The Saucepan Hack That Eliminates The Need For A Spoon Rest

Amid a busy kitchen, sometimes the tools designed to assist us in our culinary endeavors can become unwitting contributors to chaos. From spoons and spatulas to whisks and ladles, these essential utensils can inadvertently leave behind a trail of drips and splatters. Spoon rests help contain the mess but only make for more dishes at the night's end.

But rest assured: There's a hack involving the saucepan or pot handle that entirely eliminates the need for a spoon rest. That's because it's actually built into most pots and pans. Simply prop your spoon or utensil of choice in the hole cut out of the pot's handle, angling it over the pot to catch any drips, and suddenly, you're hands-free to go about preparing the rest of your dish.

The hole in the handle of a pan......used to hold your spoons..........blows my mind it took me 4 years of cheffing to find that out lol pic.twitter.com/H5CHLtI1QC

— Cloud Plays (@CloudPlays_YT) March 1, 2018

This clever technique, often overlooked but incredibly effective, not only saves precious counter space but also keeps your cooking area clean and organized. It's not a fool-proof guarantee and, of course, depends on your unique combination of pots, pans, and utensils, but it's effective and easy.

It's a well-known fact that you want to avoid metal utensils when cooking with nonstick cookware, as they can scratch the coating, but you might want to steer clear of metal spoons or whisks when employing the saucepan spoon rest hack, too. Depending on the type of pot or pan you're using, say you're making a sauce in a pot with a metal handle, the metal utensil resting on the handle could potentially absorb and conduct heat, making it hot to the touch.

Similarly, a plastic utensil left alone in a metal saucepan's handle for too long could cause the utensil to melt. This can be problematic because plastic spoons or spatulas can make your food toxic, according to Women's Health. 

Wooden utensils are your best bet to take advantage of the saucepan spoon rest hack. They do not conduct heat, nor do they don't contain potentially toxic chemicals. And, as a bonus, they are environmentally friendly, as recommended by the New Hampshire Bowl and Board.

Speaking of wooden spoons, there's another helpful hack for this kitchen must-have. Wooden utensils are great at preventing boilovers. Simply place a wooden spoon across the top of your pot of boiling water, and rest assured that the mixture will not bubble over. Wooden spoons act as a bubble popper of sorts, breaking up the air bubbles that form as water boils.

Meanwhile, slotted wooden spoons, commonly hailed for their ability to drain excess liquid from cooked ingredients, can also serve as invaluable tools for separating egg whites from yolks in the kitchen. By gently cracking an egg into the slotted spoon, the whites effortlessly slip through the openings, leaving the yolk cradled in the spoon's bowl. This hack ensures a clean separation without the need for any specialized gadgets.

Be sure to take good care of those wooden utensils, but it's best to avoid the viral TikTok trend of boiling them. The high temperatures can warp or even crack the wood, leaving ample room for bacteria to breed. Instead, hand wash with mild soap in warm water.