Popcorn pops when it is heated to the correct temperature. That heating can be accomplished in several different ways, popping in Hot Oil, popping in Hot Air, and popping in Microwave Oven.

With the advent of Microwave ovens in the kitchen popcorn moved from a covered pot on the stove to a prepackaged bag in the oven. Today it is the predominant method of popping corn in the home. Due to the cost of the machinery and the cost of operation Microwave has not been developed in industrial markets.