More than often it's fair to blame the quality of the popcorn. Popcorn can lose moisture as it ages. The popcorn may not pop if it is old, which is called an old maid. "Popcorn that fails to pop is often found at the bottom of the popcorn bowl, known as Old Maids. Just be careful when taking the popcorn out of the microwave, because the steam the popping kernels generate can scald you. If your microwave isn't popping popcorn, the power may be too low, the popcorn may be stale and dry or you may be using the wrong microwave popping technique. The Most Common Reasons why Microwave Popcorn Doesn't Pop Too Little or Too Much Moisture. The ideal amount of moisture needed for a kernel to successfully pop is 14%, and if The Wattage is Too Low. The wattage required for making popcorn in a microwave oven is important as it directly impacts According to popcorn company America's Favorite Popcorn, the kernels are forced to pop open into popcorn when the amount of pressure caused by steam inside of the kernel is too much to 1. You Didn't Read The Bag's Instructions The first step to a perfect popcorn night is to read the instructions in the kernel package. It may seem unnecessary if you're a seasoned popcorn expert, but it can make the difference. Popcorn kernels come in different brands, in various shapes, sizes, and variations. How Do You Turn Your Hard Kernels into Popcorn? One of the reasons why popcorn may not pop is because the kernels are too dry. The pop is caused by the moisture inside the kernel heating up and creating steam. If there is not enough moisture, the kernel does not pop. There is an easy way to fix this problem: Kernels If your machine is not popping all the kernels, it can be an issue with the kernels. The issue can be with the moist, the hull, etc. 2. Moisture The moist percentage is very important for popping up the popcorn. If the kernel is not popping, it can be the issue that the kernel has too much moisture or too little moisture. Popcorn doesn't pop, not because it's too wet, but because it's too dry. The popcorn's pop is caused by moisture inside the kernel heating up and creating steam. When there's not enough moisture, there's not a good pop. The solution, we were delighted to discover, was easy. First there's the clattering of those amber-coloured kernels into the pot. Hopefully within minutes, there's the first hollow pop. Then, between a few beats of suspense, another abrupt crackle You don't want the kernels to burn while you're popping corn (which is why on the stovetop you have to shake your pan regularly). Also, you need to make sure the popping corn doesn't pop everywhere. So you need a device that can handle both the heat and the expanding volume of the popcorn. while ensuring the kernels don't burn. bCfka2.