Never Burn Your Fingers On A Hot Pot Lid Again With A 10-Second Wine Cork Hack

Even if you're a seasoned (get it?) cooking pro, it only takes a split second to lose track of what you're doing and slip up in the kitchen. Whether it's adding the wrong scraps to your compost bin or choosing the incorrect oven setting, most of us have made these kinds of mistakes before. But with this 10-second wine cork hack from the 5-Minute Crafts YouTube Channel, you'll never have to make this painful kitchen snafu again: burning your fingers on a hot metal pot lid. The hack involves sliding corks under the lid handle. It works because cork resists the transfer of heat.

While grabbing something hot with your bare hands doesn't always cause permanent damage, it's uncomfortable (at best) and a serious medical issue (at worst). Regardless, it's a mistake you don't want to make. To reduce your risk of fingertip burns when removing a hot pot lid, follow the steps the creator shows in the video. All you'll need are a few wine corks. (The exact number will depend on the size of your pot lid handle, but she uses one.) Once you have them, slide them — one at a time — underneath the handle. Add enough corks so they fit snugly without forcing them in. Then, when you need to take off the lid, you can pick it up by the corks (rather than the metal handle).

As you can tell, this hack is incredibly straightforward. In fact, several commenters on a similar Instagram video joked about how simple it was, with one saying, "You've heard of oven gloves, right?" But we think the best part of this DIY is its simplicity. Not only can you do it in under a minute, but if you already like to drink wine at home (or can get corks from friends who do), it won't cost you anything, either.

Besides being small and compact, wine corks work well with hot pot lids because the material can withstand high temperatures. Think about it: If you don't have them yourself, you've probably seen someone use these IKEA trivets — or something similar — to hold hot pans and prevent heat damage to their table or linens. While you can buy a three-pack of these popular products (about $6 per set), you can also make your own. To turn old wine corks into a smart countertop protector, just glue the corks into a grid pattern. As an added bonus, you can choose how big (or small) you want the trivet, depending on what you'll use it for.

Another way to repurpose wine corks in the kitchen? Using them inside your cabinets to prevent them from making a loud noise when they slam shut. Like the other DIYs we've talked about, this one is also fairly simple. To try it, cut off a sliver of a wine cork and glue it to the inside of the door. When you close the cabinet, the cork should muffle the sound pretty well.