These Are the Smartest Pot Lids We’ve Ever Seen

I’ve been covering kitchen tools and gadgets for a cool decade-plus, and I’ve seen it all. (Including a special bowl that unnecessarily makes instant ramen even more instantly and butter dish that’s supposed to be revolutionary but definitely isn’t.) Meaning: It takes a lot to get me excited about something. And so the title of this post should be taken very seriously.

What are these pot lids? They’re silicone lids from Chef’n, one of our favorite kitchen gadget brands. And while there is no shortage of silicone lids these days, this set is officially my new favorite. Here’s why.

For starters, they’re super cute. (Speaking of cute silicone lids, I also swooned pretty hard over this set from Food52’s in-house brand.) Of course, my list doesn’t stop there. Like other silicone lids, these can form an airtight seal when placed over top of a bowl or a pot that’s fridge-bound. To break the seal and release the lid, you just pinch the handle with your thumb and pointer finger.

And there’s more! Flip the lid around to use the rigid side and it becomes a vented top for simmering or microwaving. The ridges even help reduce boil over. And there’s a handy little flap to grab for safe removal. I also like the idea of using these as a splatter guard both on the stovetop and in the microwave.

They recently came out — just in time for Leftover Holiday Dinner Season (the official name for November and December!). I love that you can stash a bowl of mashed potatoes in the fridge and then just flip the lid over if you’re heating them up in the microwave. No need to dirty anything else!

Unfortunately, the lids don’t nest together for storage and the pinch handle makes it hard to stack things on top of the lids when they’re in use, but the fact that they’re double-sided really negates those drawbacks for me. And, hey, you can use the small one if you’re boiling water for instant ramen.

What do you think? Do you have other silicone lids? Tell us about them in the comments below.