Wow - I never thought of making my own microwave popcorn. However, I have often thought about how UNhealthy the microwave packets tend to be. (While still buying them.) I'm going to give this a try. You won me over with the salt/butter/but-still-healthy version!

Making popcorn at home is one of my favorite treats!! I never thought of coating it with butter and salt before hand. I'm so going to do that. Thanks for tip.

OMG, I just bought a microwave rice cooker which consists of a plastic microwave safe bowl and a vented lid. Making popcorn sounds like it will work perfectly in this bowl!

I definitely prefer homemade popcorn - the fact that it is healthier is terrific, but I also like having more control over the flavors!

Thank you! My husband and I have been happily making homemade microwave popcorn with the brown paper bag method ever since I saw the tips online... But as soon as I read your post, I ran to hubby and told him about the NEW and NIFTIER way! He, of course, simply told me to "Prove it!"

Simple, easy-to-clean and non-wasteful, and delicious! We just finished off a very yummy bowl of popcorn (I hope there's no butter on my keyboard...) :) Thanks!

I love it! I need to get a bigger bowl, though, and add a little more butter & salt next time. It's not as (heavy, slimy, greasy???) as store bought microwave popcorn. My rubberband snapped before the corn began popping, but I left the waxed paper on top of the bowl to see what would happen. It still worked. Thank you so much for sharing this!!

What a great recipe! Unreal...thanks for posting.

I was so excited to find this post as I was just about to go out and buy an air popper.  We've been using paper bags which work fine but too many kernels were being wasted.  

I got out my favorite Princess House glass bowl to use since it was the perfect size to fit with my microwave cover and I remember that the bowl was supposed to be microwave and oven safe.  When getting close to 4 minutes it seemed much more time was needed.  After 5 1/2 minutes it was done.  I was thrilled!  It didn't smell burnt and all kernels seemed to have popped.  I grabbed mitts because the bowl was very hot.  I sat it on the stove only to hear a BIG POP!  A 3" hole blew out the side of the glass!  I'm so dissappointed.  I lost my favorite salad bowl and now I'm afraid to try it again.  Was it the bowl?  Should I try it again with another microwave safe bowl?

Thanks for your feedback and the tips!

Thanks ! I remember long ago we made microwave popcorn in brown paper bags. I'm soooo glad you shared this much better way to make popcorn.

Just wanted to tell you that I made the popcorn and it turned out great!  Well, the next batch I'll probably shorten the cooking time a bit.  But I really liked the way it tasted and so did my very picky hubby. :) So thank you for sharing this simple recipe. :)

I don't usually leave comments like this on websites , but I had to for this. This was really helpful and it is really great for my diet! Thanks so much for cheap and healthier alternative to my favorite snack!!!!! :)

Nice, informative post!  I usually use the paper bags, but it seems like such a waste to use up all that paper every time I want popcorn!  I wanted to see if it was wise before I gave it a try in my own microwave.  Thanks!

By the way, if you have stale popcorn kernels, I've heard that you can soak them in water to get back their 'popability.'  Never tried it myself.  Popcorn doesn't last long enough to go stale in my house!  ;D

This is fantastic! I have never, in my life, been able to cook microwave popcorn without burning at least a third of the bag. I made this no problem and love,love, love that there is no waste.

Monica, thank you so much for posting these yummy popcorn recipes! My three growing kids (as well as the hubby and myself!) LOVE popcorn and were going through a lot of bags. I thought about buying an air popper to make homemade popcorn but it just seemed like a HUGE hassle! Well, I’ve been trying to make small “green” changes as well as frugal ones and popcorn made the list. :) Your recipes are great and the kids don’t even know the difference! So much cheaper and MUCH better for them because I can control the quality. THANK YOU!

I love this.  We do it on a regular basis.  Much healthier and can pop a little or alot!!

Wow. I have tried everything... brown paper bags, Cuisinart popper, gourmet prepackaged popcorn. This is the BEST. I used the ingredients and equipment exactly as listed. It is is crisp, not at all soggy, deliciously flavored - just perfect! I've really enjoyed your website, thanks so much!

I bought a microwave bowl and punched holes in the lid. 1st try I didn't snug down the lid. So it kept sliding off and popcorn all over! I threw a towel over but no luck, it slipped off too. About 1/2 popped but it was sure tasty. So tried again.... snugged down the lid, well it looked fine until I opened the microwave and the lid was practically totally melted! I guess my idea to sub for the vented cover was not so good!

I will say the popcorn is really tasty. I never use a microwave for cooking as I believe it impacts food value, but perhaps it doesn't apply to popcorn? I use an organic non-gmo 4 color blend, so yummy! Brand is Pleasant Grove Farms. I sub'd earth balance (non-soy) for butter and it was delish!

