Having an easy way to make popcorn can be fun and delicious! Most people have already tried making it at home, but some of you may not know how to do it properly. If that is the case, then this article will teach you how to make the best fluffy, buttery popcorn in a toaster oven or toastie machine.
There are two main types of machines used for making popcorn: those using melted fat as a flavor source and those using dried starch powder as a source of energy. The most popular type is the first one since almost anyone has access to oil or butter, which can be mixed into the popped kernels.
This article will talk about how to make the perfect crispy, crunchy popcorn in a toaster oven using either kind of source material.
Equipment needed
An easy way to make popcorn is using a stove top or oven-baked pan like a rice cooker, cookers, or frying pan. Simply add oil and dry kernels of corn and toast it until it pops.
This method does not require any special equipment other than a skillet or fryer. You can also use olive oil instead of vegetable oil for better flavor.
Another difference between an average popper and a toaster oven is how hot the poppers temperature can get. A toaster oven will always be at a warmer temperature than a normal popper because it has glass that acts as a heat sink. This means your popcorn will burn slightly more due to the longer exposure to high temperatures but it won’t scorch too much.
How to test the toaster oven
The next thing you will want to do is test your new toaster oven! There are two main reasons why this is important. First, if you cannot get it to work, then trying to use it before determining whether or not it is worth the money would be wasted.
Second, just because something says it can toast popcorn does not mean that it actually works for every brand of poppable food. Some toasters require more time or have different settings than others, so make sure you check yours!
Some brands say they cook “white” breads like bagels, cookies and pasta but when you pull one off the tray, there may still be brown bits underneath which indicate that it did not truly roast the whole item.
Cook time
Most toasters have an additional feature called an oven mode. This features uses convection heat, which circulates hot air around the popcorn instead of having it circulate through the kernels directly. Convection means that the warmer air is drawn into the top of the machine, where the poppable part is, and then dispersed over the surface.
This regulated movement of heat helps cook the kernels more quickly, since there’s less resistance as the gas moves away from the food. If you don’t have this option, your movie night will suffer just like our test subject!
There are two main reasons why some people cannot make good quality popcorn in a toaster oven. The first is when the machine does not seem to be toasting or popping the corn properly, if it takes longer than one minute per batch.
The second reason is when the butter can’t melt down into the bag properly, leaving bits of solid butter floating in the microwave. These chunks prevent the rest of the fat from melting down and creating soft and fluffy popcorn.
We were able to find a way to get rid of these limitations by baking the bags in a pre-heated 300°F (149°C) oven for eight minutes.
Potatoes and other ingredients
There are several recipes that call for toasting popcorn either in an oven or a toaster oven. Most of these recipes include baking soda as a leavener, so they’re not really cooking the toppings and then adding the corn as part of the recipe.
Instead, when you cook the popped grains of popcorn, all of the moisture is lost, and the butter and salt do not stick to the empty starch molecules. Therefore, these things can be mixed into the cooked popcorn directly without changing the flavor or texture!
When using a dry toast setting, like what we mentioned before, make sure your machine warns you that there isn’t any water left in the bag after popping. This way, you know it has determined it can use the leftover powder to create more popcorn.
Know the difference between toasty and burnt popcorn
Being able to make your own popcorn doesn’t require an expensive or special equipment, but you do need to know what temperature poppcorrn should be!
There are two main types of toasting for popcorn: dry and wet. With dry-popped popcorn, there is no liquid used to create the steam needed to pop the kernels. This can sometimes result in dried out, crispy kernels that taste good, but don’t quite get baked enough.
With wet-popped popcorn, a sauce or flavoring is usually added during cooking which helps keep it soft and fluffy. These recipes often call for melted butter as a fat to coat the popped corn, giving it some flavor and texture.
Both types of toasted popcorn will not burn unless they reach the high heat setting where most people leave their toasters to bake breads and cookies.
Store properly sealed popcorn
Technically, you can make good quality toasted or roasted popcorn in an oven that does not use open flames. This includes toaster ovens and convection ovens!
Oven-proof containers are your best bet for storing leftover popped corn. Glass bowls work well since you can just pour out the melted butter later. Plastic bags with a sealable closure also work well because you can easily pull them off and wash them down the drain.
Never heat oil until it is hot enough to burn. The smoke produced during heating will prevent kernels of popcorn from popping into fully airy bits. Test a small amount of popcorn to see if it fries golden and pops up slightly to determine when the oil is ready.
Tips for toaster oven popcorn
When baking fluffy, buttery microwave popcorns in a regular old toastier, more common toaster oven, there are two main things you will need to know. The first is that your toppings can’t touch the pan or it may stick. This could prevent the popcorn from popping and sticking to the spoon as it melts down.
The second is that the toaster oven needs to be able to hold an adequate amount of water so that when the popcorn pops, some liquid is retained. A solid, uninsulated toaster oven probably isn’t going to work because the heat will quickly dry out the milk or sugar ingredients.
If you’re reading this before launching into action, then you already have our permission! We hope we were able to clear up any misconceptions you might have about making popcorn in a toaster oven.
Delicious combinations of popcorn
If you have a toaster oven, then you can make delicious snacks with poppable foods like plain old salted butter or olive oil popped corn!
You just need to be sure your toaster oven is able to handle hot temperatures. Most newer models are because they heat up faster than older ones.
If yours doesn’t, you may want to look into getting one that has warmer settings as well. Many brands will advertise their product as having warm settings too so it should be easy to determine if yours does.