What have we lost with microwave popcorn?
The Popcorn Popper Shop came about for a number of reasons. One was the surprise we had when visiting the stores in search for a traditional popcorn popper. There weren’t any to be found. No hot air popcorn poppers. No oil popcorn poppers.
A recent blog post at Quoteflections (a source of inspirational quotes and writing) lamented the loss of the air popcorn popper:
“Now where is the air popper? Lost to the convenience of the microwave, and often found at Saturday morning yard sales.”
That’s what my wife and I thought as well. However, popcorn poppers didn’t disappear, they just went online. A search online uncovered a treasure of popcorn poppers, some traditional, some down right creative, some just plain fun. That discovery began the birth of the Popcorn Popper Shop. We thought we’d make it easier for people to find popcorn poppers. It’s been a fun project for us and a source of discovery as we’ve delved into the secrets of the popcorn industry.
So, to the question posed by the title of this post: What have we lost with the microwave popcorn? Sure, the microwave does provide convenience, but at what cost?
Certainly, not at the loss of calories. Microwave popcorn bags can contain enormous amount of calories per serving. According to Calorie-Count, Orville Redenbacher’s Movie Theater Butter Mini Bags (yes, mini bags) contains 213 calories per serving. Their Smart Pop Butter Mini Bags contain 110 calories per serving.
As accurately discussed in the Quoteflections blog, air popped popcorn contains about 30 calories per serving (about a cup). Oil popped popcorn contains 55 calories and lightly buttered 90 to 120 calories per serving. Yes, adding flavor to popcorn does increase calories; however, by popping the corn yourself, you gain control on the amount and type of popcorn seasoning you use. With microwave popcorn, you’re eating what they’ve chosen to put in them.
Another loss, we feel is the magic of popping popcorn. Quite honestly, there’s enchantment watching that first popcorn pop in a popper, followed by another, then another until finally an eruption of all the corn bursting into fluffy white. We miss this performance when the corn pops anonymously in the microwave bag.
