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Now that doctors have found that making microwave popcorn can be hazardous to your health, I thought I'd take this opportunity to tell you about my very favorite tool for making popcorn. I've tried every method of making popcorn over the years and have discovered that the stove top Whirley Pop is the best, easiest way ever.
I used to be devoted to my air popper. The one I have used to belong to my grandparents and is so old that it has a coupon afixed to it that expired in 1985. It still works like a champ, but since I discovered the Whirley Pop, my air popper sits and collects dust. I first learned of the Whirley Pop when I went home for Christmas last year and was informed that it was the only thing my mom wanted for Christmas. She ended up getting two of them, and after closely examining the different models to see if one was made better than the other, we broke it out and started making popcorn. I stumbled across mine at a rummage sale just a few weeks later and have happily been using it ever since.
It was so easy and tasted much better than air popped (that might have something to do with the teaspoon of oil that the kernels get cooked in). You just pour in a little oil, add a couple handfuls of corn, close the lid and start turning the handle. There are two long legs inside that move with the cranking, stirring up the corn so that it doesn't stick or burn. In just a few minutes it starts to pop and soon after that it is all done. The pot keeps the kernels contained while popping, so you don't end up with errant corn all over your kitchen and it is easy to clean. My favorite way to season the corn is to give a light shower of Braggs Liquid Aminos (very similar to soy sauce in taste)
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9-07-2007 @12:28PM MJ said... Fine childhood memeories of mom popping corn on the stove on a weekend night Ours was a big stew pot and lid. Shake until...........
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9-07-2007 @12:57PM B said... I got one of these poppers right after holidays as william sonoma had it on sale, best $7.50 I ever spent.
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9-07-2007 @12:59PM noza said... We recently dug our ancient StirCrazy out of storage after many years and now we haven't touched microwave or airpop in months.
It's basically the same idea as Whirly-Pop except that you don't have to stand there and stir the whole time - the motor does it for you.
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9-07-2007 @1:37PM Bradley @ Sauces and Stuff said... Wrote about this almost a year ago. I made popcorn for our 14 year old baby sitter and she had no idea you could make popcorn on the stove top.
http://saucesandstuff.blogspot.com/2006/09/great-cornholio.html
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9-07-2007 @1:37PM Philpott said... My girlfriend has fallen in love with the Whirly-Pop. I often add Walthermeyers All Natural Hair & Heart Tonic to mine.
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9-07-2007 @2:09PM Jeff said... I like Alton Brown's method of making popcorn using nothing more than a stainless steel bowl and some aluminum foil on the stovetop.
The Food blog on the NY Times website has a post on popcorn too!
http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/09/05/popcorn-the-old-fashioned-way/
:)
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9-07-2007 @2:14PM freek said... You can make your own safe microwave popcorn for pennies. Learned this from Alton Brown: put 1/3 cup of kernels in a paper lunch sack, optionally add a bit of oil and the seasoning(s) of your choice. Fold the top over twice and staple it twice making sure to space the staples out at least an inch. Yes, metal staples. AB swears he's tested in many microwaves and never had a problem. We've probably made close to a hundred bags in ours and not had a problem.
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9-07-2007 @2:36PM Fash said... Alton's paper bag method has NEVER worked for me!
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9-07-2007 @4:37PM Luis Antonio said... This brought back memories of my dad popping some corn on the stove in wintertime back home. In fact I think popcorn was one of the first things that I got to cook :)
http://www.lavacahacemu.com
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9-07-2007 @8:10PM Elizabeth said... I grew up using my great-grandfather's stove-top popper and now that I'm out on my own, it is at the very top of my kitchen-goodies-to-buy list! I miss popcorn like this so much. I still cook popcorn on te stove, but a normal pot just isn't the same.
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9-08-2007 @9:36AM Susan said... I'm with Noza. But we never stored our Stir Crazy away. We are on our third one. Love that Stir Crazy
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9-08-2007 @4:56PM Lily said... I had my Whirley Pop for about 3 years. It did a terrific job of creating stove-top popcorn. On the downside it was a major pain to clean. The oil builds up around the inside crank and then gums up. The ONLY way to maintain one of these things is to use an old toothbrush to clean every bit of the metal crank mechanism. I ended up giving mine away because of the trouble of maintaining it.
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9-09-2007 @9:34PM Nan said... We've been using a Whirly Pop popper for about 10 yrs now. We think it's the best thing since sliced bread. It can't be beat. We especially like the glazed popcorn you can make with it. Our favorite - almond flavor.
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9-11-2007 @1:32AM Noah Oliphant said... Microwave popcorn makes me sick. The smell is so unnatural that it almost makes me gag. I've been living without a microwave for over six months and I don't miss it. Everyone asks: "What about microwave popcorn?" and I shudder just a little bit.
http://www.reciperate.com
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