So perfect every time

July 27, 2006 11:10 AM

How does the popcorn button on a microwave work?

My last two microwaves have had the magic 'popcorn' button. I put in my brown bag, press the button, the microwave runs for 2:10 and out comes perfect unscorched popcorn with maybe 3 unpopped kernels. Were I to just set the timer for 2:10 it wouldn't be nearly as perfect.

posted by sohcahtoa to food & drink (8 comments total)

Doesn't it also set the power settings to something different?
posted by inigo2 at 11:12 AM on July 27, 2006

5. Why does my popcorn burn, and why does the "popcorn" button leave so many kernels unpopped?

Anantheswaran says microwave popcorn pops differently because of such variables as brand of popcorn, brand of oven, quality of the kernels, quality of the bag, age of the product, and whether the product is salted.

Joy Daniel, senior manager of product development for Sharp Electronics Corporation, explains that popcorn buttons differ in two ways. A "timed" popcorn button is designed to cook for a preset time based on the average cooking time for consumer popcorn brands. A "sensor" popcorn button will shut the oven off as soon as it senses a certain level of humidity, indicating the popcorn is fully popped. "Microwave popcorn may have more unpopped kernels because the manufacturers are less concerned with popping all the kernels than with providing the indicated quantity," Daniel says. "The manufacturers include more kernels to make sure the corn pops to a full bag every time."
posted by geoff. at 11:14 AM on July 27, 2006

I would have never guessed that the microwave would include a humidity sensor. I would have assumed that it would adjust the power settings during the cycle.
posted by geoff. at 11:14 AM on July 27, 2006

It isn't possible to vary the power in a microwave oven. It's either on or off. The "power" setting works by controlling the duty cycle, what percentage of the time it's on and it's off.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 11:35 AM on July 27, 2006

Some microwaves have a sound sensor to listen for popping and time interval between the pops. This way if you put in a small bag or big bag will still come out 'perfect'.
posted by convex at 11:51 AM on July 27, 2006

How to make microwave popcorn - any brand.

Put in microwave. Set timer to 4 minutes. Hang out and listen to it. When you get to a point where there are 3 seconds between each pop and you hear this 3 times. Take it out. Any longer and it will burn.
posted by pieoverdone at 12:33 PM on July 27, 2006 [2 favorites]

For what it's worth, that method gets me popcorn that's about 50% scorched in my microwave here at work, pie. There's a lot of unpopped corn using the popcorn button but the bag's full and none is burned.
posted by phearlez at 4:49 PM on July 27, 2006

It isn't possible to vary the power in a microwave oven. It's either on or off. The "power" setting works by controlling the duty cycle, what percentage of the time it's on and it's off.

That used to be true, however newer ovens have (supposedly) variable-power control, for instance the Whirlpool Microvens with AccuWave™.

To answer the original question, I agree with pieoverdone: listen for the popping to diminish to 3 second intervals, then shut 'er down.

On preview, I didn't really answer the question.
posted by fuzzy_wuzzy at 10:55 PM on July 27, 2006