the clarified butter)? I find that the popcorn is less soggy with clarified butter than melted butter. I haven't tried the LoL yet, but that sounds like it might be good.

I have had my popper for allmost a year now.I started with the oil from Sams club they sell for the poppers.It is soybean oil with a butter flavoring.It is excellent.Then I bought a gallon of coconut oil.It taste good also.But I have tried different mixes of the coconut with smart balance.I have found 1 tabl of coconut to 3 tabl of smart balance works well for a half cup of corn.I also tried corn oil and the canola oils.1 to 3 ratio of coconut to the others gives still a great flavor.In fact the kids and others never knew I was doing it.They still love it.So by using the smart balance I can eat more popcorn.Instead of once a week now twice.BOB

I just melt the butter in the microwave and pour it on the popcorn while I am tossing it. Tossing it seems to take care of any sogginess problems. Every now and then you find a kernel that go an extra dose of butter and those are kind of special. I got samples of all of the topping oils when we were doing the topping oil tasting. I sent some to Brickie at the time. For my tastes, real butter was still the winner. The others had too much of an oily taste. Most were made from a partially hydrogenated soybean oil.

..Doyle

I also use the microwave to melt my butter.I use smart balance'It has a great taste.Also a glass of milk has more fat than a large popcorn.BOB

Also a glass of milk has more fat than a large popcorn.BOB

Where are you getting your numbers? A large (20 cups) movie theater popcorn (no butter) has 76 grams of fat. At 31g of fat per quart, it would take well over a half-gallon of whole milk to equal that. And, you'd have to drink well over a gallon of milk to equal the fat content of a large buttered movie theatre popcorn at 134 grams of fat.

Here's where I got mine:

http://www.calorieking.com/foods/calories-in-popcorn_c-Y2lkPTQxMDQ2JnBhcj0.html

OK, you got me, those aren't all eaten. How about arsenic, cyanide, plutonium, and botulism. Here's to moderation! :D It's just a joke, guys, chill.
:D Same here, apparently my jokes flopped - so much for my last comic standing aspirations.

I started with the oil from Sams club they sell for the poppers. It is soybean oil with a butter flavoring.It is excellent.
Decent tasting stuff - though it's loaded with trans fats. ;)

:D Same here, apparently my jokes flopped - so much for my last comic standing aspirations.
Not really, I lol'd and crib notated the 'abdominal stab wound' line. ;)
I try to keep my internal bleeding down to one pint or less per week.

A large (20 cups) movie theater popcorn (no butter) has 76 grams of fat

Wouldn't that be a whopping 160 oz (20 X 8oz)? That is LOT of popcorn and I don't care who you are or how big you are. That would be the GIANT size. Most large sizes are the 85 oz tub, so wouldn't that only be 38 grams of fat?

I'm just saying. I mean, as long as we're trying convince ourselves that there IS such a thing as "healthy" popcorn we might as well get the numbers right.

Tom

Wouldn't that be a whopping 160 oz (20 X 8oz)? That is LOT of popcorn and I don't care who you are or how big you are. That would be the GIANT size. Most large sizes are the 85 oz tub, so wouldn't that only be 38 grams of fat?


Not sure, I was just going by the numbers on the website that I posted.

FWIW, their "small" is 7 cups (56 oz) which is probably about right since it seems like the normal "small" bags are roughly three times the size of a typical 20oz Coke bottle.

Once the sizes get bigger, it's harder to gauge obviously. I do know that most theatres I visit actually have 4 sizes: Small, Medium, Large, Giant (usually a bucket)

Maybe the website is skipping one of those middle sizes and using Giant for "Large." Who knows. It does seem obvious that movie theatre popcorn (even without butter) has a lot more fat in it than a glass of whole milk. But is there anybody that's going to start drinking milk at the movies instead? :cool:

You want healthy.

Get the 100 calorie snack Microwave bags from Costco.

It's a good way of judging how much you are consuming. Try to eat only one/two per evening. Adds a whole new dimension to the phrase "she's a double bagger"

I've found one bag lasts about as long as the previews.

