Microwave popcorn

[xraytech]

Not really a fan of popcorn, but in the rare instance I do make popcorn it is never microwave popcorn. I use thr Trails End popcorn that the Boy Scouts sell, and it is made in my grams old Regal electric popcorn popper, it makes the best popcorn ever, just add a tablespoon of oil and 1/3 cup of kernels.

 

[philr]

I don't like pop corn but I don't like having any plastic or paper in a microwave.

I know somebody who works for Kruger and and he was informed not to use Sponge Towels in a microwave oven as there's some chemical used in the paper that gets toxic when heated in the microwave.

 

[combo52]

MICROWAVE POPCORN

WARNING It is very hard on the magnetron tube and wave-guide of the MWO. I would not use any MWO that I care about to pop popcorn.

 

Awhile ago I was out on a service call where the customer said that her 6 year old GE over the range microwave had been making some strange sounds and she thought she had also smelled an electrical burning smell. So as I was working on her ISE DW I put a large measuring cup in the MWO with 4 cups of water and let it run for at least 10 minutes at full power. And every thing seems fine, it easily boiled a few containers of water. Then the customer said that the problem had happened when her partner was making popcorn and suggested that she try a bag of MW PC. So we put in the PC and within 60 seconds  there was a tearable arcing sound and visible smoke started coming out of the MWO. It turned out that the magnetron tube was badly burned and we had to replace it.

 

Severable manufactures have advised against ever popping pop corn in thier MWOs including WP for at least the first 10 years that they made MWOs. 

 

[launderess]

Yeabut

Take away making popcorn, reheating/warming of foods and bevvies and you've just elminated nearly 90% of what most consumers use their microwave ovens for. *LOL*

 

[maytagbear]

Laundress, dear!

I guess that I am of the 10% (not for the first time-)

I actually cook in my Radarange. The only vegetable I routinely cook conventionally any more are potatoes, for they do not please me when microwaved.

I also cook fish in my microwave.

I dislike microwave popcorn. No matter who sells it, it's just too greasy for me. That faux butter flavour? Blargh! However, if a host/ess serves it, I will have a tiny handful, out of politeness's sake.

I have a West Bend Stir Crazy popper, a WearEver Popcorn Pumper, and am thinking about asking Santa for a WhirleyPop. I also pop corn very well in my Farberware electric skillet...and my GE Dutch Skillet....around 375F. I like to use corn oil---partly for the high smoke point, and also for the ???? of it all.

Professor Redenbacher really was a genius plant geneticist, but......I like, for lack of a better word, small-crop corn, or "boutique" corn, particularly the small dark reds or the small black corn. I keep mine in a canning jar, and usually in the freezer.

obsessive? meee?

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[rp2813]

John --

What was wrong with the ISE DW?

 

[appnut]

John, you beat me to it.  I heard the same thing a very long time ago the popping corn in a microwagve is extremely hard on it, particularly the magnetron.  I have NEVER put popcorn in any of my microwaves.  And it will not happen either, over my dead body.  I even have some of those Rubbermaid microwave cookware that came out in the early 1980s.  One of them has a microwave popper insert for the 3 qt. casserole.  It's never been used.  If I ever have someone in my life, he will either have his own microwave dedicated soley for popping corn, or will be done on top of the stove conventionally. 

 

