Does Your Water Always Boil Over? You Already Own The Easiest Solution

There's some age-old kitchen advice that you're better off ignoring like rinsing raw chicken before cooking it or sifting flour every time you use it. But if you've ever been told that a wooden spoon can help prevent a pan of boiling water from spilling all over stove, well there's actually some truth to that. In fact, the trick can actually be a lifesaver in the kitchen –- and the science behind it is fascinating.

Wood contains cellulose fibers, which naturally attract water molecules. Therefore, when a wooden spoon is placed over a pot of boiling water, those fibers will interact with the foam forming below, forcing any larger, starchy bubbles to stretch and pop.

Wood is also a poor conductor of heat, so the spoon will also stay cool enough to touch while it disrupts the foam, creating more room for the surrounding bubbles to move into. At the same time, it will divert the steam from the pot outward. All of this can work together to keep the water at a manageable level and prevent it from spilling over the sides of the pot. It's just one of the tips you need to know when cooking with a wooden spoon.

Like with a lot of old-school cooking hacks, there are some drawbacks to the wooden spoon method. It doesn't always work, and some types of wood also perform better than others. For example, maple and beech are great for collapsing bubbles, while pine works at a rate that's nearly three times slower. The spoon also needs to be clean and dry and sit across the pot evenly to work most effectively.

There's also only so much a spoon can do –- nothing can be done about a pot that's far too full, and this method won't work if there's a lot of sugar in the liquid. Finally, you should place the spoon on the pot before the water starts to boil too much. Otherwise, it could be too late.

If you really want to avoid creating a mess on your stove, either use less water or choose a bigger pot. You can also turn down a lot of dishes once they hit boiling point. For example, timing matters when you boil pasta and turning down the heat is just one of the tips you need when cooking rice. And even if the spoon method works for you, you should never leave a pot unattended. That's just asking for trouble.