Can You Pop Popcorn In A Toaster Oven? Trust The Answer

Tip

Not all convection microwave ovens have a light popcorn setting.

Some convection ovens will automatically display the “Normal” setting for bag popcorn and you will need to press the “Popcorn” button twice for mini bag setting options. When making popcorn, always follow your manufacturer’s instructions.

Program your own popcorn timing by entering the time on the convection microwave oven hob and pressing the “Start” button.

key concepts

physics

gases

plant science

nutritional science

introduction

do you like popcorn Not only is it a tasty snack, it’s also fascinating to watch when it pops in the pot. Why does it do this? What makes the little popcorn kernel jump in the air and change its appearance? Where does the characteristic popping sound come from and does every corn pop? There are many good questions about this simple snack. In this activity, you’ll do popcorn science—and even get to snack on your results!

background

There are many varieties of corn that can differ significantly from popcorn that aren’t just dried kernels of the candy corn we eat. Popcorn is actually a special kind of corn, and it’s the only one that pops. The key to popcorn is the unique design of its kernels. Most importantly, its core consists of a very hard, mostly non-porous outer shell called the pericarp. Inside the kernel is not only the seed for a new corn plant, but also water and soft starch granules, which serve as a food source for the seed as it germinates. Although popcorn has been around for thousands of years, it’s only recently that scientists have solved the mystery behind the popping sound and the detailed mechanics of how the popcorn pops.

The reason popcorn pops is because of the water trapped in its core. When the core is heated to a sufficiently high temperature, this water turns into steam. Due to the hard and largely non-porous shell, the vapor has nowhere to escape, which leads to a pressure build-up inside the core. Once the pressure gets high enough and the temperature reaches around 180 degrees Celsius (355 degrees Fahrenheit), the core shell ruptures and the popcorn is inverted. The characteristic popcorn consistency and the white-yellowish frothy appearance result from the starch inside the popcorn core. At high temperatures, the starch gelatinizes and then expands with the rapid bursting of the core. After cooling, the solidified flake we know as popcorn forms. The characteristic popping sound is not caused by the cracking of the shell, as originally assumed, but by the release of steam after the core cracks.

There are many different methods for making the perfect popcorn, including different shapes of popcorn, but all efforts fail if the kernels don’t meet certain requirements: The ideal popcorn kernel has an optimal moisture content of around 14 percent and is popped at a temperature of around 180 Grade C. A common way to judge popcorn quality is the “popping yield,” which you can calculate by counting how many kernels pop and how many remain unpopped when the kernels are heated. You can also evaluate popcorn quality by measuring kernel expansion, which is how big the popped flakes get. Check the quality of your popcorn kernels in this activity and get ready to make some popping noises!

materials

adult helper

stove

pot with lid

vegetable oil

Heat-resistant bowl with lid

oven mitts

teaspoon

Unpopped popcorn (at least 70 kernels)

Sharp knife

Three small cylindrical glasses

Scale capable of measuring 0.1 gram increments (optional)

water (optional)

preparation

Prepare three stacks of popcorn, each containing 20 grains.

Have an adult helper carefully pry open the hulls of all 20 seeds in a pile with a sharp knife. This is best done by making a deep cut in the softer white part at the top of the core. The core should remain whole (not split into pieces), but the shell should be cracked.

Set your oven to 350 degrees F. Place a stack of 20 uncracked popcorn kernels in a heatproof bowl and place in the oven for about 30 minutes. Use the oven mitts when you take them out. Then let them cool down to room temperature. How do the kernels look when they come out of the oven? Has the appearance of the cores changed?

Leave the last grain piles as they are.

With the help of an adult, place the pot on the stove and add 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil to the pot.

Turn on the stove and set it to the highest setting. (Make sure you never work on the stove without adult supervision.)

Place three of the extra popcorn kernels (not from your three stacks) in the pot, close the lid and wait for them to pop. You can swirl the pot a little in between so that the seeds don’t burn.

procedure

Once the three kernels have popped open, remove them with a spoon and turn the heat down to medium. Place the stack of 20 regular, unwaxed popcorn kernels in the pan and gently swirl to coat all of the kernels in oil. Tilt the lid on the pot to allow steam to escape, but be careful not to squirt hot oil out of the pot.

Wait a maximum of two minutes for all of the grains to pop or for the popping to stop. After two minutes, remove the pot from the heat and remove all 20 seeds. Set them aside for now — don’t eat them yet! Be careful – you may have to wait for them to cool before you can count them. How many grains have burst? What size are the flakes? Are they big or small? what color are they Are they dark, brown or yellow? Was the bang very loud?

