Cooking popcorn using infrared radiation was proposed by scientists from the Scientific and Technical Research Council of Iran – in their opinion, this method is the least energy-consuming. They talked more about this in a magazine article. ACS Food Science and Technology.
The researchers set up the experiment with a rotating chamber in which corn kernels were placed next to two infrared lamps. By testing different power levels, the scientists found that the cores boot best at 700 watts. The taste, color, and elasticity of the resulting popcorn rated the volunteers more than 4 out of 5.
The authors note that cooking with infrared radiation requires less energy than other methods. According to them, this method of making popcorn should be more energy efficient than using a microwave oven, hot plate maker or hot air maker. A similar approach could apply to industrial production as well as cinemas and other establishments where large quantities of popcorn are prepared.