Thanks for posting this! I'll be ordering a vented microwave cover!!!!

Thanks for posting this! It works great for me!  For soaking, how long is needed? I usually have a good number of unpopped kernels so am going to try soaking. Thanks!

This is so wonderful!!  I have seriously made this about 14 times over the last 2 days for a Popcorn Stuffed Turkey for each of my daughters' classes!  I'm so glad I found this!

Great idea! I didn't have a vented microwave cover, so I used a colander that fit over a big glass mixing bowl, secured with a bit of ribbon. Two, count 'em, 2 unpopped kernels.

Have you ever considered using the popcorn setting on the microwave?

Here's a good tip, if you keep your popcorn kernels in the freezer, when your ready to make popcorn, every single kernel will pop!  I have tried it and it works!!

Tried it. LOVE IT. Thanks!  We don't like to microwave plastic so went with the parchment paper cover. Worked like a charm.

I followed the recipe with the exception of the lid, I used stretch wrap which didnt work.  but it popped. the butter and salt burnt to the bottom of the bowl instead of mixing with the corn. but other than that it was nice. w/o a lid I got a microwave full of popcorn.

I love popcorn and I`ve been trying to make hommade popcorn ever since I`ve heard about the health issues with the microwave bags. You try to have a healthy snack to find out its not so healthy! So doing it it in stove is as convenient as a microwave... I thought of doing it on a microwavable plastic bowl with lid, but it gets too hot and actually burned the bottom of it. Never heard about the brown bags... So I was searching for ways to do it and found your site, and I`m glad I did! Thanks for the tips! I`m trying your way tonight!

Hi there,

Thanks so much for sharing. As for the 'which bag is safer in the microwave' debate, the bags that are readily available for popcorn contain perfluorinated chemical (PFC's). These are by far the most harmful.

Thanks again, you've made making popcorn easy and fun.

I love this!! Thank you so much! I've been wanting for so long to make air popped popcorn but I didnt want to go buy an air popper! The turned out great for me and it's so fast and easy. I made the plain pop corn and added some melted butter after and I thought it turned out much better than when I added the butter before popping. It may have been because I used a plastic container and all of the butter just stuck to the sides. Anyways, thanks!

WE MELTED OUT VENTED LID (A SALAD SPINNER TOP) WAH

YOU ARE AMAZING. HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THIS!? THIS IS REVOLUTIONARY. I JUST CANNOT BELIEVE IT. THANK YOU FOR BLESSING US WITH THESE TIPS AND MAKING EACH OF OUR LIVES JUST A BIT BETTER.

I do not recommend this! Just tried it with my new big beautiful very STURDY bowl and it cracked right down the middle. I used wax paper as a vent, no rubber band, just laid on top where the steam could escape. I am so disappointed!! :(

Couldn't wait to get my vented microwave cover.  I was kind of disappointed.  I only used 1/4 cup of corn in my pyrex glass bowl and kept it going for over 4 mins.  Only about half the corn popped and the bowl was, indeed, very hot.  What am I doing wrong?

Please tell Becky that microwave veggies are great.  I use sandwich bags (they don't melt).  a half ear of corn 5 mins. in the microwave in a plastic sandwich bag.  Frozen chopped spinach for my eggwhite omelets - 2 mins in a plastic bowl in the microwave.  My microwave is circa 1978...an Amana Radar Range and I use it for a lot of things.  Potatoes (I like the thin skinned golden potatoes) 5 to 6 mins in a sandwich bag.  Wet them first.  For someone living alone, or a couple...a microwave can do a lot!  Sorry to stray from the topic.  By the way, I'm 72 and been doing my veggies this way since 1978 with no problems to my health LOL

I tried this last night.  Don't know what I did wrong, but mine was not successful.
I reallllyyyy wanted this to work..........

To keep it as low-cal, low fat as possible, I filled a salt shaker with part salt and part Equal sugar substitute, lightly mist the popped corn with water, then immediately sprinkle with the mixture (otherwise it doesn't stick and all falls to the bottom of the bowl.  The water makes pits and slightly chewy parts in the puffy popcorn and it looks less attractive, (not for company), but it tastes pretty much like kettle corn to me and I snack guilt-free!

I just made this with an ordinary dinner plate covering a 2.4 litre Pyrex bowl.  I moved the plate slightly off centre to allow steam to escape and it worked perfectly!

I've finally been successful at making popcorn in a microwave. After several disasters I had given up. Until I came upon your recipe and technique. I had to adjust the cooking time, but the results were fantastic!! So nice. Will definitely be making them again and again. Already passed on the recipe to my daughter!