Remove the pot from the heat and add the vegetable oil if necessary. Add three regular popcorn kernels again (not from your stack) and wait for them all to pop. Remove them from the pot before proceeding.

Now take the pile of broken popcorn kernels (that you cut with a knife) and add them to the pot. Swirl the pot slightly and hold over medium-high heat with the lid tilted up.

Leave the pot on the stove for two minutes, tossing it slightly in between and see what happens. After two minutes, remove the pot from the heat and assess your popping result. Are all the popcorn kernels popped? How does this popped popcorn compare to the previous batch? Do you notice differences? How big are the flakes this time?

Repeat these three steps, but this time use the 20 popcorn kernels that you previously heated in the oven. How do they look after two minutes of popping? Are there unpopped kernels? Do you notice size or color differences compared to the other popcorn? If there are differences, why do you think that is?

Take the three small cylindrical jars and fill each with a different batch of your 20 popped kernels (regular, cracked and preheated). They should each contain the same amount of popped kernels. Place them side by side so you can judge the different volumes of the popcorn flakes. Are all glasses filled to the same level? Which popcorn kernels expanded the most? Which were the smallest? Can you explain the differences?

Finally, you can taste the popcorn from each of your stacks. Which popcorn tastes best? Is one chewy or crispier than the other?

Extra: Test to find the ideal popcorn popping temperature. Set your oven to 180-190 degrees C (355-375 degrees F) and place a heatproof bowl with a lid containing 20 regular popcorn kernels. Swirl the bowl occasionally and wait long enough for the popcorn to start popping. After the popping slows and stops, remove the bowl from the oven with the gloves on and count the kernels that popped. Are all grains cracked? Repeat the same experiment, but this time set the oven to around 170 degrees C (335 degrees F). Wait just as long for the kernels to pop at 180-190 degrees C, then remove the popcorn from the oven. How many grains burst at the lower temperature? What can you deduce from your results about the optimal popping temperature?

Test to find the ideal popcorn popping temperature. Set your oven to 180-190 degrees C (355-375 degrees F) and place a heatproof bowl with a lid containing 20 regular popcorn kernels. Swirl the bowl occasionally and wait long enough for the popcorn to start popping. After the popping slows and stops, remove the bowl from the oven with the gloves on and count the kernels that popped. Are all grains cracked? Repeat the same experiment, but this time set the oven to around 170 degrees C (335 degrees F). Wait just as long for the kernels to pop at 180-190 degrees C, then remove the popcorn from the oven. How many grains burst at the lower temperature? What can you deduce from your results about the optimal popping temperature? Extra: In addition to preheating the popcorn kernels, take another 20 kernels and soak them in water for a few hours, then dry them. Since the kernels absorb some water during soaking, increase the percentage of water in the kernel. Repeat the popping process with these cores. Will they even burst? How many of them pop compared to the other popcorn kernels? Are their flakes the same size or larger/smaller?

In addition to preheating the popcorn kernels, take another 20 kernels and soak them in water for a few hours, then dry them afterwards. Since the kernels absorb some water during soaking, increase the percentage of water in the kernel. Repeat the popping process with these cores. Will they even burst? How many of them pop compared to the other popcorn kernels? Are their flakes the same size or larger/smaller? Extra: Ideal popcorn kernels contain about 14 percent water. You can estimate how much water is in your kernels by weighing them (plus oil and pot) before popping and after. The amount of water lost as steam during popping can be calculated from the weight difference. Is it approaching 14 percent? How could your measurement be improved?

Observations and Results

Did you get a nice fluffy popcorn? With the regular popcorn you popped, you should have gotten some large, fluffy flakes of all the grains. Once they’ve reached the right temperature in the pot and the steam pressure inside the kernels is high enough, they burst open and bounce into the air, creating a nice popcorn puff. It probably didn’t even take two minutes for everyone to show up. However, if you popped open the cores you previously cut and cracked open, the result should be different. After two minutes, you might still have some unpopped kernels, and the ones that did pop didn’t get as big. The cracked kernels produce much smaller flakes because if you damage the kernel’s outer shell, the water vapor produced during heating can easily escape through the crack. As a result, less pressure builds up inside the core, either preventing it from bursting at all or reducing the flake size after bursting.

You should have seen a similar result with the last batch of popcorn you preheated in the oven. The kernels probably changed color, going from yellow to brown during heating. The flake size should also be smaller compared to the regular popcorn kernels. Since the shell of the core is not fully waterproof, preheating the cores for 30 minutes at a low temperature will cause some of the water in the core to evaporate. It didn’t generate enough vapor pressure to rupture the shell, instead the water escaped from the core through tiny pores in the shell. Due to this reduced water content, the pressure in the preheated kernels could not build up as high as in the normal kernels during the popping process, ultimately resulting in smaller kernels. If the water content in the core is too low, the cores will not burst at all because the pressure build-up is insufficient.

