Boiling water on the stove can be frustrating, especially when it bubbles over and creates a mess, but there's a simple solution to this problem. Keeping a pot of boiling water from overflowing can be challenging, but people have been amazed by this simple technique that ensures it never happens.
Cleaning the stove afterward can be a nightmare, but a TikToker has been hailed as a hero for showing people how to stop it – and it involves adding something simple to prevent it.
A Simple Solution: Ice Cube in the Pot
On TikTok, the content creator, who shares simple life hacks under the name @lifehack, posted a video that has blown people away.
They wrote alongside the video, "Still didn't believe it, so I had to try it myself!" The video shows a boiling pot of water and pasta on the stove, bubbling and about to overflow, until they throw an ice cube into the pot. The water then calms down and stops bubbling over the top.
This counterintuitive idea has shocked people over its simplicity.
There's a Scientific Explanation
When the water begins to boil, adding an ice cube causes a sudden change in temperature, meaning the water cools down slightly and stops boiling. To explain further, experts from physics.stackexchange.com told, according to Denoffentlige, "It will then take some time for the heat from the stove to warm the water back up to the boiling point."
An Alternative Solution: Wooden Spoon Over the Pot
This hack is equally effective in preventing boiling over, according to Southern Living. A wooden spoon acts as a deterrent to the unstable bubbles, causing them to destabilize and stop rising. However, home safety experts advise using these hacks wisely to ensure that safety remains a priority in the kitchen.
People were quick to comment on their astonishment at the idea, with one person writing, "Amazed. I didn't believe it, so I had to try it myself," while another offered an alternative suggestion, saying, "You can also lay a wooden spoon across the top of the pot, and it won't boil over."