I still use mine some to cook.  Thesee days it's mostly for cooking veggies, heating water for hot tea, defrosting meat or pultery, or cooking one of those pre-seasoned chicken breasts.  I'll also use it to "brown" ground meat or sausage that I'm going to be putting in pasta sauice or soup.  Much less hastle than trying to brown it on the stove, although occassionally I will use petek's method and boil the ground beef to cook it and get rid of the fat.  when I had two, I used to use one to slow-cook roasts, have been known to bake a lasagna in it, slow simmer pasta sauce, make corn pudding (I cannot get it to turn it right in the regular oven, but I have a microwave recipe that works great.  Will also use it to make pudding that's thickened with corn starch.  No scorching on top of the stove.  I've also made meatloaf in it several times.  I also have a microwave recipe for sweet & sour pork that's a bit more healthy than the traditional version.  My coworkers will practically throw me down on the ground when they hear I'm bringing that in because they want it and will get it over my dead body.  They think it's the best.  I have a full set library of microwave cookbooks and have used many of them over the years.  I defijnitely don't like to use the stove top to try and heat waterr for brewing tea or making a cup of hot tea, it just takes too long and also puts out too much heat in the summertime.  Also, I use it to thaw out and reheat individual portions I've frozen when I've made casseroles or anything else.  I don't believe in simply trying to cook for one.  I make regular size recipes and put the leftovers in individual servings and freeze.  Before I had a mcrowave and was in college, I tried steaming to deforst and rehat leftovers.  Was horrible compared to once I had a microwave.  Another thing I make is a carrot ring vegetable side dish that "baked" in a small (8') bundt pan.  One of my most requested side dishes as well as a succhini/squash casserole that has eggs in it. 

 

[jerrod6]

I don't know if it is hard on the MW but the oily stained  insides of the microwave popcorn bag make me uneasy.  I just use jiffy pop...the plastic bag with the corn kernels.   I put in in a pop corn popper with a stir handle along with 1 tab spoon of canola or light olive oil  turn the crank and let it pop.

 

Result:  Popcorn that is not coated with anything except oil and any additional salt I add after popping.  Good stuff

 

[arbilab]

"boil the ground beef to cook it"
================================

You're in Texas and talking about BOILING beef? (wink) That's something Massachussetsians do, only because they don't know any better, they boil EVERYthing. It works on lobster but still less than ideal. Fer gawdsake, I don't even boil potatoes unless I'm going to mash them.

MW PC is a marginal load for a MW oven; like they say not to run it empty. Still, my MW is from 1982, I've made MW PC in it and it still works like new. So it can't be THAT harmful.

 

[circlew]

I was making MW popcorn when my 4yr. old GE MW oven blew up. It started arcing and smoke began pouring from it. It was plugged in behind it, so had to shut off the circuit breaker to get it to stop. Made so much smoke I had to wash the kitchen down, and wash my bed linens and clothing hanging in the bedroom. When I examined the MW, I saw a hole had been burned thru the back of it near the bottom.

 

[philr]

I mostly use my microwave to reheat things but I also like to use it to cook vegetables (and potatoes).

As I said in my other post, I don't like popcorn but even if I'd like that, I wouldn't use my microwave oven to cook it.

Even my Frigidaire cookbook says not to use any microwave oven to pop popcorn...

 

[cadman]

Those that have a radio background will point out that you definitely need a load on a transmitter otherwise you'll risk blowing the output stages. Being a microwave oven is effectively a self-contained microwave transmitter, it makes sense you could do damage with a light load.

The Frigidaire and Whirlpool warnings are especially interesting as Amana actually PROMOTED popping popcorn in the Radarange. Anyone else remember the yellow-cone poppers that made just awful styrofoam flavored popcorn? Made exclusively for the Radarange by Amana...I'm sure most got used about twice.

While I haven't heard of an RR failure due to a light popcorn load, I have heard of the concentrated heat in the kernels causing the glass tray to crack. That's actually more common than you'd think. -Cory

 

[iheartmaytag]

I thought the difference was:

You were not to pop corn in just a paper bag alone as stated the kernels are too small to absorb the microwave energy.   But if you were using a microwave bag or a Microwave popper which has a microwave asorbing liner you were ok.   These are lined with a surface that heats with exposure to the microwaves.  These systems also use a bit of oil or "butter" that heats up and aides in the popping as well.

 

 

 

 

[vintagekitchen]

MaytagBear..

You aren't alone actually. My mom was the stereotypical 80's mom, and that HUGE old GE microwave of her's did more cooking than our stove ever thought about. I have seen entire meals cooked in the microwave by dear old mom. Nowadays, I do 95% of my cooking on my 1939 GE stove, but 2 or 3 times a year, just for a memory of my childhood, I will cook a meal the way mom used to. And I still havent found an easier faster way to get evenly cooked bacon.