It's all in the pan

Popovers that is.  Very tasty for breakfast.  Trouble is, they don't always pop for me.  I started out using ordinary stamped muffin tins.  Then I upgraded to pyrex cups.  Either way I have having a 50% failure-to-pop.  They would rise, come out tasty, but half the time, no pop. 
  So I splurged on a brand new Bundt popover pan.  $41 marked down to $35.  Cast aluminum, carefully shaped popover holes.  And it worked.  Made my regular recipe this morning,  filled the new pan half full, and bingo, they all popped.  Must be something magic in this fancy pan. 
   In fact, maybe there is.  Used to be, using muffin pans and such, the top of my popovers would brown and bake solid, rock solid,  too solid for the popping action to push up.  The fancy pan keeps the tops softer longer, and that may be the secret.  Popovers are unleavened bread, no yeast, no baking powder, they rise and pop on steam from the milk alone. 
  I only have to bake about another  30 batches to spread out the cost of fancy pan.  Good thing I like popovers for breakfast.