It is important to get a uniformly popped corn batch, so heat the kernels to a specific temperature. The best temperature to pop the corn is around 190-degree Celsius or 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Why does my microwave burn popcorn? Your microwave popcorn burns when some grains don’t get the exact and ideal heat temperature and remains unpopped while the first corn batch becomes ready. While unpopped kernels start popping, the first finished batch starts getting slowly burnt.
How To Cook Popcorn In Your Microwave?
A microwave oven in a household kitchen is the most convenient device for cooking. However, following improper steps will end up giving you half-burned popcorns. Following is the guide to help you know the accurate time and power setting to prevent your popcorn from getting burnt in the microwave.
As per weight, popcorn contains 14-20% moisture content and remains packed densely inside a hard shell. When the inside moisture gets properly heated, steam starts forming, and pressure is exerted on the hard outer shell, and then you see the corn popping.
You can cook microwave popcorn without burning them by knowing the right amount of moisture content, which becomes less than the necessary percentage and burns. This happens mostly TO either dried-out old corn kernels.
How Do You Stop Popcorn From Burning In The Microwave?
The key to preventing the burning of your popcorn is to catch the time your popcorn starts burning. You can stop the popcorn from burning in the microwave by paying close attention to the cooking time setting and power. The high-power setting in your microwave should be selected for 2-4 minutes.
People often face a hard time making popcorns in their microwaves without burning them. There are several ways in which you can make microwave popcorn. Now get crunchy and airy textured popcorn that you cherish and season it with perfection before serving. As popcorn may get burnt without caution, follow the right cooking ways to prevent burning.
When you hear the popping sound try to slow down every 2-3 seconds and remove your popcorn from the microwave to save your popped kernels from completely burning. The time for microwaving varies as the moisture content present in kernels starts evaporating.
It is difficult to control the moisture content when your popcorn is ready inside the microwave. Pay attention to the cooking time and power level. Many microwave kernels need a short time to get popped. So stop your oven, shake all the grains to redistribute heat temperature, and then turn on the microwave again.
There can be uneven heat distribution in the microwave, so shaking, rotating, and flipping the container is highly required to prevent them from burning.
What Microwave Wattage Is Good For Popcorn?
A 900W microwave wattage is good for popcorn and helps pop your popcorn quite perfectly. Most of the current 900 W microwave ovens comes with a built-in pre-set button for popcorn.
Follow the instructions of your manufacturer to achieve the best result. Set the dial first to popcorn setting, and then watch the popcorn kernels popping for 3½ minutes. Then set your microwave to full power. Then run for more than 1½ minutes. This is why 900-watt microwaves give 80% popped kernels.
Five Microwaves That Are Good For Cooking Popcorn
The five microwaves which are good for cooking popcorn are as follows:
1) Amazon Basics Microwave Bundle with Echo Dot
This microwave is best suited for every popcorn lover. It includes a voice activation style and presents standard buttons and a child lock to ensure that you can cook your popcorn evenly. The voice activation buttons help keep buttons quite clean if your finger gets dirty while you cook.
2) Toshiba Microwave Oven with Smart Sensor
This is another great microwave for popcorn lovers with several features. It has an interior of 1.2 cubic feet with pre-programmed buttons for popcorn, adds time button, and a rotating turntable. It has the number 1 rank as the best microwave sensor with an easy-clean interior option on Amazon.
3) BLACK+DECKER Digital Microwave Oven
If you want a big size microwave model, then this is the best option for you. With interior space of 1.4 cubic feet, this model comes with a rotating turntable, a pre-programmed setting for popcorn, a child safety lock, and many features. However, it has no smart sensor.
4) GE Appliances GE Counter Top Microwave Oven
It has an interior space of 0.9 cubic feet and enough room to cook your perfect popcorn. It is made of stainless steel having a sleek black design. It has a child lock, a rotating turntable, add time buttons for cooking.
5) Farberware 1.1-Cu. Ft. 1000-Watt Microwave Oven
It has one-touch cooking buttons like easy and quick popcorn buttons, along with an internal LED lighting system so that you can watch your popcorn while it cooks. It comes with a smart sensor technology which is a great function for you if you regularly use the microwave for cooking meals and popcorn.
Can You Cook Popcorn In A Pan?
Yes, you can make popcorn in a pan. There is no need for a microwave always to make crunchy microwave popcorn. The main difference between whole kernels and moveable popcorn is a bag. You can easily make popcorn in a non-stick pan if you don’t have a microwave.
Step 1
Pour some oil to coat the pan’s bottom.
Step 2
Now open the popcorn bag and pour the kernels into the pan. Add enough corn so that they can fill the saucepan. If your popcorn bag has more, save it for the second time.
Step 3
Turn the stove heat to medium, and then cover your pan.
Step 4
Pay attention as the oil, popcorn, and pan starts heating. Place one of your hands on the pan’s lid and the other on the handle as soon as you hear popcorn popping.
Step 5
Shake your pan across your stovetop’s burner when you see the popcorn popping up. Don’t stop shaking otherwise. It will result in the burning of kernels. The whole process of popping takes only a minute.
Step 6
In this step, the pan must be removed from the heat once you don’t hear any popping sound of the kernels or when the popping sound slows down.
Step 7
The oil and the flavorings from the popcorn bag must have flavored your popcorn in the non-stick pan. You can also add melted butter and salt for taste. The lid must be removed from the pan, and then serve the popcorn.
Conclusion
Microwave helps make the best popcorns at your home without burning them or resulting in unpopped kernels. It doesn’t matter what type of microwave-friendly bowl or a paper bag method you involve, you can easily avoid burning with due diligence.