This Surprising Item Is The Key To Perfectly Buttered Movie Theater Popcorn

Popcorn is an amazing snack, and there's no better place to get it than at the movie theater. Sure, it may cost you nearly $10 at some cinema chains (via Movie Theater Prices), but that's totally worth it for a jumbo tub of salty goodness that will give you something to munch on throughout the film you've been anxiously waiting to see.

And let's not forget about the butter. There's just something about that warm, yellow liquid that gives a flavor to the snack bar star that can't compare to anything from a store. And without it, movie theater popcorn is just a stale bowl of quasi-chips that leave you in desperate need of dental floss for hours after the credits roll.

If you're lucky enough to live near a movie theater with a self-serve butter machine, you've likely been met with what might be the single greatest challenge of going to the cinema: getting a splash of butter on every single kernel. Well, after years of trial-and-error from moviegoers around the world, the problem has been solved – and it turns out that the tool to do it with was right there at the movie theater all along.

Grab an extra straw before heading over to the butter machine, because that's all it takes to achieve a perfectly buttered tub of popcorn. As demonstrated in this Reddit thread by u/dillhole73, who credited their girlfriend for the hack, all you have to do is connect one end of the tubular plastic device to the spout of the dispenser and shove the other end halfway down the bag of popcorn to facilitate the spread of butter throughout the entirety of your movie theater snack.

You're not alone if your mind is blown by this trick. Despite having origins on the internet dating back to at least 2013 when it was shared by Twitter user @EvelynRusili, the straw hack still doesn't seem very widely spread. Or, at least, it wasn't when Barstool Sports writer and editor Eric Hubbs tweeted about the butter dispensing method back in 2019. The share earned more than 2,000 likes and dozens of responses, many dubbing Hubbs a "genius," while user @cdixon25 even called for him to win a Nobel prize.

And if you're ready to give this a shot upon your next trip to the movies (whenever that may be), beware, as one respondent to the aforementioned Reddit thread warned that "results may vary," as their experience attempting the hack left them with "a big mess." But if you're fine with using a few extra napkins, definitely give this one a go. Maybe throw some M&M's or Junior Mints into the tub while you're at it as well.