Why You May Want To Avoid Cooking Popcorn In An Air Fryer

Remarkably, the overall popcorn market wasn't as impacted by the COVID-related theater closures and other venues that sell popcorn as dramatically as you'd probably think. As it turns out, at-home popcorn popping was a source of comfort that buoyed popcorn sales. Popcorn has an ancient history, dating back thousands of years with roots in Mexico and Peru, and today it remains one of our favorite snacks.

Air fryers have become one of our favorite appliances to cook those snacks in. Since they were invented in 2005, air fryers have earned a permanent spot on kitchen counters for the way they can prepare convenient foods even faster. They save on energy costs and replicate restaurant results by bringing tiny, yet powerful, convection ovens into our homes.

It was only a matter of time before one of our favorite snacks would run into one of our favorite appliances. There's an internet rumor circulating that you might be able to cook popcorn in your air fryer. But, should you?

Cooking popcorn in an air fryer violates a few of the 12 biggest air fryer mistakes to avoid. Popcorn is both too small and too light for air fryers. Popcorn kernels can fall through the wire baskets of an air fryer and while you can fashion a foil barrier to keep the kernels in place, as they pop, those lightweight kernels will still fly all around the air fryer's cavity. There's a good chance those popped kernels could end up lodged near the heating elements. That chance of a fire, no matter how small, is not trivial. 

Maybe the most important reason to not cook popcorn in an air fryer is that the same manufacturers that tout their ability to cook just about everything don't seem to recommend it. For example, Amazon's best-selling air fryer, is made by Cosori, whose website only mentions something called Popcorn Bread. For the record, that's not bread made out of popcorn, it's essentially croutons served in a popcorn bag. If an air fryer was meant to cook popcorn, it seems like they'd be the first to tell us.

Making your own popcorn means you can alter the snack exactly how you want it. No matter how you cook the popcorn, you're free to add extra butter or sprinkle it with a packet of ranch dressing mix. And nutritional yeast makes a surprisingly delicious vegan option for cheesy popcorn. Or, just add a bit of salt.

Of all the ways to pop popcorn, Wirecutter determined that a Dutch oven on the stovetop is a favorite option. Unlike throwing a bag in the microwave and coming back in two or three minutes, the Dutch oven method requires attention and takes some practice. There's a learning curve to finding the right heat level and time spent over said heat. Admittedly, an air popper is easier to use. These appliances use a fan to blow hot air around the kernels. That sounds an awful lot like an air fryer, but in this case, as the kernels pop, they're safely blown out the top, into a bowl.

If you're into the convenience of microwave popcorn, but don't want to use the bags of pre-seasoned popcorn, there's another way. The Salbree Microwave Popcorn popper ranks as one of the best kitchen gadgets you can buy and can be found for under $20 at Amazon. Add whatever kernels you want, and season with whatever you like.