Can You Make Microwave Popcorn Without A Microwave?

Not just a movie-theater must-have, popcorn — aka popped corn — is a miracle of natural bounty and human inventiveness. It was the indigenous inhabitants of the Americas who figured out that, when heated, the humble corn kernel would explode out of its shell, transforming from a hard little pebble into something airy and edible. Nutritious, too: A whole grain, after all, popcorn might reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases (though admittedly its health value diminishes when you drown it in butter and salt). Though the Iroquois people found that they could achieve this amazing transformation using hot sand and ceramic vessels, today we've got a variety of techniques, from the stovetop to the air popper to the microwave, a technology that enabled the ubiquitous bags of microwave popcorn that many of us grew up eating. 

Microwave is undoubtedly easiest to prepare — unless, of course, you don't have the machine in question. What then? Actually, it's no great obstacle: You can easily pop microwave popcorn without a microwave. All you need is a hot stove and a covered pan. Trust us: It's that easy.

Really, you're just using the stovetop-popcorn principle, wherein you heat corn kernels in a lidded pan until they pop. Using scissors, cut open a bag of the microwave popcorn of your choice. Need brand suggestions? Check out the great Takeout microwave popcorn taste test. Whatever you're using, scrape the contents into a large pot with a tight-fitting lid. The congealed oil/butter/whatever that stuff is that surrounds the corn kernels might not look totally appealing, but remember: That's where the flavor lives. Put the pot on a medium-high burner; as it heats, that solid fat will melt, and you can speed the process by breaking it up with a wooden spoon, with the goal of the kernels ending up in a single layer on the bottom of the pan.

Once that happens and the kernels start sizzling, cover the pan with the lid and watch as the corn starts popping. Shake the pan to make sure everything is heating evenly and, as the popping increases in intensity, crack the lid a tiny bit to let steam escape — but not so much that you're launching tiny projectiles all over your kitchen. As the popping slows, remove the pan from the heat, remove the lid — carefully! — and pour the popcorn into a bowl for serving.

So, that's how you make microwave popcorn with no microwave. But say you're facing the opposite problem: You've got a microwave, but no bags of store-bought 'corn. This situation, too, is easily solvable. Do you have a paper lunch bag? Just put some popcorn in it — two tablespoons of uncooked kernels yield about a quart of popcorn. Close the bag, folding it over to create a seal, and stick in the microwave. It should take between two and four minutes on high heat, but because microwaves differ in their intensity, it's best to let your ear be your guide: The popping sounds will swell as the bag heats up, and begin to subside down as the corn finishes cooking. As the popping slows, that's your cue it's ready to go.

One benefit of this route is that, unlike with store-bought microwave popcorn, you've got more leeway in terms of what kind of seasonings you want to put on your snack. Melted butter and salt? Classic. Cheese powder? Classic AND colorful. Nutritional yeast? Every hippie knows how good this stuff is on popcorn — and it's cheesy while being vegan, to boot. Old Bay seasoning, truffle salt, even hot cocoa mix: You're limited only by your imagination, and whatever happens to be in your kitchen cupboard.