Brush Olive Oil Around The Rim Of A Pot To Prevent Water Boiling Over

As much as we try to pay attention to a pot of water when it's boiling on the stove, it's inevitable that we won't watch it like a hawk the entire time. But, even glancing away for just a few seconds can be enough time for a pot to boil over, which leaves you with a mess. Luckily, a simple tip can safeguard your stove while giving you the wiggle room to take your eyes off the pot.

All it takes is a little olive oil, which is likely an ingredient you already have in your pantry. If you brush oil around the inside rim of your pot, the water shouldn't be able to spill over the top. The logic is simple: Oil and water don't mix, as we know. So, when you place the former as a barrier around the rim of the pot, it disrupts the surface tension of the water as it creeps up to the edge. This breaks up the foam at the top and stops the liquid from spilling out onto your stove.

Although olive oil may be the tastiest option to line the rim of your pot with, it's not the only one you have. From vegetable to avocado, any oil will work here as they all have the ability to repel water. For a slightly different flavor, you can use butter as well since the fatty acids can also help break up the foam threatening to spill over. All you have to do is dip a kitchen brush or paper towel in your oil or butter and slide it over the rim of your pot after you've poured in the water.

To prevent your water from getting to the point of boiling over in the first place, you can also add a little olive oil right into your pot. This method is ideal if you're cooking something starchy, like potatoes, as the oil will interfere with the foam before it has the opportunity to expand to the point of boiling over. The exception here is if you're boiling pasta water, as all that extra oil may make it more difficult for your sauce to stick later on, so if you're cooking up some noodles, use butter instead, which can actually help your sauce stick. But, as long as you're generally mindful of your boiling water, a little olive oil on the rim should allow you to take your eyes off the pot from time to time.