"Sound based popcorn function"

[henene4]

I own a pretty high end Panasonic microwave and have come to like the moisture based sensor cooking function.

But a sound based system JUST FOR POPCORN?
I mean, sure, makes perfect sense, and if you eat microwave popcorn on the regular, might even be a good choice.

But gee, that's really new in my book.



One thing he dosen't mention is Mieles popcorn function they at least once had where you just set a time and power level based on recomendation and it saves that as secondary quick start to the popcorn button.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

I press the Popcorn button on my microwave baffled by the way some popcorn says not to, turns out good and completely popped every time!

-- Dave

 

[Chetlaham]

My microwave has a time guide based on the size of the popcorn bag. I find this better than a mystery popcorn button or moisture/sound sensing adding complexity.

 

[lakewebsterkid]

Sensor

My new KitchenAid microwave has a Popcorn button that is a sensor 'program'. I would imagine it works based off of moisture, but it is dead accurate every time. I couldn't imagine the sound based sensors being any more accurate or even necessary.

All older microwaves have required a package size for appropriate times. They have all been fairly good too. 

 

[combo52]

Automatic microwave, popcorn, sensing

My 20-year-old GE seems to use steam and other logic, and does an excellent job. I always had trouble using microwave ovens that lack the sensing cycles it’s simple technology. It works well.

Last Thursday I was at a friends house and we were popping bags of popcorn in his older non-turntable GE microwave without a popcorn function, and the results were very inconsistent even with the same setting in the same bags of popcorn.

Overall i much prefer doing popcorn in a pan on the stove. You can get nearly every kernel to pop and it’s far less expensive and faster. Than buying silly prepackaged popcorn for microwaves. It’s also not very good for a microwave oven to use it to pop popcorn because you’re operating it at full power with very little load. We see a lot of magnetron that fail during popcorn popping.

I had a customer a couple years ago. She said her microwave oven was making strange burning smells and other problems so I set about testing it with a liter of water and I heated it and it boiled it just fine and then I boiled another liter of water in it and it worked just fine and she said well it did it when we pop popcorn so she got out of bag of popcorn Put it in after about a minute there was smoke and arcing It was amazing. It had to have a new magnetron installed. I would not pop popcorn in a microwave oven that you cared about especially if it’s an expensive built-in model that cannot be easily replaced. A cheap throwaway microwave like Chet’s new one. It probably doesn’t really matter. It’s only gonna last so many years anyway.

John

 

[henene4]

I think the video explains quite well why the sound based option was chosen.

Some bags might burst earlier than others - some might never.
The consistency of the sealing of the bags is less consistent than just counting the quite distinctive noises.

But it is an extra point of complexity.
Just found it quite interesting - probably the last big advancement in microwaves since the 2000s.

 

[kb0nes]

Years ago, Jeff and I were looking at a microwave at a woman's home that wasn't heating. Magnetron was dead and when we pulled it out, there was a small hole in the tube envelope that was sucked inward when the glass softened. It was a point where the airflow appeared to be reduced due to the magnet structure. We asked and they said it died on the 3rd consecutive batch of popcorn. There was one of those funnel shaped microwave air-poppers in the dish drainer...

At least the bags of microwave popcorn are a bit safer on the appliance as they have a bunch of fat to provide a better load. The air popper is almost like running the oven with no load.

I won't eat bagged microwave popcorn at all anymore. Just too many plasticizers to leach out into the popcorn at those temps. An air popper and a spray of olive oil do just fine.

That particular video was an interesting one though and I actually managed to sit through the whole thing. While he does great content, sometimes I can't endure his level of detail.

 

[Chetlaham]

Cheap throwaway microwave

In defense of a legendary microwave- I wouldn't go full steam ahead in saying that. The Sharp R-21LCFS, Sharp R-21LVF1, Sharp R-21LTF are used extensively in catering venues, restaurants, front of house, office break rooms, Hospitals, cafeterias, institutions, convenience stores, delis, caffes, bodegas, grocery stores, food carts, hotels, and similar food service environments.

Other than occasional reviews about Magnetrons giving out prematurely these units hold up well in medium use settings where residential over the range and residential countertop microwaves would otherwise not.

Parts for the Sharp R21 series are readily available at a very reasonable cost:

https://applianceparts.com/model/SHAR21LCFS

https://www.appliancefactoryparts.com/microwaves/sharp/r21lcf.html

With the magnetron only costing $56 to replace in an otherwise exceptionally well built oven, I'm willing to take the risk of popping bagged popcorn on occasion.

https://www.appliancefactoryparts.com/search/part/314136/198541/

Lastly the Sharp R21 has been in production for over 30+ years while being one of if not thee most commonly sold (and used) commercial microwave oven in the history of United States.

