The Wooden Spoon Trick: How to Stop Pots from Boiling Over

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## 🥄 The Wooden Spoon Trick: How to Stop Pots from Boiling Over (It Really Works!)

If you’ve ever turned your back for *just a second* and come back to find your pot bubbling over like a mini volcano, you’re not alone. Boil-overs are one of the most common kitchen messes — they’re annoying, messy, and can leave a starchy crust on your stovetop that’s no fun to clean.

But there’s one simple trick that’s been passed down through generations of home cooks — and it only requires one thing you probably already own: a **wooden spoon**.

Yes, the **wooden spoon trick** isn’t just a myth. It really works — and here’s how.

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### 🫧 Why Do Pots Boil Over?

Boiling water by itself doesn’t usually cause a mess — but when you’re cooking pasta, rice, potatoes, or anything starchy, the water becomes filled with bubbles that can quickly rise and spill over the edge of the pot. These foamy bubbles are caused by starch molecules that trap steam, creating pressure and building upward.

Without intervention, it can turn into a sticky stovetop disaster fast.

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### 🥄 Enter: The Wooden Spoon

#### So, how does this humble kitchen tool help?

Placing a **wooden spoon horizontally across the top of your pot** can **stop or slow the foam from spilling over**. The spoon acts like a barrier that pops the bubbles as they reach the top. The wood, unlike metal, **doesn’t conduct heat quickly**, so it stays cooler than the pot and **breaks the surface tension** of the bubbles.

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### ✅ How to Use the Wooden Spoon Trick:

1. **Boil your water** as usual, with pasta, rice, or any other ingredients.
2. Once it starts to foam and rise, place a **wooden spoon across the top** of the pot.
3. Keep an eye on it — while the spoon helps *prevent* a boil-over, it’s not a free pass to walk away forever.