If you have ever cooked bacon, hamburgers, or any kind of meat in your kitchen then you know just how easy it is for the grease to get everywhere! It is not only messy to have grease end up getting all over the place, it can also be extremely dangerous. Just in case you didn't know it, grease fires are the single most common reason for home fires in the United States.
There are several ways that you can reduce grease spatter, the best of which are listed below. Follow these methods and you will reduce the chance of grease spatter, reduce cleanup time, and reduce the dangerous possibility of a grease fire.
- Spatter screens. Spatter screens are fine wire-mesh screens designed to keep grease and oil spatter from going all over the place. These pieces of equipment have been specially designed to keep the grease in while allowing the steam produced from cooking meat to get out. As opposed to regular lids, these kinds of lids are usually designed to fit on sauce and frying pans. An average thirteen-inch spatter screen can cost anywhere from as low as $4.99 to as high as $199.95.
- Metal colander. An inexpensive alternative to spatter screens, metal colanders are able to perform the task in a similar manner. To use this method, all you need to do turn the colander upside down with the bottom facing up. Just as with the spatter screen the colander will allow the steam of the cooking meat to escape while keeping the grease inside. This is an inexpensive alternative since most people already have a colander in their kitchen, but if you do have to purchase one, then the price range will run in a similar manner as the spatter screens. (Hint: Don't use plastic colanders for this purpose; you should use metal only.)
- Lower temperature. By simply lowering the cooking temperature from high can reduce the amount of spatter that is produced. It may take a little longer to cook the meal, but it will help reduce the mess and chance of accidental kitchen fires.
- Be careful. Finally, simply being careful when cooking with grease or oil can reduce or even eliminate any grease spatter. Avoid dripping any water into a pan of hot grease or oil, since it will immediately turn into steam that could cause grease to go everywhere. For this reason, keep all liquids well away from the stove when cooking. Also, don't leave pan handles where they could be bumped and knocked over, and be careful when adding salt to any heated grease. Believe it or not, salt will cause grease to act in much the same way that water will.
Author Bio
Lee Wyatt
Contributor of numerous Tips.Net articles, Lee Wyatt is quickly becoming a regular "Jack of all trades." He is currently an independent contractor specializing in writing and editing. Contact him today for all of your writing and editing needs! Click here to contact. Learn more about Lee...
Dealing with Stubborn Sock Stains
Have you ever noticed just how stubborn sock stains can be? For some reason sock stains can be some of the most stubborn ...
Discover More
How to Remove Carpet Stains
Have you ever noticed how often carpets seem to get stained? Frankly it seems that if you have carpets, then you have ...
Discover More
Getting Family to Help Clean After Mealtimes
Do you live in a home where it seems like it is only one person's responsibility to do all the post dinner clean up? ...
Discover More
Using a Meat Thermometer
Having a meat thermometer in the kitchen of your home, while a great start, does absolutely nothing if you aren't using ...
Discover More
Bar Equipment
Building your own home bar? Have you decided on the equipment you will need? Here are a few things to consider before ...
Discover More
Kitchen Remodeling
Remodeling your kitchen is a huge project, and one that should never be undertaken without some serious consideration. Do ...
Discover More
Comments