Stovetop Vs Microwave Popcorn: Which Is Easier To Make?

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There are some mistakes everyone makes when popping popcorn, and it turns out that not maximizing the ease and convenience of your popping method might just be one with game-changing implications. We savor popcorn, not just on movie nights, but any time we want a high-volume snack with tasty and nutritious whole grains. Whether we're dousing it with salted butter or upgrading our popcorn bowl with peanut butter (yes, really), we're enjoying the experience. To that end, we say that popping popcorn — as opposed to using a bag from the store — should be simple and effortless and get the job done enjoyably. When it comes to stovetop popping versus microwave popping, we're here to tell you that the microwave wins handily because it's less physically taxing.

Stovetop popcorn has a lot to recommend it: it's an effective way to pop many kernels at once, and it's good at the job, leaving a minimum of wasted kernels. What else it is, however, is a workout. To properly pop stovetop popcorn, you need a pot with a lid. The pot should be gently agitated as the kernels cook to make sure none burn, while the lid should be slightly ajar. That makes the process awkward. Furthermore, as the kernels pop, they will likely start to overflow and need to be skimmed off. You could use an even bigger pot, but then it will be heavier. On the other hand, using the microwave is easy-peasy, no matter what vessel you use to do it (more on that in a moment). Choose your seasonings, your oil (avoid a common oil mistake for popping popcorn), and your container. A few hands-free minutes later, and you have popcorn!

There are actually several different methods for microwaving popcorn from scratch. Multiple sources have put forth a strategy that involves using a paper lunch bag to pop your popcorn. The method very much mimics the bag of a box of store-bought popcorn, and it's not hard to see why this method has its fans. You can easily shake in seasonings, and everything is contained in the bag, so there's less mess. However, paper bags can easily catch fire in the microwave, and we'd argue that any popcorn procedure that could very conceivably end in flames is not "easy" at all. We've also seen specific silicone bags sold that contain popcorn, but many of these are small and not conducive to a big, bountiful bowl o' corn.

No, for that you want an enormous tempered glass bowl. We like the look of this well-rated borosilicate option by NUTRIUPS, which is both large and microwave-safe. Add your popcorn, oil, and seasonings, cover with a large (microwave-safe!) plate, and let your microwave do its job. You don't even need to move the popped popcorn to another vessel, as you can eat right out of the bowl once it cools down. If ease of use is what you're going for, we insist that microwaving wins the day, and microwaving in a bowl is the easiest method of all.