Metal in the microwave

Since reading Alton Brown's book I'm just here for the food (version 2.0), I've flipped to a new method of popcorn making: metal in the microwave. Normally metal in the microwave is considered hazardous, but apparently something as small as a staple or two is safe. I'd picked up one of those hot-air poppers before, but it's just a little too awkward to be much use. The New York Times suggests something similar to Alton Brown's approach in an article discussing some of the potentially harmful chemicals in store-bought microwave popcorn bags:

Place a quarter-cup of good quality popcorn in a standard brown paper lunch bag; mix with oil and seasoning; seal the bag with a single staple (one staple does not contain enough metal to cause a spark) and heat for two to three minutes. Alton Brown, who cooks on the Food Network, uses this method.

It isn't just the chemicals in microwave popcorn that might make you want to make your own - there are other reasons to consider homemade popcorn. That said, I tried the olive-oil-instead-of-butter method once and then promptly went back to good old butter.