You should be able to easily see the difference in size and volume of the popcorn after popping the kernels into the jars at the end of the activity. Even though you put in the exact same number of popped kernels, the regular popcorn jar should be filled much higher than the others – again showing that these “ideal” kernels are much better at popping and expanding.

Clean up

Clean all your dishes. Be sure to let the oil cool in the saucepan before adding water. You can eat all your popcorn — and share it.

More to discover

Physicists reveal the secrets of perfect popcorn, from The Washington Post

Popcorn Physics 101: How a Kernel Pops, by Scientific American

Popcorn, from How Products Are Made

The Science of Popcorn, by Carolina

Science activity for all ages!, by Science Buddies

This activity is brought to you in partnership with Science Buddies

We can’t think of a more fun way to serve snacks than our Your Way popcorn tray. This super easy recipe serves popcorn in individual muffin liners, each with their own unique flavor. We’ve got the basics covered from sweet to savory, and you can always add your own favorite mixes. Did we mention this is the perfect recipe for kids to make and eat?!

We can’t think of a more fun way to serve snacks than our Your Way popcorn tray. This super easy recipe serves popcorn in individual muffin liners, each with their own unique flavor. We’ve got the basics covered from sweet to savory, and you can always add your own favorite mixes. Did we mention this is the perfect recipe for kids to make and eat?!

I love popcorn and I will go to great lengths to make it. I’ve personally cooked plain popcorn kernels in the microwave and I’ve cooked microwave popcorn on the stovetop. you do what you have to do I’m right?

Microwave popcorn can be cooked on the stove since it’s just popcorn, oil, and spices. Simply empty the contents of the popcorn bag into a saucepan with a lid, add a little extra oil if needed, and cook over high heat until bursting.

Below I’m sharing the best videos I’ve found showing how to make microwave popcorn without a microwave. As well as the stovetop method, I will also share a method of making popcorn in an oven or toaster oven or even a popcorn maker.

Microwave popcorn without the microwave

First, I want to get one thing straight: there’s nothing crazy or special about microwave popcorn that sets it apart from regular popcorn.

Microwave popcorn is just popcorn, oil, and seasoning (salt, butter flavoring, etc.).

This means that if you don’t have a working microwave, you can take the contents of a microwave popcorn bag and use a different method to popcorn with oil.

These popcorn popping methods include:

In a pot on the stove

In a popcorn machine (“Popper”)

And, even more surprising, in an oven or toaster

My biggest caution would be not to toss microwave popcorn into an air popper. See below for more explanation of this (if it’s not obvious what the problem would be).

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How to make microwave popcorn on the stovetop

If you like watching videos, you can scroll down to see a video – but here’s the general process for microwave popcorn on the stovetop. You will need a medium or large saucepan with a lid.

How to make microwave popcorn on the stovetop:

Remove the plastic wrap from your microwave popcorn. Cut open your microwave popcorn bag. Scoop the popcorn, oil, and condiments from the bag into a saucepan on the stove and place the lid on the saucepan. If there isn’t much oil in the bag, add an extra tablespoon of cooking oil to the pot. Set the stovetop burner to medium-high heat. Every 10 or 15 seconds lift the pot and shake it. Cook until most of the kernels have popped and popping has slowed until there are several seconds of silence between pops. Remove from the heat and carefully pour the popcorn into a snack bowl.

Most microwave popcorn comes in oil, which is solid at room temperature and then melts when heated. Then one kernel will appear, then another, then more. It’s very exciting.

Here is a video showing the whole process:

How to cook microwave popcorn in a pot on the stovetop.

Can you cook microwave popcorn in an oven or toaster?

It is possible to make microwave popcorn in an oven or toaster. Simply fold the popcorn into an aluminum foil bag with a little oil. Cook on high heat around 450 degrees Fahrenheit. It should pop between about 8 and 15 minutes.

You might not think that cooking popcorn in the oven would be possible. Popcorn cooks with rapid heat that steams and pops moisture in the kernels. But ovens heat up slower. Wouldn’t this cause the kernels to slowly dry out instead of bursting? Maybe in theory.

But in practice it seems to work quite well. There are many anecdotes you can read online about people cooking popcorn in the oven.

The video below was the best demonstration I could find. They don’t start with microwave popcorn – they just use plain cores to make popcorn in a toaster oven.

But microwave popcorn is just seeds, oil, and spices. So you can do that with microwave popcorn too. Just make sure to take the microwave popcorn out of its paper bag and place it in an aluminum foil “pouch” as shown in the video:

Remember: the process of making microwave popcorn in a pot on the stovetop is easier and much quicker than making popcorn in an oven or toaster oven. If you have a pot and a stove, this would be the more practical option.

