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We did a test run, my wife that is, and tried 3 different brands of popcorn and we were really shocked to find a big difference in "old maids" and fully popped kernels! I don't have the names of the nrands here but has anyone else ever done this? Does how you store your corn have anything to do with it?

I don't work in concessions, but I do know that the moisture content of the corn is critical to the popped quality. Too much moisture makes for a soft shell, so the kernels don't explode as big. Too little moisture leads to small, tough, dehydrated popped kernels and more "duds". Even with microwave popcorn bought for home use, I find that after storing for a few months, it just doesn't have the same quality as fresh from the store.

I've resigned myself to "low fat" popcorn (no cocoanut oil or butter) at home, but do like to binge on a tub of high test corn when I go out to a movie.

What kind of oil are most theatres using today? I know that "air popped" was a real bust, but is anyone using the new oils that are low in saturated fats? Do more people ask for no topping?

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John P. Pytlak
Senior Technical Specialist
EI Worldwide Technical Services
Research Labs, Building 69
Eastman Kodak Company
Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Telephone: 716-477-5325
Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

John, two years ago when we took over this theater, they were using canola oil to pop the corn and one of the first things we were asked "was could we get the coconut oil?" We did and it makes such a difference. The corn is so much better we don't sell much butter flavored topping. <G>

You've hit the oil question on the head. We did a lot of research on oils when we were adding a new popcorn machine and since coconut needs a preheat we'd have had to order that at extra expense we wanted to make the decision first. It comes down to this: non burnability, taste's best, and public love coconut but health concerns hate coconut. If it takes real heat to melt coco then what do you think when it gets inside you? Many say; who cares! Comapre it to a cheeseburger for God's sake! Peanut has the peanut allergy problem and we had a kid in our town die recently from a peanut dressing on his sandwich so I call that serious enough to skip the peanut and always proclaim "PEANUT OIL USED ON OUR POPCORN" if I did.

If you want to have fun: ask the questions John did the next time you're at a convention ..I mean ask each popcorn oil mfg! They can talk about it for hours.

We now use canola, tastes good, and people like it, my wife nixed the coco over my lack of concern.

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Mike Hurley
www.bigscreenbiz.com