Paragon Coconut Popcorn Popping Oil (Gallon),Yellow

***HEALTH*** Coconut oil claims certain benefits over other oils used for popping corn. Coconut oil is 92% saturated fat. So although it can raise cholesterol levels (like lard or butter can) the twist is, it contains a unique type of medium chain saturated fat called lauric acid which research indicates raises HDL or "good" cholesterol levels, in the end potentially lowering the overall heart disease risk. ...Admittedly, it seems like the darling cooking oil of the day always changes, so who really knows? Ultimately I steered away from the alternatives of Soy and Canola oils for a few reasons. Foremost, coconut is the typical oil used in theaters. The other types are used too, but coconut oil dominates. After all, my whole goal was to make movie theater-equivalent popcorn. ...Or if matching it perfectly is impossible, at least some "theater-worthy" popcorn. (i.e. almost the same) ***REFINED VS VIRGIN*** This coconut oil IS refined, -NOT virgin. That's an important point. Again, that aspect matches the targeted standard movie theater variety. Sure, virgin coconut oil is great for some things. It provides that rich and distinct coconut aroma, for one thing. But that's really not ideal for popcorn. Refined coconut oil on the other hand, won't make your popcorn taste or smell like coconut. And don't get me wrong, I love coconut water, flesh, aroma, and flavor! But just not in my popcorn. So 'refined' coconut oil is the best fit for popcorn. AND you gain an extra 50 degrees higher smoke point with refined coconut oil! (350 degrees virgin smoke point, bumps up to to 400 degrees refined smoke point) That means you get 'temperature insurance', for better flavor and perhaps even (I'm not a doctor) a healthier end product due to the inherently reduced tendency to burn. Basically, and in a nutshell: This is the correct oil variety and subtype, for mimicking delicious classic movie theater popcorn. ***COLOR*** The added yellow color (beta carotene in this case) doesn't change the flavor. Apparently, the brain just wants to see the yellow. And again, THAT'S how they do it with theater popcorn. The appetizing color doesn't change the flavor. It just makes your eyes happy. Then your tongue and stomach get the message to also fall in line and be happy. ***BUTTERY*** This oil is NOT "butter flavored", despite the word "Buttery" appearing right in the product name, lol. I guess all cooking oil might be considered somewhat buttery in the way it behaves in the kitchen. But that doesn't mean it overtly tastes like butter. However, refined coconut oil is the perfect base (a blank canvas) for then adding a tasty boost of real butter flavoring (such as your favorite brand of butter extract), to achieve a truly buttery concoction. ...If you desire to try that route. Some popcorn oils indeed add some alleged butter flavoring to their ingredients. This particular type, does not. But you can always elect to blend-in say, "McCormick butter extract" (an example) to fit your taste. (mix while melted, obviously) Maybe prepare a one-cup batch separately as a full-on butter substitute, just to try it, and to calibrate your personally preferred recipe ratios. I suggest the neighborhood of 1/2 – 3/4 tsp of butter flavoring per cup of refined coconut oil. The popcorn oil I previously bought supposedly included some butter flavoring. (Golden Barrel, their butter flavored version) But it was way more expensive (more than twice the cost, and only sold in smaller containers), and it really had no overtly detectable butter flavor at all. Certainly nothing that warrants paying twice the price per ounce, especially when reputable butter extract is $4 on Amazon. For the record, you don't need to add butter extract to make superb popcorn. ...Still, I admit to adding 2-3 drops of extract to individual 8oz popcorn batches 'in the pot' before popping begins. Can't say for sure if I even taste it, but the finished popcorn IS excellent, so I'll probably continue. ***Flavacol*** Movie theaters rely on (and this is a crucial trade secret!) a fine salt, color, and buttery taste enhancer called "Flavacol" (Gold Medal Flavacol Popcorn Seasoning Salt). Ideally you'll simply add it to the cooking pot along with the cooking oil and allow them to blend, before the popping ever starts. (can quickly stir together in partially-warmed pot if needed) That way, in theory every kernel of corn is touched with the savory salt/butter flavor enhancer, right out of the popping pan. The idea is to add enough Flavacol, so that your popcorn automatically comes out seasoned to perfection, with no additional salting needed afterwards. For me, that's one teaspoon (or a whisper more) per 8 fl oz of unpopped popcorn. In other words, an 8 oz measuring cup filled with unpopped corn. You could always check what a cup of your preferred raw corn weighs, then start weighing out your cooking portions if you prefer. Note my 8 fl oz corn batches yield 3 nice sized servings. So if you only use 4 fl oz of corn instead (i.e. half a cup) in your cooking batches, then you'd just need to add about 1/2 teaspoon of Flavacol to the pot. ***OIL*** I add 2 (or up to 3 is OK) tablespoons of oil to my 8 fl oz corn batches. So for a modest half-sized batch, just use one tablespoon (or a touch more) of oil per 4 fl of raw corn. ***BROKEN LIDS*** Regarding the apparently highly vulnerable lid, reading reviews here plainly indicates it's prone to arrive broken. And the fact that in my experience ZERO padding, bubble wrap, or packing peanuts were used in shipping, exacerbates that natural tendency. My cap arrived destroyed, but clearly was not interfering with the product or my safety. If your product ships in cold weather (overall better than hot weather for shipping this oil), then the cold brittle lid might break, but at least the oil inside is solid when cold and so it won't run out everywhere. The good news is, the lid design is very common. Plastic "grip jars" mostly share the same lid design. FYI, it's a 110/400 lid. So 110mm diameter, with a 400 thread. There's also a less common (larger) size 120/400 lid out there, so avoid that potential pitfall. Incredibly, I've seen that buying a brand new replacement lid all by itself is actually MORE expensive than buying a whole other food product to acquire your replacement lid. In other words buying a $6 plastic 'grip jar' full of peanuts inside Wally World (or some other simple food/snack) is cheaper than buying just a new lid all by itself! (dump peanuts into large zip-lock freezer bag to instantly harvest your replacement lid) You probably already have this type lid somewhere in your kitchen or pantry. I sourced my replacement lid from a plastic grip-jar of Claussen pickles in my fridge. ...ate final pickle, removed the lid's pickle-infused foam gasket and trashed it, thoroughly soaked and washed the bare plastic lid, then inserted the (luckily still intact) foam gasket from the original broken oil lid. A perfect fix. ***SOLID VS LIQUID*** This oil is solid under 76 degrees Fahrenheit, and liquid over 76 degrees. A solid clump stuck on your finger will quickly melt loose and drop to the floor. So beware. Use that characteristic to your advantage. Let the clump fall from your (cleanly washed!) hand into the cooking pot, for example. It will only take a few seconds for it to drop. On a warm day, you might find your whole jar in a liquid state. Rest assured none of that phase changing affects the taste or longevity of the product. BTW, refrigeration is NOT required to maintain freshness. ***RECIPE*** Whether popped in a pan placed atop the kitchen stove, or in a fancy theater popcorn machine, the recipes and ratios are the same. My favorite recipe, and my recommended starting point for your recipe, is: 1. One 8oz measuring cup of corn 2. Two tablespoons of this exact type of oil (refined coconut) 3. One teaspoon of crucial Flavacol seasoning. ↑ Adjusting this recipe (more or less of certain components) to suit your taste, is optional. ...Maybe a touch more oil, if you find it fits your taste. Or maybe a teaspoon of Flavacol that's slightly heaped, if you find more saltiness fits your taste. ***HALF-SIZED BATCH RECIPE*** 4 oz (half a cup) corn, one tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon Flavacol ***COST*** Lastly, the price of this particular gallon of cooking oil, which checks all the right boxes for theater popcorn, is the best deal I've found. (currently 30 bucks per gallon including their mandatory shipping fee) ***CONCLUSION*** This oil (in combination with crucial "Flavacol") is perfect for making movie theater popcorn at home. I highly recommend it. This review is entirely human created (by me!), no AI. I think that covers everything. Happy popping.

