So Are We Supposed To Use The Microwave's Popcorn Button Or Not?
Popcorn remains synonymous with getting comfortable and watching a film on a weekend night. While you can buy movie theater popcorn at a store, the microwaveable make-at-home version is usually the way to go. The only problem is, how to microwave it has been a hotly debated subject for many years.
Connoisseurs of the buttery, salty snack strongly contend whether or not you should utilize the popcorn button that resides on your microwave. While some, such as myself, have never actually used the feature out of habit, others swear that the singular button ensures that the popcorn never burns and is fully popped by the end of its heating. For many others, this decision is, quite frankly, a toss-up.
Unfortunately, the answer to that decision isn't one-size-fits-all; it depends on your situation. Most notably, the brand of your popcorn and the model of your microwave will determine whether that button is the way to go when making the salty snack at home.
What does the popcorn button on the microwave do?
Popping corn with the preset button isn't always the best course of action due to the fact that not all function the same way. While some microwave models' utilize a humidity sensor to detect when most of the popcorn kernels have been fully cooked, others merely set a timer with no additional benefits. Because this countdown may or may not align with the time needed to cook any given bag of popcorn, some brands outright tell you not to use the button.
This leads us to the fact that, for some brands, a pretty specific set of instructions is given to ensure you walk away with the best popcorn possible. These directions are tailored to the number of kernels in the bag, how long it takes them to pop, and other nuanced factors and can make the popcorn button somewhat obsolete.
So, while the popcorn button might save you some time, it's not always the best option. However, unless the instructions explicitly warn you not to use the popcorn button, do whatever your heart desires or how you are used to — we won't judge you.