But is there anybody that's going to start drinking milk at the movies instead?

Heck NO! We all know they don't allow outside food. And there's no profit in selling millk like there is in Coke!

I can't imagine anything larger than a 46 oz cup being considered small. I just bought 46 & 85 oz tubs and 46oz is a decent size single serving.

Tom

I can't imagine anything larger than a 46 oz cup being considered small. I just bought 46 & 85 oz tubs and 46oz is a decent size single serving.


I know what you mean but those "giant" theatre buckets are frakking 'uuuuge.

Did anyone else notice that Orville now says his popcorn is made with 100% whole grain popcorn!!!

Makes me wonder what I've been eating before, and exactly what part of the grain did they remove?

It is just a marketing term I believe. Just wait for HiDef Popcorn for the HiDef theater!

Did anyone else notice that Orville now says his popcorn is made with 100% whole grain popcorn!!!

Makes me wonder what I've been eating before, and exactly what part of the grain did they remove?

I wonder if his grain comes from white corn cobs or red corn cobs.

I had a bag last night so a little later today I might be able to check.

I can tell you that I really feel healthier today. My hearing is improved and the highs are crisp and the soundstage is wide. The color saturation of my eyesight is great and I am not noticing any Macroblocking.

Sounds like it was really worth it. Maybe we could get a powerbuy set up.....

It was already in the 32 bag box at Costco.

I made up a batch of "Original" Orville's last night in my CP503 popper. Color was a bland white. Not sure if was due to the corn or the "warm" light of the warming bulb within the popper. Color just didn't seem as vivid as it should be. I am using a cheap "big box" 14 guage power extension to a dedicated 15 amp circuit in my garage. Perhaps a 12 guage Monster power extension to the dedicated 20 amp next to it would improve the color intensity?

I warmed up some of the ActII Buttery Topping in my new warmer in the kitchen and it seemed to have a vivid yellow color which washed out somewhat when applied to the corn (although the taste was "buttery" with a nice finish in the palate) . Maybe the power in the kitchen is cleaner than that in the garage (I know my wife had just mopped the floor - Big was there, he can vouch). Any ideas if using the same outlet for the popper would get me better color?

Tom

Utilizing separate electrical branch circuits in popcorn preparation is a major no-no. :eek:

Tom,

You didn't get a power conditioner with your popper? Most of us did.

I made up a batch of "Original" Orville's last night in my CP503 popper. Color was a bland white. Not sure if was due to the corn or the "warm" light of the warming bulb within the popper. Color just didn't seem as vivid as it should be. I am using a cheap "big box" 14 guage power extension to a dedicated 15 amp circuit in my garage. Perhaps a 12 guage Monster power extension to the dedicated 20 amp next to it would improve the color intensity?

I warmed up some of the ActII Buttery Topping in my new warmer in the kitchen and it seemed to have a vivid yellow color which washed out somewhat when applied to the corn (although the taste was "buttery" with a nice finish in the palate) . Maybe the power in the kitchen is cleaner than that in the garage (I know my wife had just mopped the floor - Big was there, he can vouch). Any ideas if using the same outlet for the popper would get me better color?

Tom


I haven't been following this thread too close so I cannot tell whether your comments are satirical or not. If they are, I love the analogy as it sounds like so many of the posts in the Audio Theory section asking about custom power cords. :rolleyes:

If they aren't, the power isn't going to affect the popcorn color. The color is only affected by the type of popcorn, (some varieties are white or more white than others), the popping oil and any color additives, (most popping oil has some color added to make it look buttery colored), The topping oil which also has some color additive.

..Doyle

I made up a batch of "Original" Orville's last night in my CP503 popper. Color was a bland white. Not sure if was due to the corn or the "warm" light of the warming bulb within the popper. Color just didn't seem as vivid as it should be. I am using a cheap "big box" 14 guage power extension to a dedicated 15 amp circuit in my garage. Perhaps a 12 guage Monster power extension to the dedicated 20 amp next to it would improve the color intensity?

