This Must-Have Costco Kitchen Item Keeps Oil Splatter At Bay

Cleaning the stove without using cleaning hacks at the end of the day has to be one of the most annoying kitchen tasks there is. That said, if you take some clever preventative measures you can significantly reduce the amount of greasy oil splatters and spills that mar your stovetop and burners, making your job much easier. For instance, Costco stocks a set of silicone splatter guards that are brilliantly designed to keep those oily spits and spatters at bay. Better yet, they have foldable handles!

Priced at $34.99, Costco's splatter guards are made by MIU and come in a set containing two different sizes. The smallest option covers pans with an 8-10 inch radius while the bigger one covers skillets and pots with a 10-12 inch radius. This means you can use them on hefty Dutch ovens when deep frying chicken as well as petite skillets when searing a piece of fish or steak.

The main body of these guards is made with stainless steel mesh, which stops grease and oil from splattering out. However, unlike a regular pan lid made of glass, the mesh design permits steam to escape (if the steam doesn't have an exit point, the food inside the skillet steams and softens instead of developing a crispy exterior). The splatter guard also has a silicone rim, which clings to the edges of pans, preventing them from slipping or falling off. Other spatter guards lack this protective edge and safety measure, making Costco's version a cut above the rest.

The best thing about this nifty product? The foldable and heat resistant non-slip handles. All you need to do is fold them into the center to streamline their footprint and make them super-easy to store away. Storage wise these fellas can be slid upright into the side of your kitchen cabinets, like muffin trays and sheet pans, so they take up minimal space. Moreover, after every use, you can pop them straight into the dishwasher for easy clean-up. All these features have given rise to several five-star customer reviews on the Costco website. One customer said "these work on all of my pots, and bowls, love that the handle collapses for easier storage! Have been able to reduce most of my glass lids!" Another reviewer liked the presence of the silicon seal around the circumference of the product and spoke of the way it helps the guards to grip tightly to any skillet or pot it's placed on.

Along with using cooking guards, you should also make sure your meats and veggies are dry before placing them in an oiled pan to prevent splatters. Another hack that nearly eliminates excessive grease splatter when searing food is to add a pinch of salt to the oil. This move shatters the bubbles in the oil and reduces the risk of it spitting and causing burns.