Last Updated on
You may not know, but it is possible to make popcorn without using a fancy popcorn machine. You will only need some kernels and a heating method that creates enough pressure to make them burst into delicious popped corn.
If you like to try this, check out our simple guide below. We look at how to make popcorn without a popcorn maker, including the equipment and ingredients required and some topping combinations for you to explore.
Ingredients and Equipment
The great thing about popcorn making is that you don’t need many items. We have listed the common ones below:
- Popcorn kernels
- Butter
- Olive oil (you can use other variants like canola oil and avocado oil)
- Additional toppings or ingredients
- Microwave or saucepan
- Bowl
- Something to cover the saucepan or bowl
If you just want to enjoy some plain popcorn, all you need is the kernels and either a saucepan or a microwave.
However, we want perfect popcorn that tastes incredible, right? In this case, you obviously need butter and some toppings to improve flavour. We have given some examples of popcorn recipes for your movie nights after we describe the two basic processes.
Method 1: Stovetop Popcorn
Using a saucepan to make popcorn is pretty easy and requires little effort. You can do all the mixing in the saucepan, and you only have one item to clean afterwards. We advise the following process to make popcorn on an oven hob:
- Heat a large pot or saucepan on an oven hob on medium heat
- Add oil and just two or three kernels
- Once these popcorn kernels pop, add the rest
- Quickly cover the saucepan with foil or a lid
- Shake the saucepan occasionally
- Listen for the popping to slow down and take off the hob
- Remove the lid and wonder at the best popcorn ever made!
Before you heat the saucepan, you can add your other ingredients, like butter. The popping action should coat the kernels properly to give maximum taste.
Step two is crucial as this allows you to make the popcorn evenly and get the right temperature for the process to happen. Heat up the saucepan and add only two or three kernels. When these pop, it’s time to jump into action. You know that the temperature is right, so act quick, smash in the rest and then cover.
It’s then a simple process of heating the popcorn on the stove and listening for the popping. You can take it off the hob when the popping slows, and the noise becomes infrequent. There should be enough excess heat and pressure left to finish off the remaining unpopped kernels.
You can take a risk and remove the lid or foil immediately after you take it off the heat. However, be prepared for some explosions, and it’s better to wait while the kernels stop popping completely.
Stovetop Popcorn Tips
- Effective cleaning: After making popcorn on the stove, your saucepan can be pretty messy! To make cleaning more manageable, we first advise wiping the interior with a dry cloth or paper towel. This will remove any greasy residue from the butter and oil. If you try cleaning this with a damp cloth, you will end up smearing it without fully getting rid of the mess.
- Medium-high heat: A medium-high heat is recommended when using a saucepan as this gives the best results. If the heat is too low, there may not be enough pressure built up to pop the kernels.
- Give some air relief: If you use a saucepan with a lid, make sure there is a tiny amount of room for air to escape. The pressure is essential, but too much could cause the lid to fly off. Likewise, if you cover the saucepan with foil, we advise scoring a couple of small holes or lines in it to prevent a foil blast.
Method 2: Microwave Popcorn
Microwave popcorn is incredibly easy and the quickest method available without a popcorn maker. You can buy special microwave bags, but it’s actually just as easy to do it yourself, following these steps:
- Place your popcorn kernels in a microwavable bowl.
- Mix together with any ingredients to give a nice coating
- Cover the bowl to prevent the popping popcorn from making a mess
- Microwave on full power for approximately three minutes
- Remove the bowl from the microwave and give it a shake
- Serve and enjoy
As you can see, this takes no effort at all. One of the most important steps is to mix your ingredients into the unpopped kernels beforehand.
This ensures that they will still get the full flavour when they pop. For example, you could mix the unpopped kernels with butter and salt for that unique sweet and savoury combination.
We also advise using the highest power setting, as this will give the quickest results and make sure there are fewer unpopped kernels.
Microwave Popcorn Tips
- Cover the bowl: This goes without saying, but never forget to place a lid over your bowl. Without a lid, you are treated to a pretty popcorn explosion. And DON’T use foil under any circumstance unless you want to blow your house up.
- It doesn’t have to be a bowl: You can actually use something simple like a brown paper lunch bag. This works exactly the same—place the kernels inside and fold the opening several times to prevent any from escaping.
- Gently shake afterwards: Give the bowl or bag a shake after cooking. This ensures that any ingredients coat the popcorn properly to give you the best taste experience.
Incredible Popcorn Toppings to Try
You should now have a clear idea of how to create this amazing treat at home without a popcorn maker. But how can you spice things up and make your popcorn delicious? These are some simple combinations and toppings to try:
- Lashings of butter and a dash of salt
- Sugar and cinnamon
- Toffee and almond
- Pistachios and pink peppercorns
The classic is, of course, butter and salt. You could add some sugar too. You then essentially get buttery popcorn with a mix of sweet and savoury – similar to what you can find in a cinema.
If you want even more flavour, why not add sugar and some twangy cinnamon? This makes for an epic taste that is sharp but sweet at the same time.
We love toffee popcorn too. This option requires more effort as you have to create the toffee by cooking butter and brown sugar together in a saucepan. Golden syrup can be an amazing alternative to toffee if you don’t want to make it yourself. For extra zing, consider adding some crushed almonds.
One of the more interesting combinations is pistachios and pink peppercorns. You can toast the crushed pistachio nuts beforehand, combine them with the pink peppercorns and mix everything into the popcorn. This is a popcorn recipe that has plenty of kick.
Some people even try unconventional and wonderful ingredients like chilli powder – there really is no limit to the concoctions you can produce. Just give it a try—find the combination you like and mix everything in with your popcorn.
Enjoy Delicious Popcorn Without a Dedicated Appliance
There is no denying that popcorn machines certainly make the process easier. They require less manual effort, are much more straightforward to clean, and there isn’t the potential for a massive popped popcorn explosion.
However, if you don’t own one of these fantastic appliances, it is still possible to enjoy some homemade popcorn! So what are you waiting for? Open your microwave or turn on the stove and get exploding those kernels!
Paul is the type of person who never met a problem he couldn’t fix. He can always be found tinkering with something in his house, even if it isn’t broken! His tips and tricks are often shared on our site. He’s the one you call when something breaks because he has been known to improvise fixes for everything from leaky faucets to malfunctioning dryers.