Made this tonight in a Pyrex bowl. My vented microwave cover didn't fit over the bowl so I put it on upside down. It stayed in place for the duration of time--3 min 45 seconds.  Just as you indicated, bowl was extremely hot. Pulled it out with a towel and kept it on the towel as I ate the popcorn. I was in heaven!  Good job!!

I`ve been following a low fat low calorie diet for two and a half months . I`ve lost just over one and a half stone in weight and am still going but I really missed a savory snack. I made this popcorn and it really hit the spot. Easy to make and green too. Thanks for your help.

WARNING!!! Be very careful if you try the version using butter.  My attempt started a fire in my Pyrex bowl, burned popcorn black, ruined vented microwave cover, set off smoke alarms, and my kitchen still stinks.  All the above happened in a very short time, right in front of me.  Popcorn hadn't stopped popping or even slowed down.  When I cleaned up the mess, there were still a lot of unpopped kernels.  This is dangerous.

Thanks so much for your ideas and technique. I used wax paper with no problems. I like the glass bowl better than a brown paper sack.

I found this site last year and was excited. But now I am SUPER excited for the microwave popcorn recipes!!!

It can not possibly be healthy to cook anything, popcorn or otherwise, using plastic. The vented cover in this article certainly looks like plastic...

Could you use sunflower oil instead of butter?

Hi Monica! This is awesome! I can't believe I never thought of this. Any way I made the simple no salt/oil and only half of the 1/3 of a cup popped. Im not sure what I did wrong. Might be my microwave. Anyway, thanks for posting!

Looks like we have to upgrade to a new microwave!

Wow! Nice write up, I'll definitely try it.
Thanks.

Try spicing with cardamom or cloves and allspice.

Both of the above require some sweet, (Sugar, or I use Splenda)

I know there are a lot of comments so I apologize if this is a repeat. When I pop corn I use a Duralex brand bowl and have been doing so for two years and my bowl is in tact. I also use a Corelle round plate as the cover and just set it slightly askew. Kernels will escape but I don't have to worry about burning bags, waste, nor storing yet another kitchen item/gadget. I do reuse the I popped kernels and can pop them until there are no I popped kernels. Just make sure to observe closely as the kernels will pop more quickly and I've definitely forgot and waited until microwave shut off which resulted in burnt popped kernels.

I was just reading about my Pyrex 8 cup measuring cup. I thought it would be perfect for making a small serving of popcorn. I specifically says to NOT use it to make popcorn. It is microwave safe glass. That makes me concerned about using most of the glass bowls.

There's a lot of factors that are going on here with failures and exploding bowls.  I spend a lot of time arguing with inanimate objects: YOU WILL DO THIS! So I experimented with this method which used to work for me in my previous microwave.  My current microwave is a Daiwoo, 1100 watts, and also grills and bakes in convection mode.  It does not have a popcorn setting. My Pyrex bowl did not shatter but it didn't work either,  whether I topped it with a microwave cover (which I bought because I was DETERMINED to do this) or a plate.  My white opaque rice cooker did work but it did not taste good - it was popped but not big fluffy kernels. I used Orville Reddenbacher, fresh corn, stored in freezer.  The rice cooker did work, simply not to my taste. I think it may have to do with the wide variation in microwaves.  I would say if you have a popcorn setting, try it.  If you do not have a turntable, do not try it.  If your corn doesn't pop in 3 minutes at the outside, STOP NOW.  While the brown paper bags work after a fashion they are not made to store unwrapped food; they are not made in sanitary conditions - that's for white bags, like baked goods come in and maybe somebody can try that. I notice that microwave popcorn bags are white.

My old Pyrex bowl could probably be used in a nuclear reactor but as someone who had the old Visions cookware (remember? Glass pots and pans and so beautiful) shatter on the stove, I am wary. It isn't worth getting hurt. If it doesn't pop, stop.  Microwave popcorn bowls made for the purpose won't shatter and can be used for other things.  I'm going to borrow one just to see if my Daiwoo will work with that.

It's a great idea, it works for a lot of people, so it's not the method, it's the variables. Remember you can always make great popcorn on the stove with a heavy pan (Dutch ovens excel!).  Also remember that a tablespoon or two of a good canola or sunflower or even an olive oil is good for your body.  It's got calories? If a food doesn't have calories, that's when you should avoid it, because all real food has calories - only chemicals don't.  However you do it,  enjoy your popcorn and thanks for the great ideas here.

This was the best microwave popcorn method that I have tried. It yielded tasty and light popcorn. I have tried in the past to achieve popcorn that tasted this good and was unsuccessful. Other methods yielded burnt butter or popcorn. The trick was to premelt the butter and use a vented lid. Thanks for sharing!

