Oil and Popcorn Recommendation for Whirley Pop

So we are big fans of Whirley Pop popcorn. I use Orville Redenbacher popcorn and whatever type of non-olive oil (corn, canola, vegetable, etc.) is in the house.

Any recommendations for popcorn brand and/or oil type to enhance the experience? Thanks.

Big fan of coconut oil and I use the stuff I get from costco (solid at room temp). I am not confident it tastes that different but a considerable difference (to me) is the smell you get with it. Oil smells like, well, oil. For some reason the coconut doesn’t have that lingering 'stench).

I’ve toyed with all types of corn and I personally like the smaller popped kernels, sometimes called ‘jewel’ as opposed to larger kernels (mushroom). I’d find an online seller of multiple types and get a sample package. This could be a pretty personal choice.

I’ll have to try the coconut oil. As far as corn goes, source mine from a couple of local farms.

Agree with Chris. Coconut is the best we’ve tried. Kids love it too. They couldn’t place it at first, but loved it right away. Makes us feel a bit better that it’s pretty healthy as well.
I have tried butter & ghee in different proportions with other oils, but you end up with a better final product if you butter after (if you like butter).

We haven’t tried more than 2 or 3 types of corn. We bought a bag from a local organic corn farm last summer - really delicious, but the popcorn was way too dense and ended up a bit gummy in the teeth.

I like to use ghee rather than oil. I like buttered popcorn, so rather than buttering already oiled popcorn, I use about a tablespoon of ghee and about a half cup of kernals. I get my ghee on the shelf at trader joes.

This is the site I purchased from…enjoyed much of this as it is hulless.

https://www.selectpopcorn.com/default.aspx

Well I absolutely love TJ’s organic popcorn cooked in olive oil, with sea salt. So I tried popping our own with half coconut and half olive oil. Was just using coconut before. I like it much better!

We cook in coconut oil, then toss with melted butter and 10% black truffle salt. Word of caution if you do this: portion it out or you’ll have a melee on your hands.

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I just had a major nostalgia moment. I think that somewhere in the house is a popcorn popper and maybe even an air pop machine. We’ve been reduced to things that are simple and quick. I think the most outrageous thing I ever did with popcorn was add some powdered cheese thingy to it. (I know, I know, but it wasn’t the cheese from my Kraft Mac & Cheese. It was a real concoction that was sold in stores.)

Coconut oil was the secret ingredient in the TV Time popcorn of the 1950s (a two-pouch packet, with the salt and corn on one side and a stick of orange-colored coconut oil on the other), and also the later Jiffy Pop (in its own expanding aluminum pan). Most movie theatres back in the Deadball Era used coconut oil as well.

I prefer white popcorn, which is generally harder to find these days (impossible in Italy, actually) and pops up smaller, but is far more tender than most varieties of yellow corn…

Good Gawd, but that brings back memories.

And unless that coconut oil caused you to have bypass surgery more than twice, Henry, great memories! :slight_smile: (Well, great unless you burned the Jiffy Pop, which happened too often for my liking…)

Does it ever come out not burned? I never mastered that technique.

Here’s what we do:

Heat 3 tbsp coconut oil over medium heat. Add three kernels once the oil has melted. Once all three have popped, take the pan off the burner, dump in 1/3 cup kernels, then wait 30 seconds before returning the pan to the burner. No burning and very few un-popped kernels.

But, in the old days Jiffy Pop was a closed system. Do I pour the oil over the top? Won’t it just run off? Add the kernels, but they too will fall off. Then when the Jiffy starts popping, all that stuff on top will really fly and make a huge mess.

I’m so confused.

Sorry, I didn’t know you were referring to Jiffy Pop. Ignore what I wrote.

So I made a batch (using Orville Redenbacher-our usual) using just Coconut Oil (from Trader Joes) in the Wirleypop. Didn’t love it. Then tried a batch made with mostly ghee with a little coconut oil made in a regular cookpot. That batch was mighty tasty. Going to try just ghee in the whirleypop and see how that comes out

We love this site for popcorn, the Mushroom is our fave, but all are good. We are Whirley Pop people too.

I need to try ghee, sounds good.

So just finished our second batch of the day made with ghee and a smidge of coconut oil in the WhirleyPop. Awesome . Thanks all for the recommendations.