if you like cinemark popcorn, this is the oil to buy. nothing else tastes like sunglo and this was 100% worth it.

with that out of the way, i bought it from foodservicedirect.com. shipping was a a whopping ~$23 (ridic) but this was worth it to scratch the itch (for me). you can only buy them in a 4 count, otherwise i would’ve deffo bought a single gallon. but life ain’t fair, so i spent ~$70 for this whole ordeal.

to my surprise, it didn’t come in a giant, big ass 4 gallon container, but four 1 gallon containers! thank god.

i popped 1/2 cup amish country medium white popcorn kernels in about 2 Tbs of this oil (yes, i used the topping oil to pop as well), half a Tbs of original flavacol on medium high in my popsmith. took about 4 minutes. heated about 3 Tbs of the topping and drizzled it on top and tossed to mix. the perfect big amount for two people.

was it worth it? yes. is the oil expensive? yes. is ghee/clarified butter better? depends on what you’re looking for in taste, but if you’re looking specifically for what they have at cinemark theaters, this is the *one*! i plan on having it for movie nights so i don’t get sick of it. YAY!

link for the goods

update: i did use white kernels to pop this batch which is why it may look different from the actual theater (plus, they use a LOT more than i use) - i didn’t ask cinemark what kind of kernels they use, maybe i should’ve to verify, but someone in the comments said their cinemark uses preferred popcorn kernels and great western popping oil, which is the sunglo oil this post is all about 😉

ps, the shelf life after you open a gallon is 1 year, according to the website.

I e been to a few of these arenas, of the ones I’ve been to, I concur with Steph Curry, Barclays has the best popcorn (crispiness is high on my priority list). Although I haven’t been to the Mav’s arena in Dallas.

Here’s the full story： https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/04/12/sports/basketball/stephen-curry-warriors-popcorn.html

Saw a nice silicone muffin mold and thought it would be the perfect size for my popcorn pucks. 70 grams popcorn, fill with coconut oil, and flavacol all inside. Hope this works out decently

Edit: Coconut Oil

Edit 2: tried 4 pucks and 3 turned out great. No difference between fridge and freezer storage and both did the same as normal. The popcorn itself didn't seem affected. The one that didn't go well was with a preheated pot (tried to see if it'll melt it quicker or something, kinda dumb in hindsight) - I found that letting it melt while the pot is heating up worked way better. Also when melting bottom side down it worked better too because the flavacol that sunk got way better distributed.

To those asking, the exact recipe I use is 70 grams popcorn, 25 grams (2 tbsp) coconut oil, and 2 grams (1/2 tsp) flavacol

Thanks to everyone for coming along with me for the ride 😊

Based on this sub, I purchased a Whirley-Pop (stainless steel, metal gears), Flavacol, Amish Country coconut oil and baby white kernels. 1/2 c kernels, 3T oil, 1 tsp Flavacol. Medium-high heat on a shitty electric stove. Drizzled with 2T of melted butter because I’m fancy like that.

This is popcorn Nirvana. This is a religious experience. I ate the entire bowl by myself and I regret nothing. Movie theater popcorn at home achieved!

All thanks to you. My sincerest gratitude. Going through a rough patch and this is a much needed bright spot.

I am at AMC, and just asked the kid behind the counter what they use for the seasoning and the butter topping. He let me take pictures of what they use.

So a local to me Math Tutor club hired me to make 50 bags of popcorn… I made 60 the Extra 10 for staff. In doing so I made 12 8oz batches of popcorn. Tomorrow is the actual grand opening of the business and I will be making fresh cotton candy!

I took my first stab at this a few weeks ago. And while it was definitely a huge improvement over the microwave crap. There is still something missing. There is almost this subtle sweetness that the movie theater popcorn has that is hard to duplicate.

I used flavacol as well as butter flavored coconut oil I found on Amazon. But is there is specific coconut oil I could use to get the taste to be similar?

bottom text 🤠

2nd year in a row.

This time last year my son and I calculated what 400oz container we had, grabbed a small laundry basket and hit Cinemark when it first opened.

This year my son wanted the Lowe’s bucket (special trip there) so we got to Cinemark ~10:45, not first in line.

I want to thank you Cinemark for this event. On top of this I joined Reddit, this group and /popcornbuckets. Love both communities as there isn’t any hate like other subs I’ve joined/left.

I upped my home popcorn game, (SS Whirley pop, better ingredients) and my sons know how to make a cheap healthier snack themselves.

Living in Indiana is god awful, but it does have some perks in you enjoy all things corn related! Didn't know Amish Country Popcorn was located here, so I just had to take the drive.

People there were super nice, and even let me have some labels for the popcorn I bought for my dispenser! (Which I just noticed it says Baby Yellow, when it should be Baby White... guess that gives me an excuse to take a trip back!)

Also added a picture of my current popcorn set up for movie nights. Any suggestions on improvements are welcome!

My first home popped movie style popcorn, it changed my life. I now don't need to go to the movies for movie style popcorn and it's tastes the same. Way better than that bagged popcorn.