I don't understand...you're suggesting that people use a PLASTIC lid (with holes as a vent) on top of a glass bowl (for microwaving popcorn)? Why, oh why? Mercy! One should never, ever cook with any sort of plastic container in a microwave! Doing so is EXTREMELY carcinogenic!> Thus any food items that are to be eaten should NEVER, ever be in physical contact with plastic of any sort while heating and cooking food. The worst case instance of that is when people cover a container being heated in a microwave with plastic wrap (about as high a concentration of carcinogens as possible, and should be avoided by all except murder mystery writers). Heating frozen foods that are sold in supermarkets in plastic containers is also extremely carcinogenic and toxic; that the food manufacturers provide directions stating that consumers can heat  frozen foods as in, e.g. tv dinners, in a microwave should be banned as a practice by the manufacturers by the FDA and Congress. So to make popcorn in a glass container in  a microwave is fine, but never do so with a plastic cover.
That is as dangerous (and probably more so) than cooking in an aluminum pan or pot (a cause of Alzheimer's) , or worse, such as cooking in copper-ware, which was deadly to people in regions of bygone centuries where that was once practiced.

I've been using an Orville Redenbacher's microwave popper & popcorn for decades. I do have to buy small paper discs to place in the bottom, but I wipe them, store them in a folded paper towel in the fridge for the next times.  I'm with you, don't like the packets of micro popcorn...( the first couple of kernals taste ok, the rest are AWFUL).
   I always followed directions & used an oil, then after popping, transferred the popcorn to a bowl, added melted butter & salt(This makes 2 containers to clean...).  We're having a popcorn & movie day tomorrow, I will try popping the corn in a glass bowl, using clarified butter and just eating it right out of the bowl.  Clarified butter is VERY easy to make and anyone can learn how on line.  It's what movie theaters used for decades.  Quit using about the 70's

Just made this tonight! It was a Godsend because I'm strictly dairy free while nursing my almost 3 month old. With commercial popcorn, it's rare to find dairy free. Not to mention the cost savings! Thank you!

Microwave rice cooker, 2 minutes=🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿 the easiest ever, even than prepacked rubbish🍿🍿😀

I was looking for microwave popcorn poppers when I found this site.  After reading it I just used my pyrex french white round casserole with its glass lid.  Worked well, had more uncooked kernels than I would have liked, but it was my first attempt and I stopped and restarted the microwave a couple times.  Ended up cooking it for almost 8 minutes.  
Melted the butter first (30 seconds), added the salt, then stirred 1/3 cup popcorn to cover it in butter (not clarified), then microwaved.  It took a bit for it to start popping.  
I felt goofy eating out of a casserole (didn't want to dirty another bowl), but it did work...(I found the casserole before my glass bowls and didn't dig any deeper).  Will try the glass bowl next time.  It may work better since the popcorn will be more concentrated in one place instead of being spread out over the bottom of the casserole.
I think the "don't use pyrex for popcorn" is a safety claim for the company - newer (blueish) pyrex bowls are made from cheaper glass which is reported to be less resistant to thermal shock.  Glass doesn't like to change temperatures quickly...if you use a cold bowl and heat it up quickly with popcorn steam, or put a hot bowl on a cold stovetop/counter it may shatter.  google "why pyrex bowls explode" for more info.  I make sure to put my bowl on a towel or hotpad... OR, we just make popcorn in a pot on the stove - a bit of oil, a bunch of popcorn...shaking it back and forth, dumping it into bowls as it pushes the lid off...more time consuming and messy, but tasty.

I used a glass bowl (pyrex) and popcorn and covered with 2 napkins.  set timer for popcorn setting Double.  Took out when i heard they weren't popping anymore.  No lids or plates needed

Fantastic tips, and they worked perfectly.  It's so much better than the commercial packets.  Thank you!

I microwave popcorn all the time by pouring 1/4 cup into a brown paper lunch bag. Roll it down 2 times or so and that's it. Tasty!

Debra from The Savvy Shopper (https://thesavvvyshopper.blogspot.com)

I bought a new pyrex mixing bowl to try this recipe in and covered it with a glass pyrex baking dish lid. Worked perfectly! It took twice as long to cook as other microwave methods (almost 5 minutes!) but there were no burned pieces and the popcorn was nice and fluffy. I added popcorn seasoning to the butter instead of salt, and each piece was perfectly flavored. I definitely will be using this method again!
To avoid shattering the hot glass, I made sure to use potholders to take it out of the microwave and set the bowl and lid on additional potholders.