Where do you put those hot messy lids when cooking?

[Jenise]

I had actually been planning to start a thread on lids; as in, where do you put that drippy messy thing when you take it off the pot to stir the contents? I have been frustrated for years over the fact that at my stove, there was nowhere for those things to go so I'd pull out a plate or something to set one on. And god forbid if I had two lids to worry about, or more. Sometimes, I'd be in a hurry and just set it down on the granite and take my lumps with the grease and concentrated detritus of the braise that would be left behind--the lid's usually too hot to set it wet side up. But you get the point: every time I cook at that stove I wonder what other people do.

When I was younger it wasn't so much a problem because I cooked with my mom's old Revereware pans which had bakelite knob handles on top that you could handle with bare hands and turn wet side up on the counter until it was time to put it back on the pot. But as I migrated to better cookware with flatter lids and no safe bakelite to grab, it's been increasingly problematic.

A friend recently commented on a lid stand she bought somewhere. I haven't seen it, but I have the impression that it's for one lid and it looks like a banana hook. Didn't sound good to me, but the idea that someone has actually designed a lid stand of some kind made me wonder for the first time if there would be a commercial answer for my problem.

So there I was at TJ Maxx last week and I saw this very substantial stainless steel thing from across the aisle. I couldn't even tell what it was, it just looked like a perfect lid stand. It's actually a napkin holder, overall square in dimension to hold napkins lying flat. Each bar of stainless steel tube would in fact be a stop for an upright lid leaning back and the big outer rim would provide a lot of support for the first lid. Therefore, it would hopefully be effective for multiple lids, but also visually unobstructing (because it's only 2" max in height) when not in use. I brought it home and set it on an old marble spoon rest (to catch the drips) I had lying around: it could not be better!

Here are some pics:

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[Robin Garr]

Dumb question, but can't you reach the sink from the stove? I try to keep one side of the sink clear when I'm cooking, and all I need to do with a hot drippy lid is toss it over into the sink. It doesn't matter which side lands up, and when I need to put it back, either it has cooled off or I grab it with a pot holder.

I've gotten pretty good at grabbing the lids with a dish towel and turning them over, but it's not graceful. I like your solution, Jenise.

[Jenise]

Dumb question, but can't you reach the sink from the stove? I try to keep one side of the sink clear when I'm cooking, and all I need to do with a hot drippy lid is toss it over into the sink. It doesn't matter which side lands up, and when I need to put it back, either it has cooled off or I grab it with a pot holder.

Nope. There's a peninsula between the cleaning area and the stove. There's a second prep sink about four steps away, but I'd drip all over the floor getting there.

[Robin Garr]

Nope. There's a peninsula between the cleaning area and the stove. There's a second prep sink about four steps away, but I'd drip all over the floor getting there.

Oh, got it! Well, I love your napkin rack-potlid holder anyway.

I am truly happy, though, with the way that a previous owner of this century-old urban bungalow dropped a neat U-shaped work counter into a larger kitchen. I can reach the sink, work space, stovetop and oven and fridge without taking more than a step, and I like it that way. Mary is talking about doing some major cabinet and counter renovations, but she has promised not to change the footprint one bit.

[Jenise]

I am truly happy, though, with the way that a previous owner of this century-old urban bungalow dropped a neat U-shaped work counter into a larger kitchen. I can reach the sink, work space, stovetop and oven and fridge without taking more than a step, and I like it that way. Mary is talking about doing some major cabinet and counter renovations, but she has promised not to change the footprint one bit.

There's a lot to be said for small footprints, I agree. But I love the kitchen I have now, and I wouldn't lose that peninsula for anything. It gives me a huge space for second projects, resting/holding completed dishes, plating, and staging of dirty dishes after dinner parties--the kind of complex cooking and entertaining I love to do would be impossible without it. But it's not inefficient: it's divided into stations, and the things needed at each station are stored by/under that station. I don't travel all over the place the way people with large kitchens that aren't designed according to task do, and I'm never pinched for space or bumping butts with helpers when working on several dishes concurrently the way people with small spaces are. It's a joy to work in.

