How can I pop hot air popcorn without making a mess?

Question

My problem is that when I make popcorn in my hot air popper I end up with a lot of unpopped kernels being thrown out of the popper by other kernels as they pop. Some of the unpopped ones then pop in the bowl, shooting popcorn everywhere. What can I do to reduce number of unpopped kernels that end up in my bowl?

Answer 1

Put some kernels in a brown paper bag, fold down top edge 3-4 times, and nuke a couple minutes.  Quit when it's about 4 seconds between pop sounds.

Answer 2

Drape a dishtowel over the spout and around the bowl to form a tunnel of sorts, this way the popcorn will rebound off the towel and back into the bowl.

Answer 3

I've never used a hot air popper.  I make it on the stove in a pot with a lid.  Just a little bit of oil, a medium to hot temperature, and keep shaking the pot (while keeping it over the heat) once the popping starts.  I find it works much better than any other method.

Answer 4

make it on the stove or microwave

Answer 5

Take a sauce pan.  

Pour enough kernals in the pan to cover the bottom of the pan

put about 2 tbs of butter

put in about 2 tbs of veg. oil

cover

put on stove at about 8

it will begin to pop

when the popping starts to slow take off heat.

Add salt or other seasoning

Yummo!!!