Here is a listing for a model from 2005 with the microwave being 99.5% anatomically identical to a 2024 model:

https://offerup.com/item/detail/1574753086

Given the decades long production run, millions of units in service, the shear abundance of parts, proven longevity in hours of daily use on any given unit- it is reasonable to say that out of all the microwave ovens in existence this machine has to be the easiest to keep in service.

A well fitting analogy would be calling the Sharp R21 the Direct Drive of microwave ovens.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

Back to topic, "sound based" seems as though you hear the popping shortly after you turn the microwave on, then perhaps turn the microwaving off when the popping stops...

 

My mom used an air popper long ago and it might still be at her house... I loved the popcorn from there and there was even a tray on top of it for melting butter on...

 

Some air poppers I'd seen were in a neat PopcornWagon design...

 

 

 

-- Dave

 

[DADoES]

 
I've been using a GE compact countertop microwave (July 2007 S/N) since the replacement GE OTR died at 1.5 yrs (hasn't yet been pulled down for examination/repair because reasons, LOL).  The 2007 GE died a few days ago, literally at the *moment* of finishing a packaged scalloped potatoes product.  I found its internal fuse blown.  Got a replacement, it blew again immediately accompanied by a brief and alarming thrumming noise.

I bought a Hamilton Beach-branded Walmart specimen for $80 (which probably is less cost than whatever replacement part is needed for the OTR).  It has nine auto-sensor functions.  I've thus far used only Reheat, which works nicely for a dinner plate of leftovers.  I'm pumped to try some of the other choices ... Fresh Veggie, Frozen Veggie, Potato, Fish, Frozen Entree.  And of course Popcorn (3.2 and 3.5 oz choices) which I'm sure is moisture-based (although I don't eat much popcorn).

I considered the LG inverter model that WM carries but it's physically larger than I want for the limited target countertop space.

 

[wayupnorth]

Many, many years ago, before there was microwave popcorn, I got this not so bright idea to try popping it in my old 1977 Whirlpool microwave oven in a pyrex dish sprayed with Pam. After 1 minute, 1 kernal popped. Turned it on for 1 more minute and the pyrex dish shattered making a mess.

 

[ea56]

I use an Orville Redenbacher Power Pop to make MW popcorn and it makes excellent popcorn in 2 mins 5 seconds using 1/3 cup popcorn and about 1.5 tbs of popcorn oil. Every kernel pops up fluffy and large just using inexpensive Target store brand popcorn. I sprinkle a little bit of salt onto the popcorn before putting the popper in the MW and the finished popcorn is uniformly lightly salted. Best popcorn ever.

Eddie

Pardon Our Interruption...

 

[circlew]

I rarely eat popcorn anymore, as I usually regret it afterwards due to it causing stomach issues.

When I was eating it often, I'd make it in the Whirly Pop popcorn maker my neighbors down the street gave me for Christmas about 15 years ago. It came with several packages of delicious popcorn, and I bought more like it when I ran out. It tastes just like freshly made from a theater. I never wanted microwave popcorn after that.

 

[chachp]

PC Popcorn Popper

 

<span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;">We have a pampered chef microwave popcorn popper and I think it makes great popcorn.  You can pop with or without oil.  I use about a tablespoon or so of oil because I am not a fan of dry popcorn, and we by the Orvin Redenbackers (sp) popcorn.  Makes great popcorn and I sprinkle with a butter flavored popcorn salt.</span>

 

<span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;">Whole thing pops in the dishwasher and collapses flat to store in a drawer.  Our MW has the popcorn setting but the directions on this popper say not to use it.  Not sure why.  </span>

 

[DADoES]

 
Frozen Veggie auto-sensor worked perfectly.  I noticed the auto-sensor cycles on the WM/HB run the cooling fan for one minute before energizing the magnetron, presumably to clear possible residual moisture from a previous operation.

 

[rinso]

I have a newish Panasonic microwave inverter oven. My niece sent me a gift of a Pampered Chef microwave popper. The problem was that the instructions advise to not use it in an inverter-type microwave oven. So, it just sits on the shelf above the oven, waiting to be used a Christmas party elephant gift. I'm thinking of giving it a try anyway, but worried that damage to my oven could occur. Any thoughts or suggestions?