Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I have identified 3 critical parts to the movie theatre popcorn you love. I will break it down for you: 1- Paragon Coconut Popping Oil = Provides the 'nutty/toasted' flavor, the odor that permeates the local cinema, and yellow hue to the popped corn 2- Flavacol = The yellow ultra-fine salt of good cinema popcorn. 3- *Buttery topping = the goo you get when you ask for "extra 'butter' " at the concessions counter or clarified butter[1]. My current recipe: (2014-05-29) Lindy's Stainless Steel Popcorn Popper for popping (you can use pots to great effect too, no worries) 1/2 cup popcorn kernels 1/2 tsp Flavocol 36 grams coconut oil (I have a digital kitchen scale) 2 tbs salted butter (you can use unsalted too) *(I adjusted the recipe above to make a smaller yield so that it usually fits in the Lindy's pot - the larger recipe required dumping some popcorn out mid-batch, and I realized Makes ... well ... a really big bowl. We hold it in a large but shallow stainless mixing bowl. Enough for three adults who really like to eat popcorn. 660 calories for the entire bowl. I eat about 1/2 bowl ... ergo about 330 calories. Directions: [] Popcorn With stove on high, put Flavocol and coconut oil in kettle and melt then swish a little to distribute. Dump in popcorn and close lid. Stir kettle with crank. This recipe makes more than can fit in the Lindy's kettle, so I quickly pour off SOME of the extra when the kettle fills and put it back on the stove. [] Clarified butter topping Put the butter in a small bowl or mug and microwave _as low as it goes_ for three to five minutes. The objective is to melt the butter slowly and prevent it from 'boiling and crackling'. If it boils for too long, it gets an offish flavor, kind of like freezer burned food to be honest. If done right, you'll have a thin layer of whitish goo in the bowl on top of a deep yellow clear layer with a little white goo in the bottom. Skim off the whitish layer on top (if it forms) with a spoon and discard. Carefully pour the clear yellow layer over your popcorn but _not_ the white bottom stuff - yes, you'll have to waste a little yellow layer to do this. The white top and bottom layers are what makes popcorn soggy - the clear yellow layer is pure oil and will NOT make it soggy. (thanks to all below who raised my awareness to this fact). Product notes: :: Cost :: I hesitated buying this at first ... thinking "$15 ... is it really worth it?" I procrastinated buying Flavacol because it seemed silly that shipping cost more than the product itself. Well, now after 1.5 years I still haven't used up either product and spent less than $30 total for popcorn that is absolutely incredible. UPDATE- my flavocol box has lasted five tubs of coconut oil plus some. :: 100% coconut oil melts at 72-74F :: I read a review that stated the purchaser was dissatisfied because it wasn't 100% Coconut oil. The label on the back (as of writing of this review) says "76 (degree symbol)" coconut oil plus beta carotene NOT "76% Coconut oil" . It's 100% Coconut Oil mixed with a small amount beta carotene (for yellow color). The "76 (degree symbol)" refers to the melting temperature of the coconut oil and thus this popcorn "oil" is a _solid_ at room temperature (less than 76F). I had it sitting on the counter when it was 80 degrees indoors and it started to melt ... later that same evening when the A/C brought the house to 74 degrees for a couple of hours ... it began solidifying again. Neat. :: No buttery flavor in this :: Though convincingly yellow in color, this popcorn oil provides NO butter flavor. :: Refrigeration :: It does not require refrigeration once opened. :: Shelf Life :: Pretty near unlimited - This tub lasts around a year at our house before we run out. Since it contains no water or sugars, bacteria really have no way of getting started in there. I mean ... how long would you trust a bottle of canola oil? Pretty much indefinitely, right? :: What does it DO and why do I NEED it? :: Coconut Oil provides the 'missing ingredient' between cinema popcorn an your homemade popcorn - that nutty, toasty, movie-theatre smell. Been using some form of vegetable-oil haven't you? It's okay, but sometimes it's unpleasantly oily. It JUST doesn't taste correct, right? Use this 'popping oil' (solid, remember) for your stove-top popcorn and you're done. (I have tried 'gourmet' popcorns, white popcorn, etc ... but have found that plane-jane barebones no-frills yellow popcorn from your local store actually tastes best.) If you want 100% theatre-like popcorn ... you'll have to substitute #3> above with the 'butter-flavored topping' of your choice. But, to be honest, that goo kind of turns my stomach. To prevent butter from softening your popcorn follow the directions above to clarify it. Bliss. Heaven. It's soooooooo good.