That will work great...here is what I have used for several years now....made for a spoon and a lid, but I have used it for two lids.
Is yours hefty enough to stay in place on the stone?
http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/429072511/stainless_steel_pot_lid_spoon_rest.html

It is interesting how our minds work...we need a gadget to hold our hot, drippy lids. My mom taught me to lay a thick kitchen towel down on the work area next to the stove. You take the lid off, lay it on the towel. Towel goes into the wash or remains for another turn if not dirty. Throw into the laundry....one less gadget! She said the less gadgets you have the better and if you do have gadgets make sure they do multiple chores.

Great idea.... I hate the condensation and vacuum that develops when you place a hot lid on a flat surface so I always look for something to prop up one edge but it uses up so much counter space.
I love the idea of being able to stack more than one. Will keep my eye peeled for something like this to pull out when cooking.

Another peeve is where to put spoons, spatulas and ladles that you use repeatedly while cooking and don't want to wash between stirrings.....just HATE those small, single utensil spoon holders....end up using a large dinner plate on an unused burner grate to hold multiple utensils until the dish is finished. Works unless you have radically different flavors that you don't want to mix. Do you have another idea ?

I love it! Did it have any tags? If we know the manufacturer, maybe we can find more. You know that you would have to be more than lucky to find another, even at TJ Maxx.

[Jenise]

I love it! Did it have any tags? If we know the manufacturer, maybe we can find more. You know that you would have to be more than lucky to find another, even at TJ Maxx.

There was a tag but I didn't pay any attention to it--wasn't a familiar name. I have to go to Costco this week--would you like one? If that's a yes I'll pop in and take a look--there actually were two, and it's only been a week. It was astonishingly cheap for the weight and quality--the stainless steel tubes are solid--which means it's bottom heavy and won't scoot around when you try to put something in it. It was about $7. Was expecting more like $20.

[Jenise]

That will work great...here is what I have used for several years now....made for a spoon and a lid, but I have used it for two lids.
Is yours hefty enough to stay in place on the stone?
http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/429072511/stainless_steel_pot_lid_spoon_rest.html

It is interesting how our minds work...we need a gadget to hold our hot, drippy lids. My mom taught me to lay a thick kitchen towel down on the work area next to the stove. You take the lid off, lay it on the towel. Towel goes into the wash or remains for another turn if not dirty. Throw into the laundry....one less gadget! She said the less gadgets you have the better and if you do have gadgets make sure they do multiple chores.

Yes, plenty hefty. It weighs at least a pound, might be more like two--a good low center of gravity, doesn't move.

Actually, I have to beg out of your last paragraph--I'm like your mom. Love good tools but fussy stuff and 'gadgets' aren't my thing. Neither, however, is laundry so the towel method won't work for me. Too much grease or staining color like the red of the tomato sauce I made yesterday would get on the towel (I have stacks of solid white solid cotton hotel towels just for kitchen use, nothing frilly)--any solution to one issue that makes another job harder isn't a good solution.

[Jenise]

Another peeve is where to put spoons, spatulas and ladles that you use repeatedly while cooking and don't want to wash between stirrings.....just HATE those small, single utensil spoon holders....end up using a large dinner plate on an unused burner grate to hold multiple utensils until the dish is finished. Works unless you have radically different flavors that you don't want to mix. Do you have another idea ?

Most spoon holders are cute, and I don't do cute so there's problem #1. Number 2 is what you're saying about size--most of the time I use multiple tools to cook/stir/serve each meal. For years I used the marble trivet that is now under the lid stand. Then awhile back I bought a square offwhite dish (at TJ Maxx, where else?) to use instead. It's not really big enough to be a serving piece but it doesn't look like a dinner plate and in fact it doesn't look anything which is precisely what attracted me to it. It has clean mid-century lines that could have been designed by Charles and Ray Eames, with higher sides left and right which is a good support for the necks of certain implements but the bottom is uniformly flat. After dinner it goes in the dishwasher with everything else. I've had it for about two-three years now and I'm amazed I haven't broken it yet. I never expected it to last, but I love it and I'm glad it has. I'll take a picture tomorrow.

That would be great! If you are there and they have one, please. We'll be home mid next week.

[Jenise]

That would be great! If you are there and they have one, please. We'll be home mid next week.

Believe it or not, they had four, so you have a new countertop lid holder. Christina, want one?

Indeed. I have a perfect spot for one.

How exciting! I may head to Home Goods tomorrow to see if there is one for here, too. Thank you!

I'm with Robin on this one Fortunately our sink is just an arm reach from our stovetop.