Craving popcorn? When the dark evenings creep in, there’s nothing cozier than curling up on the sofa with a bowl of freshly popped popcorn in front of a film to create a movie-theater feeling at home. Popping popcorn in the microwave or in a popcorn machine are two options, but there’s something particularly special about popcorn popped in a saucepan. Here we share our five best tips for popping perfectly crisp popcorn in a saucepan - just like at the movies.
How do you pop popcorn in a saucepan?
That popping popcorn in a saucepan would be difficult is a myth, or at least as long as you do it the right way. In fact, with the right tools it’s actually quite easy, but above all very tasty! All you need is some popcorn kernels, a good saucepan with a lid and a little salt for seasoning. It’s no harder than that! Whether you need a saucepan specifically for popcorn or for other cooking, you’ll find the perfect saucepan with us at Dorre!
Ingredients:
1 dl popcorn kernels
2 tbsp cooking fat (butter or oil)
Do this:
- Get a saucepan with a lid and cover the bottom of the pan with cooking fat
- Heat the saucepan over medium heat, or about 75% of maximum power, and add three popcorn kernels. When they start popping, add the rest of the kernels and put on the lid. NOTE! Be careful not to burn yourself when adding the kernels.
- Shake the pan a few times so no popcorn burns onto the bottom
- Turn off the hob when it starts popping properly and let the last popcorn pop from the residual heat.
- Remove the saucepan from the hob when the popcorn is ready.
- Pour into a bowl and salt to taste.
- Serve and enjoy!
Pop popcorn in a saucepan with butter or oil
To get really crisp popcorn when popping in a saucepan, it’s common to use butter, oil, or some other cooking fat. Both butter and oil work well, but what’s actually the difference between them?
Oil has a higher smoke point than butter. That means oils such as rapeseed or olive oil can withstand higher temperatures, and are therefore less likely to burn. Butter, on the other hand, gives the popcorn a good flavor, but because butter contains water, the steam can make the popcorn less crisp compared with using oil.
For best results, we recommend popping popcorn in oil and then adding butter afterward for flavor. To get both flavor and crispness at the same time, you can also combine butter and oil in the saucepan before popping.
5 Tips! How to make perfect popcorn in a saucepan
Tip 1. Use both butter and oil when popping popcorn for an extra crisp result.
Tip 2. Shake the saucepan from time to time while the popcorn is popping to prevent any popcorn or kernels from burning.
Tip 3. Leave the lid slightly open or remove it completely when about half of the popcorn has popped. This releases the steam and prevents the popcorn from going soft from condensation.
Tip 4. Test with about three popcorn kernels before adding the rest to make sure the cooking fat and saucepan have reached the right temperature.
Tip 5. Wait to salt the popcorn until it’s done. If you salt it directly in the saucepan before the kernels have popped, it can affect the result and give it a worse texture.
Pop popcorn in water
Don’t have butter or oil at home, but really craving popcorn? No problem! You can actually pop popcorn in a saucepan without either oil or butter, and instead pop popcorn in water. You do exactly the same as you would with cooking fat, but simply replace the fat with water. Smart, right?
Ingredients:
1 dl popcorn kernels
2 tbsp water
Do this:
- Heat a saucepan with a lid over medium heat and add 2 tbsp water.
- Add the popcorn kernels when the water starts to boil and put on the lid.
- Shake the saucepan from time to time to avoid the popcorn or kernels burning.
- Remove the saucepan from the hob when the popcorn stops popping and pour into a bowl.
- Since the popcorn gets no flavor from the water, you can add butter and salt, or other seasoning to get the taste you want.
Here you’ll find more tips for tasty snacks for your cozy night in!
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