I warmed up some of the ActII Buttery Topping in my new warmer in the kitchen and it seemed to have a vivid yellow color which washed out somewhat when applied to the corn (although the taste was "buttery" with a nice finish in the palate) . Maybe the power in the kitchen is cleaner than that in the garage (I know my wife had just mopped the floor - Big was there, he can vouch). Any ideas if using the same outlet for the popper would get me better color?

Tom

To get the right color you need a Monster power conditioner.This makes all the difference.Make sure you run the popcorn maker by itself on it.Best Buy has them for about $300 for a good one,THANKS BOB

TOM: Floor was clean but the sky had a funny color.

HEYNOW, Update: I have performed a visual inspection of the processed Whole Grain popcorn. Unfortunately I was unable to determine whether the kernels originated on a red or white cob.

Does anyone know what size UPS one would need to complete a batch of popcorn in a 6oz Goldmedal popper if there was a power failure?. I would imagine that the worst case scenario would be you just opened a megapop packet and started to persuade the oil to jump into to the hopper when the power fails. If the power failed before you open the packet, the mission can be aborted without damages.

What would I need to be sure that I can complete the batch? Would I need a Pure sine wave power source?

You didn't get a power conditioner with your popper? Most of us did.

No. I must have gotten ripped off. Stupid Costco.

To get the right color you need a Monster power conditioner.

I also noticed that the "popped" corn fell into the warmer in a distinctly random pattern. Some had the "kernel" face down and others face up. Some massed in the corner and others in the open field of the warmer. Would the above referenced power conditioner align and deliver the electrons so that the corn will fall in evenly displaced, neat rows all faced in one direction? Or, is this just more Monster advertising hype? I've not found any published specs on the effects of the alignment Monster purports in their website.

Would I need a Pure sine wave power source?

Not sure, but when measured on my Rat Shack oscilloscope, my CP503 produces a perfect saw tooth wave at 440cps with a peak at 880cps. Perhaps differences in manufacturer country of origin require different wave patterns. Anyone aware of any tweaks that may help BIG out?

I haven't been following this thread too close so I cannot tell whether your comments are satirical or not.

HEY! BIG started it.

Tom

You haven't tasted good popcorn if you haven't run it on a 208volt machine. :cool:

Utilizing separate electrical branch circuits in popcorn preparation is a major no-no.
Hmmm. I've not heard of this before. Perhaps if I sort of bi-amped the power cord it would be OK? Run the hot into one circuit and the neutral into the other? Or is that still condsidered separate branch circuits?

a 208volt machine
DANG! Where can I get one of those babies? I feel like microwaving is too slow.

Tom

208V is nothing. You haven't lived until you've eaten the heavenly, fluffy popcorn that only hydro-electric power grid communities can provide. The burning of oil and coal in other communities just makes the popocorn icky. It reminds me of chewing on cornmeal. Yuch. Hydro-electric power, on the other hand, provides a smooth and natural tasting popcorn. You gotta try it! :)

OK, I am onboard.

You guys really aren't going to get the best popcorn until you Biwire your machines! Once you Biwire you will clearly be able to distinguish each and every pop on the soundstage. This can be checked by leaving the doors and top of the popper open. Even with two blind guys doing the test, you will have the perception and reality of popcorn all over your soundstage. Talk about the perfect double blind test!

..Doyle

Back on topic:

Hydro-electric powered poppers indeed provides a more healthful popcorn product.

Good point! :)

My Gold-Plated conductors on my Bi-Wired 208v machine actually results in fewer old maids per batch, too! :)

The best of BOTH worlds! :D

I bi-wired my Paragon popper to my Soda machine and now I have popped Coke cans all over the place.

...shoulda bi-wired it with Pepsi. :rolleyes:

I have popped Coke cans all over the place.