I have identified 3 critical parts to the movie theatre popcorn you love. I will break it down for you: 1- Paragon Coconut Popping Oil = Provides the 'nutty/toasted' flavor, the odor that permeates the local cinema, and yellow hue to the popped corn 2- Flavacol = The yellow ultra-fine salt of good cinema popcorn. 3- *Buttery topping = the goo you get when you ask for "extra 'butter' " at the concessions counter or clarified butter[1]. My current recipe: (2014-05-29) Lindy's Stainless Steel Popcorn Popper for popping (you can use pots to great effect too, no worries) 1/2 cup popcorn kernels 1/2 tsp Flavocol 36 grams coconut oil (I have a digital kitchen scale) 2 tbs salted butter (you can use unsalted too) *(I adjusted the recipe above to make a smaller yield so that it usually fits in the Lindy's pot - the larger recipe required dumping some popcorn out mid-batch, and I realized Makes ... well ... a really big bowl. We hold it in a large but shallow stainless mixing bowl. Enough for three adults who really like to eat popcorn. 660 calories for the entire bowl. I eat about 1/2 bowl ... ergo about 330 calories. Directions: [] Popcorn With stove on high, put Flavocol and coconut oil in kettle and melt then swish a little to distribute. Dump in popcorn and close lid. Stir kettle with crank. This recipe makes more than can fit in the Lindy's kettle, so I quickly pour off SOME of the extra when the kettle fills and put it back on the stove. [] Clarified butter topping Put the butter in a small bowl or mug and microwave _as low as it goes_ for three to five minutes. The objective is to melt the butter slowly and prevent it from 'boiling and crackling'. If it boils for too long, it gets an offish flavor, kind of like freezer burned food to be honest. If done right, you'll have a thin layer of whitish goo in the bowl on top of a deep yellow clear layer with a little white goo in the bottom. Skim off the whitish layer on top (if it forms) with a spoon and discard. Carefully pour the clear yellow layer over your popcorn but _not_ the white bottom stuff - yes, you'll have to waste a little yellow layer to do this. The white top and bottom layers are what makes popcorn soggy - the clear yellow layer is pure oil and will NOT make it soggy. (thanks to all below who raised my awareness to this fact). Product notes: :: Cost :: I hesitated buying this at first ... thinking "$15 ... is it really worth it?" I procrastinated buying Flavacol because it seemed silly that shipping cost more than the product itself. Well, now after 1.5 years I still haven't used up either product and spent less than $30 total for popcorn that is absolutely incredible. UPDATE- my flavocol box has lasted five tubs of coconut oil plus some. :: 100% coconut oil melts at 72-74F :: I read a review that stated the purchaser was dissatisfied because it wasn't 100% Coconut oil. The label on the back (as of writing of this review) says "76 (degree symbol)" coconut oil plus beta carotene NOT "76% Coconut oil" . It's 100% Coconut Oil mixed with a small amount beta carotene (for yellow color). The "76 (degree symbol)" refers to the melting temperature of the coconut oil and thus this popcorn "oil" is a _solid_ at room temperature (less than 76F). I had it sitting on the counter when it was 80 degrees indoors and it started to melt ... later that same evening when the A/C brought the house to 74 degrees for a couple of hours ... it began solidifying again. Neat. :: No buttery flavor in this :: Though convincingly yellow in color, this popcorn oil provides NO butter flavor. :: Refrigeration :: It does not require refrigeration once opened. :: Shelf Life :: Pretty near unlimited - This tub lasts around a year at our house before we run out. Since it contains no water or sugars, bacteria really have no way of getting started in there. I mean ... how long would you trust a bottle of canola oil? Pretty much indefinitely, right? :: What does it DO and why do I NEED it? :: Coconut Oil provides the 'missing ingredient' between cinema popcorn an your homemade popcorn - that nutty, toasty, movie-theatre smell. Been using some form of vegetable-oil haven't you? It's okay, but sometimes it's unpleasantly oily. It JUST doesn't taste correct, right? Use this 'popping oil' (solid, remember) for your stove-top popcorn and you're done. (I have tried 'gourmet' popcorns, white popcorn, etc ... but have found that plane-jane barebones no-frills yellow popcorn from your local store actually tastes best.) If you want 100% theatre-like popcorn ... you'll have to substitute #3> above with the 'butter-flavored topping' of your choice. But, to be honest, that goo kind of turns my stomach. To prevent butter from softening your popcorn follow the directions above to clarify it. Bliss. Heaven. It's soooooooo good.