Can you use microwave popcorn in a popcorn maker?

Most popcorn makers can use microwave popcorn once it’s removed from its paper bag. However, it would take more work to safely use microwave popcorn in an air popper.

I personally use the West Bend Stir Crazy Popcorn Maker. This type of popper requires popcorn kernels and oil. Since microwave popcorn is just popcorn, oil, and seasoning, you can generally pour the contents of a microwave popcorn bag into the popper and use it normally.

But this process wouldn’t be so easy for all types of popcorn poppers…

Can you use microwave popcorn in an air popper?

Microwave popcorn cannot be easily cooked in an air popper. This is because air poppers do not use oil. Since most microwave popcorn comes with oil, you shouldn’t pour it directly into your air popper and turn it on. This could be dangerous.

Now it might be possible to rinse the oil off your microwave popcorn and then use it in your convection popper like regular popcorn. However, this may not be as easy as it sounds.

Oil doesn’t dissolve in water – it’s hydrophobic. To wash oil off something completely, you usually have to use soap. As strange as it may sound, you may need to use soap to completely remove the oil from your microwave popcorn kernels.

Then you would have to rinse the soap really well so you don’t eat soap. Once you’ve done that and dried the kernels, be sure to cook them in your air popper… But I can’t speak to the results to expect!

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step 5

Shake the pan over the stovetop while the popcorn pops. Don’t stop shaking or the kernels will burn. This popping process should take about a minute, depending on the brand of popcorn, according to the Iowa State University Extension.

Popping a single popcorn kernel with a blowtorch and a hair dryer

To celebrate the New Year, Swiss filmmakers Zita Bernet and Rafael Sommerhalder of Chrictor Films amusingly demonstrate how to make a single piece of “popcorn” using a blowtorch and a hair dryer. While this method takes a little more time, each core is guaranteed to be fully popped and warm.

via metafilter

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Buttery Air Fryer Popcorn gives you a salty, crunchy, delicious snack in under 15 minutes! By popping your own kernels, you can control the amount of butter and seasoning you use for an easy, healthy snack that’s totally new every time you make it.

what you need to know

Air fryer popcorn takes A LOT. of trial and error to get it right. When done right, it’s a great alternative to the stovetop or microwave when you just can’t use those methods.

The downside, however, is that popcorn can actually destroy your air fryer. Look, the air fryer isn’t closed on the inside. The fan and vents are located just above the basket, which allows air to circulate. It also means it’s really easy to blow small or light foods — you know, like popcorn kernels — all over the place. When this happens, popcorn kernels can easily become lodged in the heating element, shorting out your air fryer (and posing a fire hazard).

Because of this, we don’t really recommend using an air fryer for your popcorn. You’ll likely have an easier time and much better results if you use the stovetop or a microwave. That being said, it’s possible, and if you’re curious to know how, we’re here to tell you!

main ingredients

Popcorn Kernels – From a bag or from a jar, it doesn’t matter what kind of kernels you use, as long as they’re unpopped!

Oil – You can use 1/4 tablespoon oil to coat your kernels, or you can spritz a little air fryer safe spray oil on them instead. Any oil will work – avocado, olive oil, even coconut oil if you like!

Chef’s tips

It can be difficult to pop all cores at once. That’s why we work in batches, removing the popped popcorn every few minutes. If you leave the basket in until all the kernels have burst, those that burst too soon will burn. And believe me, nobody likes burnt popcorn.

If you leave the basket in until all the kernels have burst, those that burst too soon will burn. And believe me, nobody likes burnt popcorn. As with any appliance, air fryers can vary greatly from one unit to the next. I have two and they don’t always behave the same! There is definitely a lot of trial and error with this method. You may have better luck with a shorter or longer cook time, or you could try picking out the popped kernels more often. Your air fryer may do better with the foil laid flat on the bottom of the basket, and some may do better with the foil bowl almost completely closed at the top. The method outlined below is the one that gave me the fluffiest and best tasting popcorn after many tests.

I have two and they don’t always behave the same! There is definitely a lot of trial and error with this method. You may have better luck with a shorter or longer cook time, or you could try picking out the popped kernels more often. Your air fryer may do better with the foil laid flat on the bottom of the basket, and some may work better with a bowl of foil almost completely closed on top. Just like microwave popcorn, you will have some unpopped kernels by the end of the cooking time. I think there is a law of nature that prevents all grains from fully popping no matter what method you use. Okay, maybe not, but it seems so. You can increase your chances of popping every core by decreasing the amount of cores you start with.

More air fryer recipes