This Tiny Trick Will Totally Change How You Look at (and Use!) Your Pots and Pans

The chilly fall weather is here to stay (until, you know, it gets legit cold!), which means it’s time to make all those soups, stews, and sauces you’ve been waiting for. Unless you’re an exclusive Instant Pot or slow cooker devotee, we predict there’s going to be a *lot* of standing and stirring in your life over the next few months. 

Now, picture yourself in front of the stove, taking in the aroma of your simmering kitchen creation. All of a sudden, someone calls you to the other room, and it sounds important. Quick: What do you do with the spoon you’ve been stirring with? Maybe you have a proper (and probably cute) spoon rest for the occasion? Or you grab a plate or bowl or paper towel? We have one other idea.

There’s no reason to unnecessarily dirty a clean plate or bowl every time you cook — we have a kitchen hack that will undoubtedly change your cooking game for the better. You know that perfectly spoon-sized hole in the handle of your cookware? Yes, it’s there so you can hang your pan on a rack, but there’s another use you might be missing out on. Ready for it? 

When it’s time to take a break from stirring, just put the sauce-drenched spoon upside down in the hole of your pot or pan’s handle, and let it drip back into whatever you’re cooking! It’s a great alternative to using a real spoon rest, wasting a plate, or, even worse, potentially melting a plastic spoon when you accidentally leave it in the pot (we’ve all done it). 

Obviously, this hack won’t work every time — it all depends on your spoon and cookware combination — but it’s worth trying to see how your spoon fits in your cookware!