Almost every frying pan and saucepan in the kitchen has one: a round hole at the very end of the handle. Most people assume it’s there for one reason and never give it a second thought. But the hole does a second job that many home cooks only discover by accident, and once you know it, you’ll use it every time you make a sauce.
In short
- The hole is first of all designed for hanging pans on a hook or a rail.
- It also works as a built-in spoon rest: the handle of your spoon or spatula slips into it.
- The utensil stays off the counter, and the drips fall back into the pan.
- It doesn’t fit every spoon, and metal utensils can get hot.
What everyone thinks it’s for
The first answer is the right one, but it’s only half the story. According to Chowhound, the hole “is most commonly used to hang up pots and pans,” on a pegboard, a pot rack or a hook above the stove.
The second use few people know
The Spanish news site OkDiario goes further, explaining that the hole can serve as a holder for the spoon or spatula you’re cooking with. Picture a pot of tomato sauce: the spoon is coated, the counter is clean, and there’s no spoon rest in sight. Instead of grabbing a plate, slide the end of the spoon handle through the hole in the pan’s handle.
Chowhound confirms that the hole “also doubles as a holder for a stirring spoon.” The kitchen site The Kitchn adds a detail that makes all the difference: put the spoon in upside down, so the sauce drips back into the pot rather than onto the stovetop.
How to make it work
- Test your combo first. The Kitchn warns that the trick “won’t work every time,” because it depends on the size of the hole and the shape of your utensil.
- Pick wooden spoons. Chowhound says wooden tools work particularly well, since they don’t conduct heat.
- Watch silicone. Most silicone utensils are rated for about 400 to 500°F, according to the same article, so keep them away from the flame.
- Skip metal. A metal spoon resting against a hot handle can heat up quickly and burn your fingers.
The limit
On many pans the hole is simply too small for a spoon handle, and OkDiario notes that on some models it’s mostly decorative. On a pan with a short handle, the spoon can also end up right above the burner, which is a bad place for plastic or silicone. Keep the trick for simmering on low or medium heat, and never leave a utensil in the handle when you move a heavy, full pan: it can slide out and splash.
The kitchen is full of details like this one: here is what the two holes in clothespins are for. On the cooking side, try the steam trick of two glasses of water in the oven, or see the appliance more and more kitchens are using instead of the toaster.
A hole for hanging, a spoon upside down, a clean counter. That’s the trick.
