Best products from r/popcorn

The machine isn't totally necessary unless you want it for aesthetics, or for its ability to keep popcorn warm. You can get similar results by making it homemade on the stove-top though and you'd save a lot of money. Easier clean-up, too.

That said, I'm not too sure about good popcorn machines, but here are some popular options for good popping oil, salt, and kernels:

Oil:
https://www.amazon.com/Snappy-Popcorn-Colored-Coconut-Gallon/dp/B003C4UDEY

Salt:
https://www.amazon.com/Gold-Medal-Prod-Flavacol-Seasoning/dp/B004W8LT10

Kernels:
https://www.amazon.com/Orville-Redenbacher-Popcorn-Kernel-Original/dp/B0098IOL2S

And if you're interested in the stove-top method, I wrote a blog about the technique here:

http://mycomfortfoods.blogspot.com/2016_08_01_archive.html

Happy popping!

That one just looks like a typical air popper. They're around $15-$30. I got this one(#2 Best Seller on Amazon) from Fred Meyer, and have owned it for about a year. It's great, no complaints, and the little cup on top for butter is even the perfect size to measure out how much popcorn you're supposed to put in it. My dad has an older model by the same company, and after around 7 years, it still works almost as good as when he got it.

As for seasoning it, ignore what /u/JustGreg said about using oil to pop if he likes the buttery flavoring. Oil popped popcorn is awesome(I have one of these too), and coconut oil that's been artificially colored and flavored for popcorn is what you should get if you want movie theater style popcorn, but if he likes the flavor of butter, just put butter on it. Take 1/4 to 1/2 a stick of butter, and either microwave it(AFTER you pop the popcorn, unless you have a 25 amp circuit in your kitchen!), or leave it on the the cup on top of the popper while it pops, and drizzle it on the popcorn after it pops. As for salts, I like Flavacol, which is what a lot of theaters use, Paragon Butter Flavored Seasoning Salt, or Jolly Time Buttery Popcorn Seasoning. Or if you're as lazy as I am, you can just pour some of all three into one of these.

Just remember with the air poppers, the only thing that ever goes into the area where it pops is popcorn, never put butter, oil, or seasonings in while it pops!

There are 2 flavors that I really like. Fresh Rosemary finely diced and a spice called ['slap ya momma'] (https://www.amazon.com/Slap-Ya-Mama-Cajun-Seasoning/dp/B000KS3L4E). The SYM is really spicy and has great flavor, but any tangy spice will work. You could also go to one of those popcorn stores that has like 250 flavors for ideas. I've never been to one, but i would imagine you could buy flavorings there.

This: https://smile.amazon.com/Salbree-Microwave-Popcorn-Silicone-Collapsible/dp/B01CMT8DFU/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1483750416&sr=8-4&keywords=popcorn+kernel+for+microwave

With this: https://smile.amazon.com/Great-Northern-Popcorn-4-Ounce-Portion/dp/B000PDY3P0/ref=pd_nav_hcs_bia_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&refRID=2PHF0Z7JSY1YQM6G504D&th=1

Dish washer safe, and best tasting popcorn I've ever had at home.

I have one of these guys:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0089XJDIK/ref=twister_B01MQ0LAKG?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

You put popcorn into the bowl, optionally add a little bit of oil, and cook in the microwave like usual.

You can even serve from the bowl itself, and it rinses pretty easily

I bought some of these sprayers and they work great. I put different types of oil in one and the other I use vinegar. Just use it to spray as light and evenly as possible. It helps it stick.

can you be more specific? do you mean like an air popper, or a machine like this one? I've seen these and they don't work very well - a lot of the kernels end up unpopped, it's wasteful, inefficient, cumbersome to fill, and hard to clean. I don't recommend it

I prefer to use my Whirly Pop - very high quality and easy to use. avoid the stainless steel ones as they heat up too slowly, aluminum conducts heat faster so it takes less time to pop.

