The microwave that came with my house is the first time I’ve ever had a microwave that had perfectly working popcorn setting. It has never burnt a bag of microwave popcorn.
I try it to see if it works. Most of the time it’s too long but sometimes there’s that perfect microwave that has the steam sensor and it pops with no kernels.
Yes, but I never let it run for the full amount of time. I have to stand there and listen for when the kernels stop popping, otherwise it will burn.
I spent the extra money for the sensor cook, so damn right I use that popcorn button
Not all popcorn buttons are alike. Per Alec at Technology Connections, some microwaves merely engage a timer and in those microwaves following the instructions on the bag are probably better,. Others have a sensor that looks for the poof of steam that comes from the bag opening its vent. Based on how long it takes for that poof of steam to occur it can deduce the size of the bag and thus how much longer to cook for. On these microwaves I use the popcorn button.
I use an air popper
I’ve never had a microwave where the popcorn button doesn’t burn it, so no.
My LG microwave suffered a major malfunction and broke the magnetron. I replace it but the humidity sensor apparently broke also so my popcorn button and with other features dependant on that sensor don’t work.
Just another example of the enshitification of consumer products. Now I have to cook my popcorn like a savage. I don’t know how many bags of popcorn I ruined because my attention span is shorter than the 1-2 seconds between pops.
I use the popcorn butter.
My wife prefers the popcorn button and I prefer to mash +30secs. You have to hit the popcorn button three times to get the right setting, but then they’re both cooking for two minutes.
She gets there in four presses and it takes me five, but +30s is right next to Start so I’m not sure one is better than the other. I guess she’s causing less wear on the button
Don’t buy a microwave with just a dial. My last one had an actual keypad of buttons, I could just press 2 + Start and it was wonderful. Nowadays I have to scroll over hells creation to get the right setting, or change the clock, and it’s awful
My experience is very different. Sensor-based popcorn button, so I just have to press “popcorn.” I’m not sure I even have to press start.
Yes, I do, however it is not perfect. Microwave popcorn is more art than science and it takes years of experience to know when to stop the cycle. Too short and you’re left with a plethora of unpopped kernels. Too long and it burns.
The only preset button I use is the +30Seconds button, the rest are useless to me.
You don’t use the baby or snake presets?
To make popcorn I push the 30 button 3 times, done.
Try the numbers if you have them. I recently discovered that hitting 2 instantly starts 2 minutes then +30 saves me having to press +30 five times for the equivalent.
I was starting to worry about how much abuse my +30 button could take.
4 times.
4 times extra but five times total to reach the equivalent.
Edit: just to be extra clear in the comment I’d be getting 2:30 with just one press of the +30 button
Unfortunately my fiancée does not like pocorn
And that’s something you can live with?
You should check out this video, it’s very eye-opening when it comes to how microwaves work (only linking to YouTube because I couldn’t find a decent Invidious source): https://youtube.com/watch?v=UiS27feX8o0 (edit: https://materialious.nadeko.net/watch/UiS27feX8o0)
It depends on your model of microwave.
Personally, my wife and I intentionally deprived ourselves of a microwave in the house because we recognized that it makes us more prone to heavily processed foods (we’re not crazy “5G/microwaves give you cancer”people or whatever). We just recognized that we like eating whole foods and having one on hand makes it tempting to start buying a lot of garbage foods.
I came to upvote the TC link comment and my mission was a success
Same. Haven’t had one for over 3 years now and I’m not sure I’m missing anything good. I make popcorn in a stock pot with ghee, powdered salt, and a little turmeric for color. Sometimes a little nutritional yeast or jalapeno powder. My popcorn game has never been better.
I hoped for the link ;D
Funny you should say that about whole foods. I only use my microwave to cook (steam) fresh or frozen vegetables (not in a plastic bag), and to reheat meals I cooked myself. I never buy microwave foods because they always come out nasty, cook unevenly, taste horrible, and the box is 10 times the size of the contents. I do sometimes pop popcorn in the microwave, but I use a paper lunch bag and regular popcorn. WARNING: NEVER walk away if you use this method, it will start on fire if you don’t watch it.
Yeah, I’m not 100% “microwaves are bad.” I actually miss it sometimes because it was easier to make breakfast burritos in bulk then reheat them in the microwave.
But yeah, microwaveable dinners and the like are pretty gross.
Exactly my feelings. Yes, you can quickly blitz veges in a microwave, but it’s just as easy to pop in a plastic pack of lasagne. And from-scratch meals taste so much better.
There are many buttons on my microwave. I have paid no attention to any of them but I know hitting the one at the bottom-right makes numbers go up by 30s per boop, while food go warm.
My microwave popcorn recipe is:
- Put in
- Boop liberally so you know it’s over 5 mins, probably 4–5 days
- When popcorn pops average about one every 3s, start counting to five
- If you reach five, serve
That’s an ominous “if”…
I see we share the same brain cell.
There’s two popcorn buttons. One setting is just an average of time to pop the standard popcorn bag.
The other is a humidity sensor that stops the microwave once it senses a whiff of steam from the bag.
Great video on it below.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Limpr1L8Pss
If someone has a non YouTube link I’ll edit my comment to post that one.
Technology Connections is the best. I was hoping to see this video here.
