The Genius Trick To Create A Handy Pour Spout On Plastic Oil Bottles

Olive oil is the culinary stuff of life. But if we had to pick one bone with the cooking and flavoring essential, it's how hard it is to pour from so many bottles — or, rather, how easy it is to over-pour. Regardless of what the best olive oil brands are in terms of taste, their bottles can make adding the right amount to your pan or dish virtually impossible. Sure, one of the tips for olive-oil shopping could be to search for bottles with spouts that avoid you accidentally doubling the amount you need, but since there's no correlation between bottle tops and quality, that could keep you from finding simply the best oil. So, instead, just pick your favorite oil, and if it comes in a plastic bottle with a plastic cap, make your own spout. That might sound like a pretty advanced craft, but it's actually so easy that anyone can do it.

What you'll need is your bottle cap, a candle, pliers or tongs, and a chopstick. Hold the chopstick pointy end up, and, with your dominant hand, hold the bottle cap with the pliers over the candle's flame. Once the plastic's quite warm, it will be melted enough to be flexible. Pass it over the chopstick's point until a pointy spout forms in the middle of the cap, remove it, let it cool, and trim the top with scissors. Voilà, a spout that will make more measured olive oil-drizzling a snap!

Of course, the spout should probably have a cap. After it's opened, olive oil lasts up to six months, but only with proper storage. You shouldn't store olive oil in the fridge, but in a cool, dark place like a cabinet. It's necessary to have the bottle as tightly sealed as possible to avoid oxygen getting in and spoiling the oil. Therefore, an open spout won't do you any favors. Luckily, there's a fix: When you cut the top off the chopstick-shaped point in the bottle cap, save it, re-heat it, and shape it into a little cap over the spout. 

That ensures food safety, but remember to take precautions when actually doing all this spout- and cap-making, too — especially since you'll be working with an open flame and melting plastic, chemicals, and all. Make sure your workspace is totally clear, and wear gloves to avoid any possible burns when heating and shaping the spout and cap. It's also a good idea to wear a surgical mask and even some protective safety glasses. Then you'll have a stress-free craft resulting in an effortlessly perfect-pouring olive oil bottle.