Awesome Popcorn

AMC’s promotional Dune 2 popcorn bucket is the subject of many memes. While most of us can’t get our minds out of the gutter, Adam Savage saw the cursed bucket top as an opportunity to build a geeky diorama, turning the bucket back into a proper sandworm by building a foam and resin sand dune and adding a tiny Paul Atreides and a 3D-printed ornithopter.

We’ve seen what happens when introducing a red-hot metal sphere to a jawbreaker. So what do you think will happen if you place a molten copper ball into a glass filled with popcorn kernels? Snap Object has the answer. After a slow start, things really get going once a little oil is added to the mix. We’re impressed that the glass didn’t crack.

Popcorn: there aren’t any other foods we can think of which must explode to be enjoyed. This high-speed footage from The Slow Mo Guys is almost as tasty as a bucket of the buttery stuff is. They used a dangerous-looking popcorn pressure cooker to get a bunch of kernels to pop simultaneously, then fired up some puffed rice.

It’s easy to make popcorn in your microwave these days, but there’s something about how popcorn emerges from a classic popcorn maker that makes it more festive. Dr. Restoration got their hands on a 1950s popper called a Corn Pop-O-Mat, stripped off years of rust and grease, and brought the electric appliance back to like-new condition.

Popcorn is a tasty and addictive snack food most associated with carnivals and movies. But who first discovered that certain kinds of corn would pop when heated, and how did popcorn eventually make its way to the concession stand? Find out in this brief history lesson from TEDEd.

Macro photography usually remains at a constant distance from the object being photographed. But Macrofying pulled off this slick shot which starts out wide on a hot pan filled with popcorn and oil, then zooms in on a single kernel to see it pop in ultra slow-motion.

This limited-edition popcorn adds a delicious touch of cinnamon and sugar to Smartfood’s calorie-conscious crunchy snack. The reviews say it tastes more like those cinnamon twists from Taco Bell than a cupcake, but we’re good with that too.

Nicolas Bras likes to make unique musical instruments. He created this unusual instrument out of skinny PVC pipes designed to make that popping sound you make by hooking a finger in your cheek and yanking it. He then goes on to play the perfect song on it – Hot Butter’s Popcorn.

Made in Japan by Puebco, this borosilicate glass pitcher makes perfect popcorn in your microwave. Just add popcorn, place butter in the top melter, and nuke until popped. Holds appx. 1 liter of popped corn or 30g of kernels. Just be sure to keep an eye on it, because there’s nothing worse than the smell of burnt popcorn.

Opopop injects new life into a snack staple with its line of “flavor-wrapped” kernels. The crunchy popcorn comes in sweet and savory flavors like Vanilla Cake Pop, Salted Umami, Cinnalicious, and Chedapeño. Grab their $40 Discovery Kit, and you’ll get a microwaveable popping bowl along with sample packs of six flavors.

Microwave delicious, buttery popcorn without any of the nasty artificial ingredients. Simply place popcorn kernels into a microwave-safe bowl, put this vented popper lid on top, add butter to the perforated trays, then nuke away! Made from BPA-free silicone. (Bowl not included)

Peter Brown makes all kinds of neat things in his workshop. After numerous viewer requests, he decided to try and make popcorn bowl where the bowl itself is made from the tasty snack. We were concerned that the wet resin would deform the popped kernels, but it turned out better than we thought it would.

This silly little video clip from filmmakers Zita and Rafael of Crictor may be short, but it’s immensely satisfying. Watch as a single kernel of popcorn is dropped into a blow torch, and somehow ends up floating perfectly atop the wind made by a hairdryer. We wonder just how many takes it took them to get this just right.

R2-D2 was always the most versatile droid in the Star Wars universe. Beyond his computer hacking, hologram projecting, X-wing piloting, and drink serving skills, he can also pop popcorn. This air-popper droid features a removable dome head that doubles as a serving bowl.

We’ve seen popcorn popped in slow-motion before, but that was “only” at 6,200 fps. Warped Perception captured the explosive force of heated popcorn kernels at 30,000 fps in front of the macro lens of their Phantom v2512 ultra high-speed camera.

Looking for something a little different from ordinary caramel and cheese corn? Look no further than HR Poppin’ Snacks popcorn. They come in tasty flavors like S’mores, cookie dough, PB&J, lemon drop, root beer float, strawberry vanilla, and even Mountain Dew.

Berco’s bestselling popcorn costs $6 for a bag. But 2 Chainz’s show isn’t called Most Bestsellingest Sh*t, so the Chicago-based shop brought its Billion Dollar Popcorn, which is coated with 23K gold and some expensive salt. It costs $5 for one kernel. Humanity is hopeless.

Industrial designer Jolene Carlier says, “most popcorn machines are very dull though the simple process of making popcorn is exciting.” So she conceived of Popcorn Monsoon, a hot air popcorn machine that’s both fun and functional.

Ceramicist Catherine Smith’s stoneware popcorn bowl not only looks beautiful, it has a built-in strainer that lets unpopped kernels fall into a separate compartment, sparing your teeth from an unpleasant surprise while snacking.

If you’re already hankering for the taste of a sumptuous Thanksgiving dinner, check out King of Pop’s bundle of popcorn imbued with those familiar flavors. We’re not sure that how turkey-flavored popcorn works out though.

A crunchy firestorm for your face from J&D’s and The Oatmeal. It’s not an official Sriracha product, but Seattle Popcorn did its best to capture the sauce’s blend of peppers, garlic and vinegar.

The best way to eat popcorn at a horror movie is out of one of these awesome zombie-themed buckets created by ad agency Y&R for the Motor City Nightmares convention. Want. Now.

Archie McPhee has a special air freshener for food lovers and cinephiles,  bursting with the yummy scent of fresh buttered popcorn. Needs to be bundled with a softdrink-scented air freshener.