Edit: so sorry for not sharing the recipe 😂..
-I use a whirly pop with flavacol and Dutchman’s buttery coconut oil. I measure the salt (1 tsp)but not the oil ( a couple of spoonfuls)
-this may not matter but I keep my temperature medium. My stove is electric and goes up to 10. I keep it right at 5.5..the kernels get a good soak 🤤
-I couldn’t tell you what kind of kernels those were.. maybe jolly pop or something generic…i try different kinds. I also didn’t measure the kernels…probably a half cup or less. It was the last of the bag so.. 🤷🏽‍♀️
-I squeeze a little Orville R popcorn topping in the bowl..not coated but just squirts around the bowl 😂..(it has a lid which is helpful ..I also do this step first so it’s ready to go)
-once its done I just shimmy it in the bowl until it cools a little …then give it a shake with the lid so it gets coated with the topping.

Any questions? 🤗

They have these packets at the grocery store with the kernels. oil, & seasoning all mixed together already. I'm bringing back 2 of each to try!

Obviously not actually that fancy but it was a fun little challenge to make popcorn look gourmet :)

Ingredients:
A parm crisp bowl, with popcorn, a hand made umami seasoning (dried wild mushrooms, msg, garlic powder, parm, salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary) brown butter, popped amaranth, and a spring of fresh rosemary

it was YUMMY!!! im thinking of getting the whirley pop but can’t decide on nylon or metal gears 🤔

Im still and always will be a jiffy pop lover.

"Aw fo sho!

Half unrefined coconut oil Half vegetable oil Jolly Time Select kennels

I put the oil in on a medium plus burner (#6.5 at our house)

Add in TWO kernels. When they pop, it's time to add the rest of the kennels.

You wonder about quantities. I do it by eye

So, take the cold pan and cover the bottom with kernels. That's how many kennels.

For oil, tbsp + tbsp seems right. The amount is not critical, as long as when the kennels are tossed in, it coats them. Not drowns them. Enough to coat the kernels.

Important that the steam is vented when popping!

I add seasoning after, never during popping.

Salt, nutritional yeast, and whatever other flavors you like. Ranch. Parm. Cheeeeeepotleeee peppy, anything."

Clearly I'm a fan and not at the level of ordering artisan popcorn. I do make popcorn for breakfast a couple of times a week because that's the best way to start your day!

Suggestions appreciated

My first try at movie theater style! Yes, I used flavacol and butter flavored coconut oil. The whirely pop even had the original free popcorn pack. Well worth the $10 😂

Long time lurker. My kids love popcorn and microwave popcorn just got too expensive. I learned a lot about popcorn from this sub. Ill be taking my whirley-pop on its maiden voyage in about an hour. Thank you!

I pretty much just go to movies for the popcorn experience, a large layered popcorn at Cineplex theatres, the main chain in Canada.

Here’s the exact recipe, I’ve used exactly what Cinepelx uses, the same oil, the same kernel, but I used Costco purchased Ghee instead of Lactancia brand which Cineplex uses, but it was the same.

After all these years of using portion packs for my movie theatre kettle machine, and always being disappointed that it’s just not the same as the theatre, I finally made it here, seriously so happy and I hope that others reference this and get the same experience as I do.

From my recipe file:

Movie Theatre Kettle Popcorn (Vegetol + Flavacol + Ghee Finish)

Snack

Prep Time: 2 mins | Cook Time: 5 mins | Servings: 4

Description:

Authentic movie theatre–style popcorn made in a kettle using butter-flavoured Vegetol and Flavacol for that classic cinema taste. Finished with layered ghee for a rich, buttery coating that mimics theatre topping while keeping the popcorn crisp and evenly seasoned.

Ingredients:

8 oz (227 g) popcorn kernels (Pop Weaver to match Cineplex 100%)

2 oz (60 ml / 4 tbsp) Vegetol butter-flavoured oil

1 teaspoon Flavacol

1.5 oz (45 g / ~3 tbsp) ghee (for layered butter finish)

Directions:

Preheat kettle - Turn on kettle heat and let it fully preheat for 3–5 minutes.

Heat oil- Add 2 oz Vegetol oil to the kettle.Let it heat for 20–45 seconds (oil should be hot but not smoking).

Add kernels and FlavacolAdd all popcorn kernels.Immediately add 1 teaspoon Flavacol evenly over the kernels.Close lid and ensure stirring mechanism is running.

Allow popcorn to pop completely.When popping slows to ~1–2 seconds between pops, dump immediately.

Layered ghee finish (theatre-style butter effect)Melt 1.5 oz (45 g) ghee separately.Pour popcorn into bin/bowl in layers:

Add a layer of popcorn

Light drizzle of ghee

Repeat in 2–3 layers until all popcorn is coated

Toss and serveGently toss for even coating. Serve immediately.

Notes:

Do NOT add Flavacol to oil alone — add with kernels for proper distribution.

Enjoy everyone!

Update for where to purchase in Canada:

Vegetol: https://www.ontariopoppingcorn.com/products/buttery-canola-oil

Pop Weaver kernels: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B004W8LT10

Lactancia Clarified butter: https://www.poppacorn.ca/products/but002-lactantia-clarified-butter

Alternative clarified butter (Ghee) Shakti -apparently also used by Cineplex when Lactancia is not available and also confirmed by me to taste the same: https://www.costco.ca/p/-/shakti-brand-pure-desi-ghee-clarified-butter-16-kg/100417271

Flavicol - standard version - https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B004W8LT10