If you’ve spent more than five minutes rudely cooking around a pan, chances are you’ve been splattered with oil or watched your nice, clean stove top turn into a greasy mess. Foods like bacon, sausage, fried eggs, hashbrowns, and just about anything else that touches the pan will explode and sizzle as they cook, causing fats and oils to fly out of the pan and onto the cooking surfaces. things you’d rather keep oil-free. …like you!
However, there are things you can do to keep that hot oil where it belongs. You can take the more complicated route and buy specialized kitchen items like a bacon press or microwave your bacon using a bacon rack, or you can turn the heat down and hope that helps, but you’ll end up spending a lot more time in the kitchen as a result. the kitchen. Or, you can do the smart thing and invest in a splash screen instead.
Splash screens come in various sizes, shapes, and designs to suit the various uses for which they are put. However, the basic shape is the same, with a tight wire mesh bounded by a sturdier metal outer ring and a handle for easy removal and replacement of the backsplash. The mess sits snugly on top of the pan in question, allowing hot air and steam to escape, but keeping oil splatters safely and cleanly inside the pan.
Splatter screens are usually circular as they are generally used with skillets and saucepans rather than any other type of pan, although you can also purchase square ones to fit over grills and pans.
The size is important as you want it to fit over the top of the pan but not fall over and not be so large that it becomes unwieldy and could fall off without constant attention. Some splatter screens feature concentric rings under the mesh to allow the same screen to fit snugly on various pan sizes. Others are just a fixed size designed for one size pot or pan.
Metal, and in particular stainless steel, is the most common material used to make a splash screen, which also makes it easy to clean and, in many cases, dishwasher safe. Silicone splatter screens are also available if that is your favorite kitchen material. Personally, give me metal any day.
Backsplash screens are usually stored under the counter, but some are attractive enough that you really want to hang them there with your pots on your pot rack. Many come with folding handles for easy storage.