Turns Out, You’ve Been Making Popcorn the Wrong Way—Here’s What to Do Instead

When late-night hunger hits, we can always count on microwave popcorn to satisfy the craving. The snack is warm, salty (sweet if you opt for kettle corn) and done in a matter of minutes. The convenience honestly can’t be beat. But sometimes, the final result can be disappointing, thanks to a bunch of unpopped kernels.

Pouring a bag of steaming, freshly-popped corn into a bowl only for a stream of kernels to fall into the mix is less than ideal, but thanks to TikTok we’ve found a way around that!

How to Make Popcorn the Right Way

Kernel-less popcorn, or something close to it, is possible thanks to this hack from TikTok user @sidneyraz.

@sidneyraz this whole time there was a solution #inmy30s #popcorn #tipsandtricks ♬ original sound – sidneyraz

To keep unpopped kernels from contaminating your snack, all you need to do is make your bag of microwave popcorn like normal. Check the instructions on the back of the bag and heat it up in the microwave for the recommended amount of time (we suggest that you avoid the popcorn button on your microwave altogether).

When the time is up and the popping has ceased, carefully remove the bag from the microwave. But don’t open the bag yet! You’ll notice a slight ventilation opening on one end of the bag, which is the key here. Hold the bag upside down over a bowl or a garbage bin, the opening facing down, and simply shake. Unpopped kernels will fall out through the small opening, but your popcorn will stay safe inside. We can’t guarantee that your final product will be completely kernel-less, but you should be able to get pretty close.

See whether or not popcorn is healthy.

How to Make Your Popcorn Even Better

Banishing the unpopped kernels is just the first step to flawless microwave popcorn. You can also customize your corn. Homemade seasonings can take a plain snack and transform it something spectacular. Hello, barbecue popcorn and vegan popcorn seasoning!

And if microwave popcorn just doesn’t cut it and you’re partial to the homemade stuff, we’ve got your back. Here are some of the best popcorn makers we could find.