Product delivers exactly what it says on the tin...Movie theatre taste. Have no fear - just go ahead and buy it.

I took a chance on this and was pleasantly surprised. Taste and colour are terrific. Couldn't beat the price, delivery was quick. Arrived as a liquid, but quickly turned solid (like firm butter) at room temperature. Lasts forever. Only thing I'd change would be to pour it out into ice cube trays for solid pre-measured servings; the jug is so deep that half way down there's more on your hand than in the spoon. I'd buy it again if the price hadn't doubled.

Tastes just like at the Movies when combined with FLAVCOL. Nice since we can get Movie Popcorn during the pandemic. Pricey but so good.

If you are looking to make popcorn that makes theater style popcorn this is the oil for you. I put one tablespoon of this in my Great Northern Popcorn Spinner and 1/4 teaspoon Flavacol popcorn seasoning and 1/2 cup of kernels to make a light snack. You can use more oil and more seasoning if you like, but I find it gets a bit to salty and oily. When I purchased this oil from Amazon.ca it ended up shipping from the States via UPS, and when the product arrived I had to pay UPS an additional $35 in brokerage fees. If buying this from a U.S. supplied I would first inquire to see if they would be willing to ship via U.S. Post.

As advertised. Great price compared to others. Makes great taste theater style popcorn. If buying this product, consider buying flavacol as well. You won't regret it.