How to not burn popcorn?
 

Man, I've been having lots of trouble with this lately. I thought I had the times that were needed on my microwave down-pat, but apparently not. The last five or so times that I've made popcorn, they've come out burnt. So when's a good time to stop the microwave? Obviously it'll be different from microwave to microwave, so I guess I'm looking more for interval between new pops, etc. Times would help too though, I'm curious to see what the range is like.

Thanks!

When the pops slow to more than .7 seconds apart, it's done. Yeah, I'm a nerd, I used a stopwatch to figure i tout once

Pull it out earlier.

Better to have some unpopped, and unburnt.

-SF

Yep just listen and the popcorn will slow down it's popping. After you take it out a few more kernels should pop. You'll get maybe 20-30 unpopped kernels but it's natural that some don't pop, and also you still have the 500-some popped edible popcorn.

What I end up doing is letting it pop for 1 or 2 min. under the suggested time. You have left-over kernels, but most of it is still popped.
OR- setting the microwave on Med.

this has worked for every single brand and bag of popcorn I have ever popped: wait approximately two seconds even between pops, then take it out. some will be unpopped, but the quality of the popped ones makes up for it.

Yup listen to it to stop popping is the best way to make sure. The other thing is what ever time it says on the back of the package make it less. Also I have noticed that I can put a bag of popcorn in the mic for 3 mins 20 secs and its fine but if someone has used the mic before me and I didnt know 3 mins 20 secs its starting to smell like its burnt.
I only ever had 1 microwave that I could trust the preset microwave popcorn button on it. The new microwave I have it doenst work even when I have changed the setting to 3 mins 10 secs it doesnt work.
The other thing is if you have a lot of unpoped corn in the bottom of the bag you can throw it back in just roll the top of the bag over and place it in like you would a brand new bag of popcorn. I never had a problem throwing it back in to get those extra unpoped kernals

Buy the kernels at the store
 

And use a large pot with some oil, salt, and maybe some sugar. Keep mixing it up to make sure you get even coating on the popcorn and all the kernels get to pop. And you can even watch it happening!

heh, i used to be a microwave popcorn junkie until i found out i could make a $2 2lb bag of popcorn last for months..

3 tablespoons makes about as much as a normal bag of microwave popcorn, maybe a bit less.
1 teensy bit of olive oil or canola oil, i probably use a teaspoon or less
put in a medium weight pot with a lid, put over medium heat, shake for a few until it starts popping and it'll stop after a while. it's pretty hard to burn tjhat way bc it totally stops popping and you have a minute or two taht you can actually leave it on the burner before it burns. Again, use med heat, not high or it will burn quickly. I can actually pop all of the kernels 99% of the time and every once in a while, i'll get 1-2 kernels that don't pop.

Then, spray on olive oil (i love olive oil, can't ya tell) and salt or add butter and salt. either way.

enjoy :)
the best part is that you can use as little or as much popcorn as you need :)

I put a small empty microwave save cardboard box under the microwave popcorn "thingy" this lets the micro "waves" reach underneath and it pops better, I almost never get any unpopped corn, plus wait til the popping stops for a few seconds like everyone else said...

the last time i popped microwave popcorn was on the rack, which supposedly let the microwaves attack from all sides, but it still didn't pop them all.

Kudos :0

EXACTLY! Screw that stupid micro-stuff. Your friends will be amazed at your mad popping skills and it's the rave with all the honnies. Besides, it's better for you and you have a bit of dignity when you're eating it. Don't be afraid to spice it up with whatever is in the spice rack.

not to mention, stove top popcorn is much healthier as i only add a max of 1tsp of olive oil, probalby about half, really, just enough to lightly coat the pot.

Compare that to the 10 grams of fat per serving for a bag of microwave popcorn (it contains 3 servings)

and the spices are so great, i use parmasan cheese, salt, and molly something butter stuff...mix it up and bam, mmm, so good

I'd go with the stovetop method. Microwave popcorn will taste like shit after you make you own.

hahhahah u guys are crazy

Plus it doesn't make your house smell like complete shit for days!! Man I can't stand the smell of microwave popcorn, it's disgusting when people at work make it.


...but to answer your original question, in addition to what's already been said here, set the microwave and *stand by it* until the poppiing slows. all ovens are different but really, each bag, even of the same brand, is different. if you smell even slight burning, it's already overcooked.

Popcorn
 

My Microwave has a popcorn button & it comes out perfect everytime. before I got that one the microwave I had was 900 watts and cooking time for perfect popcorn was 3minutes 11 seconds

Stovetop baby!!! I was really suprised how much better it tastes with olive oil. Of course I still pour melted butter on it and salt the crap out of it, but the popcorn texture is so much better from the stovetop.........