Making popcorn at home with a large saucepan is easy and cheap, will save you a bundle on a popcorn maker or microwave popcorn, and is fun also!

[edit] Ingredients

[edit] Steps

Buy a bag of dry maize kernels. You can get this from most supermarkets nowadays, and it's easy to find at ethnic stores too. The bigger bag you buy, the more money you'll save in the long term.
Select your biggest saucepan (it MUST have a lid!), put it on the hob and drizzle a small amount of oil in the bottom. If you have an oil spray pump, spray the sides too.
Work out how many kernels you'll need. Remember how big your average piece of popcorn is and use that to work out how many will comfortably fit in your pan.
Chuck your kernels in the pan (about 2 small handfuls is usually about right) and turn the hob up to medium heat.
Put the lid on quickly.
You will begin to hear the kernels popping and hitting the sides and lid of the pan (it's a really cool noise). When the noise dies down to only 1 or 2 pops every few seconds, turn the heat off and move the pan away.
Carefully take a peek under the lid. Your popcorn should be good and done, so take off the lid fully and breathe in that gorgeous aroma.
If you want sweet popcorn, take sugar or Splenda and sprinkle it over the popcorn (still in the pan). Put the lid back on and give it a gentle shake. The oil should allow the sugar to stick well to the kernels.
Serve in a big bowl.

If a lot of the corn didn't pop, chances are you didn't put enough oil in, used too low a heat, or put too much corn in.
If you want salty popcorn, do the same as you would for sweet, but with salt instead.
If you want butter, melt butter in the pan first instead of using oil.

Hot oil and hot pans and cooker hobs are hot, surprisingly. Be especially careful if you're making the popcorn for children.
If you take the lid off whilst the pan is on the hob, hot oil covered popcorn will fly all over the place.
Don't make a second batch in the pan if you put sugar or salt in there post popcorn production.
Don't try to make toffee popcorn at home. Chances are you will not succeed in anything but setting the kitchen on fire.