how do you make crispy popcorn in a whirley pop

PreparationPour oil into the Whirley Pop, then add popcorn, followed by salt.Place Whirley Pop on stove and set heat to Medium-Medium High.Hold the wooden handle with one hand, and slowly turn the crank with the other. … Pour the popped popcorn into serving bowl(s).

1. Pour oil into the Whirley Pop, then add popcorn, followed by salt.
2. Place Whirley Pop on stove and set heat to Medium-Medium High.
3. Hold the wooden handle with one hand, and slowly turn the crank with the other. …
4. Pour the popped popcorn into serving bowl(s).

Straight to the Point

Our favorite way to make popcorn is with a Whirley Pop. If youre after an air popper, we recommend the Presto Poplite Hot Air Popper.

Whenever I hear the faint sound of coughing and wheezing coming from the Serious Eats bullpen, I instantly know that the team has just popped a fresh batch of Kim Chee Hurricane Popcorn. It’s the latest obsession at the office—a Hawaiian microwave popcorn loaded with crispy mochi bits, savory nori strips, and a kick of chili that goes straight to your sinuses. Everyone loves it so much, they sneeze their way through bag after bag with pleasure.

It’s no secret we’ve got a thing for popcorn; the team can’t stop finding reasons to develop more variations. Daniel Gritzer brought an Italian twist to this American classic with anchovies, garlic, and olive oil in his bagna càuda popcorn, while Stella Parks explored popcorn’s sweet side with her candy-coated crispy chocolate popcorn.

And Kenji even convinced me that the real reason to go to the theater, skipping the comfort of my own couch, is to end up elbows-deep in a bucket of buttery-ish movie theater popcorn. (Buttery-ish is the real winner here, because homemade buttered popcorn is never as buttery-tasting as the stuff from the concession stand.)

My personal popcorn intake has recently reached such an all-time high that I’ve had to cut myself off—cold turkey. It’s all because of an air popper that found its way into my kitchen, making it dangerously simple to pop bowl after bowl. Before the air popper, I came from a strictly-stovetop family. All of this got me thinking: What is the best way to pop popcorn?

Kenji has already shared his deep and undying love for the Whirley Pop, a simple, lightweight aluminum pan equipped with a handheld crank that keeps the kernels moving, coupled with a vented lid that battles steam-related sog. He tested the basic Whirley Pop against a high-end version and a stovetop method and found that the inexpensive Whirley Pop produced the lightest popcorn in the shortest amount of time.

Because I couldn’t just take his word for it (and because I wanted an excuse to bring popcorn back into my life), I knew I had to do some popcorn testing of my own. Kenji’s findings were helpful, but I still had questions about other popping methods, and I needed them answered in order to truly get to the bottom of which popcorn method is best.

I decided to venture out and test popcorn popped using four different methods:

• Stovetop-popped with plenty of oil: This method was made popular by Chef Jessica Koslow of Sqirl in LA. She uses much more oil than traditional stovetop recipes, nearly frying the kernels. The abundant oil perfectly coats the popped kernels, allowing them to grab on tightly to your dry seasonings without any additional fat.
• Whirley Pop–popped: As described above, this inexpensive and lightweight aluminum pot heats up fast and comes equipped with a crank to keep the kernels heating evenly.
• Air-popped: Air poppers are countertop appliances that use only hot air to circulate the kernels and get them popping—its the extreme opposite of Chef Koslow’s method.
• Microwave-popped: The method that’s so ubiquitous, you’d be hard-pressed to find a microwave without a “popcorn” button. Rather than using store-bought microwavable popcorn, of which there are too many varieties for me to have tested thoroughly here, I popped my own kernels in a plastic microwave-popcorn container.

The Whirley Pop Method

The Whirley Pop popped the kernels the fastest, at just under two minutes, and left the fewest un-popped kernels behind. The thin aluminum bottom transferred heat quickly, while the hand crank kept the kernels moving for even and efficient heating. The vented lid allowed built-up steam to escape, without losing any popping kernels the way a lid left slightly ajar might.

Apart from the great yield, this method made the lightest popcorn, with a crispy and fluffy texture reminiscent of great movie theater popcorn, and it was the favorite of many of the tasters. If you prefer your popcorn minimally buttered, this is the method for you.

WHIRLEY POP STOVETOP POPCORN POPPER | RICHARD IN THE KITCHEN

FAQ

How do I make my popcorn very crunchy?

Why isn’t my popcorn crunchy?

How long does a Whirley Pop take to pop popcorn?

Either way, given the high potential of towels catching on fire or oil hitting your eyeballs, it’s safe to say that this method isn’t recommended for small children or popcorn-popping novices. The Whirley Pop popped the kernels the fastest, at just under two minutes, and left the fewest un-popped kernels behind.

How do you make the best popcorn?

The key to creating the best popcorn is heating the kernels evenly. Try to pop them too fast, and the popped kernels may burn while others remain unpopped. Too slow, and the kernels shrink and shrivel, resulting in lackluster popcorn. As far as method goes, you have three choices: in an air popper, on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Can you make stovetop popcorn with a Whirley Pop pot?

Once you discover that making stovetop popcorn can be nearly as easy as popping a bag of the microwavable stuff, you’ll never go back. A Whirley Pop pot is a tool that allows you to pop a fresh batch of corn in just a few minutes using the oil of your choosing instead of the congealed fake butter used in microwavable popcorn bags.

How do you cook a Whirley Pop?

Once the kernels and oil are in the pot, place the Whirley Pop on a stove burner. Turn it to medium or medium-high heat. Don’t preheat the burner; the kernels should heat up slowly as the burner heats up. Gently turn the pot’s crank the entire time it’s on the stove. You should start to hear the kernels pop within a few minutes.