3
♦ Because of its fine texture, popcorn salt works best. It is available at most grocery stores.
♦ You can use any kind of cooking oil (corn, vegetable, peanut, olive, canola, sesame etc.) or any kind of solid shortening or lard in
the popper. No more than 2 tablespoons should be used for any batch of popcorn. Feel free to mix oils or shortenings. Butter and
margarine may be used. When cooked at high temperatures, like those in the microwave popper, butter and margarine both tend
to brown, imparting a different, but delicious flavor.
♦ You can preseason your corn by adding salt and other fine powdered seasonings to the oil
prior
to popping. Avoid the use, how-
ever, of cheese powders or powders made with granulated sugar or chocolate, as they tend to burn. They may be added to corn
after popping.
♦ If you want oil flavored popcorn, but don’t want the added fat or calories that oil gives you, either before or after popping, spray
popcorn with a no-stick cooking spray. This will give you a hint of oil flavor and will also allow salts and other seasonings to stick
to the popcorn better. For a hint of butter flavored popcorn, use the butter flavored sprays.
♦ If you like extra butter or margarine on your popcorn, you can add more after popping. Simply place a few ⅛-inch pats of butter/
margarine on the popped corn, cover popper, and reinsert in the microwave oven for approximately 20 seconds. Butter/margarine
will melt and can then be mixed through.
Questions and Answers
1. Sometimes I get a lot of unpopped kernels and/or scorched corn. Why?
A number of things may be causing this:
a. You may have forgotten to use a PowerCup
®
concentrator.
b. Your PowerCup
®
concentrator needs to be replaced.
c. You were not using the High setting on your microwave oven.
d. Your microwave oven may have areas where microwave energy is not evenly distributed. Next time you use the popper, try
positioning the popper in a different location inside the microwave oven.
e. Your microwave oven and the Presto
®
popper do not work together. Presto would be very interested if you have such an oven.
Please write or call Presto if you believe this is the case.
2. How many unpopped kernels are considered normal for a batch of popped corn?
The number of unpopped kernels will vary depending on the quality and freshness of the corn used, the microwave oven used,
and the condition of the PowerCup
®
concentrator. If the instructions are followed correctly, as indicated on page 2, on the first use
you will usually get anywhere from 0 unpopped kernels to 1 teaspoon unpopped kernels. Fresh corn and premium corn will give
you the best results. You should always get fewer unpopped kernels than microwave bagged corn. If you consistently get a lot of
unpopped kernels, review this Question and Answer section.
3. How many batches of popcorn should I be able to pop with each PowerCup
®
concentrator?
The number of uses will vary from microwave to microwave. When popping with oil, you should be able to make up to 8 batches
with each concentrator. When popping without oil, you should be able to make up to 15 batches with each concentrator.
4. After the initial use, the PowerCup
®
concentrator looks dark and discolored. Should I continue to use it?
Yes. The concentrator does discolor after use and will become more discolored the more you use it. The discoloration is normal
and does not affect popping. However, if the top layer of the concentrator is cracked or torn you should replace the concentrator.
5. What can I do to maximize the number of uses I get out of each PowerCup
®
concentrator when popping with oil?
After each use, wipe concentrator with a damp cloth to remove salt and oil residue. Do not soak concentrator in water or use abra-
sives to clean it. Always remove concentrator from popping bowl before coating popcorn with toppings, such as caramel sauce.
6. How will I know when my PowerCup
®
concentrator needs to be replaced?
If you notice you are getting more unpopped kernels than usual, it is time to replace the concentrator.
Important: Always replace the concentrator immediately if the top layer is torn or cracked.
7. The PowerPop
®
popper fits in my microwave oven only when I remove the glass tray or turntable. Is it safe to use the microwave
without the tray or turntable?
No. If your microwave oven comes with a glass tray or turntable, it should never be operated without the tray or turntable in place.
Use without the tray or turntable results in short PowerCup
®
concentrator life. It will also damage the popper and could destroy
your microwave oven.
8. It seems when I make multiple batches of popcorn, each batch takes longer to pop. Why?
As the microwave oven gets hotter, the oven becomes less efficient. Thus, if you are making multiple batches of corn, you might
wish to allow the microwave to cool slightly between batches.