That's classic! (if you'll pardon the pun)

The burning of oil and coal in other communities just makes the popocorn icky.
Well maybe THAT'S my problem I've been using a generic 10W40. Perhaps a step up to Mobil1 would be an improvement. I've heard Slick50 is pretty good, too. Perhaps if BIG used Slick50 his "visual inspetion" could have occured instantly.

Tom

My mom was at Best Buy last night and she wanted to get some new popcorn. Of course Best Buy is pushing the Blu-Pop and not HD-Pop[goes better with their colors]. I had to talk with the numbnuts at BB for like 10 min to get him to confess that there is no visual difference between Blu-Pop and HD-Pop.

I wish people would just be happy that we have Popcorn of this high quality and stop fighting over which is better! :mad:

That's what you get for going to BB. Bose-pop is the best. I know, becasue they told me.

Ya'll better stop talking about Bose-pop or this thread will get shut down.....

Not to change the topic but which brand is recommended for making Popcorn ceilings.
Hi-POP?

Try a search there is like 50 threads on that topic. :rolleyes:

or this thread will get shut down.....

Something's telling me this thread should've been shut down about 20 posts ago!

Tom

So I finally got around to making popcorn in my Costco popper. Did a test batch three days ago, then made popcorn for a party I held last night. I used coconut oil from walmart, and Orville's Gormet White popping corn. Good enough but needed butter. My wife melted some REAL butter in the mirowave and drizzled it over a large bowl of the popcorn. Tasted great, although we won't use as much butter next time. All was eaten. It got chilly last night, but I put a log into my fire pit on the deck, and about half the 18 that came to the party stayed late for the popcorn, conversation, and toasty fire.

So I finally got around to making popcorn in my Costco popper. Did a test batch three days ago, then made popcorn for a party I held last night. I used coconut oil from walmart, and Orville's Gormet White popping corn. Good enough but needed butter.
I've gotten to the point where I think between the coconut oil and the flavacol (both what's in the Megapop pre-paks and a bit I add after popping) I don't even bother with butter anymore unless I really have a craving. Perhaps you should pick up a box of Flavacol and see if it helps with the butter taste, it was only like $2 last time I got one.

This may be off, but have you ever tried brewers yeast sprinkled on popcorn?!!? OMG, it was REALLY good. Give it a try sometime. You can find it in the health food isle at some larger groceries.

Ya know, I'm been using megaPop for about two years. Recently, I tried some Country Harvest and really liked it! More than the Megapop. I had tried the CH when I first got my popper and it was awful. (Maybe it was old). But this new Country Harvest was really good, and I prefer it to the MP. It's lighter, crisper and more "movie theater" butter tasty! :)
The MegaPop seems to have more of those hard un-chewable pieces in it. What ARE those anyway? :confused: It's real hard, carboard like pieces that you have to spit out. Not hulls or unpopped kernals, just hard stuff?!
Anyway, I have a new favorite for the time being. :)

Mid,
I agree with you about Country Harvest. I'm not sure if Paragon changed their popcorn supplier, or if it was fresher but we popped some a couple weeks ago for the opening of our new showroom and I really, really liked it. I didn't do a side by side comparison with MegaPop but I had no complaints about the Country Harvest at all. I still like MegaPop too, though.

The Country Harvest is good. Some resellers use Country Harvest and rebadge it. They use the same packaging without the Country Harvest Label. I have tried the rebadged Country Harvest next to Snappy packs and I think the Country Harvest is better too. Definitely a better flavor profile between these two brands. Haven't tried Mega Pop.

Has anyone tried making popcorn with Macadamia Nut Oil. I noticed this report on cooking oils that mentioned making popcorn with Macadamia Nut Oil. Has anyone tried it? Good? Bad?

www.knowledgeofhealth.com/pdfs/cookingoil.pdf

I think if you ate popcorn once a week it would be just fine.

I think if you ate popcorn more than once a week you'd get fat, and you'd also get sick of popcorn.

gee, you watch what you eat a lot...you can exercise a bag of popcorn off pretty easily..sounds like someone doesn't exercise enough, lol.

i don't, so i'm not being hypocritical. :)