I bought this [Lekue Popcorn Popper](https://www.amazon.ca/Lekue-Popcorn-Popper-Popocorn-Maker/dp/B00NF9CT0C/ref=sr_1_4?s=kitchen-substore&ie=UTF8&qid=1458086687&sr=1-4 "Popcorn PopperLekue Popcorn Popper") from Amazon.ca and LOVE it!

How do you get the garlic powder and season salt to stick to the popcorn?

Here's my method for microwave popcorn:

Using a microwave popcorn popper dish, like this, add 1/3 cup of kernels. Microwave for 2 minutes. Top with nutritional yeast. I stir in some olive oil to try & get the nutritional yeast to stick to the popcorn, which kind of works, but there has to be a better way.

Despite not wanting to use a pan, not wanting to accept that you purchased a $200 machine that does the job of a pan you already own can do, use a pan. It's cheaper, easier to clean, simple to use, doesn't take up space, and fits in your existing cabinet.

Put this in a large sauce pan with lid on the stove on medium:

30g of ghee
5g of popcorn salt / ground kosher salt (mortar / pestle works)

heat it just until the oil starts to sizzle on the edges.

Add 60g of popcorn and crank the heat up to high on your stove. when the first few kernels start popping, gently shake the pan to keep the oil moving and coating all the kernels that pop.

Ghee is clarified butter, butter with the milk solids removed. Milk solids burn at a lower temp than the oil in the butter, which is they are removed for this task. You can buy this in your grocery store or international (Indian) market.

As soon as the popcorn is done popping, get it off the heat and get the lid off. Excess steam exposure will overcook the popped corn and make it tough.

If you feel you must buy some sort of machine, I suggest the WhirleyPop, as it eliminates the need to shake the corn by simply turning a handle.

If that isn't buttery enough for you, movie popcorn fans often like it with Flavacol, the buttery powder placed in coconut or other oils that gives movie theater popcorn its yellow appearance and oddly buttery flavor.

Any kind will work. Some of them may be flavored, others are colored to make the popcorn look buttered. Coconut oil is awesome for popcorn though and gives it a really good flavor. I pop a lot so I buy it in bulk, but Snappy makes a smaller one that might work to try out:

https://www.amazon.com/1-Jar-Colored-Coconut-Oil/dp/B00AU4N5D0

I use coconut oil
Paragon - Manufactured Fun Coconut Popcorn Popping Oil (Gallon) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002YLI9E2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_vTlHDbFB6N10M

So whats wrong with the stuff you make? Have you tried different oils or anything? I started using https://www.amazon.com/Gold-Medal-Prod-Flavacol-Seasoning/dp/B004W8LT10/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1491135589&sr=8-1&keywords=flavacol&th=1 not too long ago and it makes my popcorn taste just as good or better than movie theater popcorn.

I'm personally a fan of the Whirley Pop since it goes right on the stove, and you can control the heat more directly. I've never tried this one though, so it might work too. Only thing I would be concerned about would be if you wanted to make kettle corn. Not sure how well this would work with that. Maybe some other people can share their experience

I use an air popper similar to this one. You can dress up the popcorn however you like afterwards or eat it plain. I use flavoring salts and you can make them yourself if you want, this site has some recipes.

The only issue that I have is getting the salts to stick well to the popcorn, but I hardly use any oil/butter. I usually spray some oil on the popcorn and then dust the seasonings on.

See my post on "My recipe for intensely Buttery Flavored, Awesome Popcorn!"

I list the Flavacol that I use:

Here, I will list it again:

I use the Flavacol version with:
No artificial coloring
No Yellow #5

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00O4L9IYA

I haven't used really any portable ones. But that looked like it was an air pop type, which if he likes the buttery flavor the seeds need to pop in oil.

http://www.amazon.com/Gold-Medal-Prod-Flavacol-Seasoning/dp/B004W8LT10/ref=sr_1_1?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1419290835&sr=1-1&keywords=Flavacol

That salt will give you the flavor you want, but seriously get something that cooks in oil (coconut oil is what I use)

a hand crank stovetop popcorn popper, olive oil and Jane's Krazy Mix Up Salt