Alton Brown's Clever Method For Perfect Stove-Top Popcorn Uses An Unexpected Tool
Nothing makes a TV night on the couch more satisfying than a bowl of warm, buttery, freshly popped popcorn. As addictive as your favorite bagged snack might be, it won't come close to satisfying like the kernels popping a la the movie theater of your childhood. Instantly, watching any show is going to be a more enjoyable experience. If you don't want to deal with the potentially charred mess of microwave popcorn, and the cumbersome popcorn popper is hidden somewhere in the depths of your cabinets (or you never had one at all), science-forward food expert Alton Brown has you covered. He suggests that the absolute best method for popping popcorn doesn't require any fancy equipment and, in fact, is best achieved using a simple stainless steel bowl. This kitchen staple, that you surely have on hand, can also double as the serving vessel for your popcorn, meaning absolutely zero mess and more time to rot on the couch. Cue the celebration emoji.
In a YouTube video, Brown recommends using a 6-quart, 18/10, heavy gauge stainless steel bowl. What is this 18/10 he speaks of? It is simply a fancy fraction for the percentage of chromium and nickel alloy that is added to the stainless steel to make the bowl rust-resistant. Any heavy, stainless steel bowl that is approved for kitchen use should do. You will be popping the popcorn directly on the stovetop in the bowl, though, so it absolutely must be heat-proof — save the plastic bowls for another time.
Five minutes and five items are all you need
Popcorn became the definitive movie theater snack because it was inexpensive, and the same holds true today. To make your own at home, no big budget or complicated planning are needed. All that is required are some popcorn kernels, which keep for up to two years in the pantry, and a bit of neutral oil and salt. Once you've got the oil and kernels in the bowl, Alton Brown advocates salting the unpopped kernels well before tightly covering the bowl with aluminum foil. Poke a few holes to let the steam escape and you are well on your way to popcorn heaven.
Once the oil heats, you will start to hear that satisfying popping sound, and then you know that you're only a few short minutes from fluffy, craveable goodness. Proper "technique" might be taking it a step far, but do make sure to continuously move the bowl (use tongs or heavy oven mitts for the assist) back and forth over the burner for the entirety of the popping process to give all of the kernels a chance to work their magic. The smell might even be enough to summon others in the house from their respective rooms to join you on the couch. All that is left to do is top the popcorn with more salt and a healthy drizzle of melted butter. Or veer from the classic with herbs and spices, like a butter and rosemary combo or even a sprinkle of Japanese togarashi spice blend for a bit of a kick. Now all you have to do is agree on what to watch.