The Paper Towel Trick: Why You Shouldn't Try This Kitchen Hack at Home

A Trendy Trick

All of us cooking fans like to try out new tricks in the kitchen in the hope that they might make our lives a little easier. But sometimes, its worth reading up a little on whether they're really worth it.

One trick that's taking over social media at the moment, is the paper towel trick. Promising to keep your induction stove clean while cooking, it could come at a cost. 

The Paper Towel Trick

The idea is simple: if you put a square of absorbant paper towel, commonly found in the kitchen, between the stove and your pot or pan, the latter will heat faster due to the movement of electromagnetic waves and the paper towel will be there ready and waiting for any potential grease-splatters and sauce-dollops.

It's a two-in-one hack that can save you time, and once you're done, you simply place the square in the trash. Simple!

However, it's actually pretty dangerous, with readers and writers on Seasoned Advice having described the trick as a "terrible accident waiting to happen".

Real Risks

Firstly, the principal behind the trick is misleading as it does not take into consideration the fact that the electromagnatic waves will heat the paper so fast, it will likely set alight.

Placing a paper towel over a heat source is a recipe for disaster. Paper can burn at just over 390°F without a flame being applied to it (by self-ignition!) and it's not difficult for the paper to reach that temperature. If the paper does catch fire, you'll quite literally have a problem on your hands. 

So, perhaps it's not worth putting yourself, family, and house at rick for the chance to save five minutes of cleaning. We wouldn't bother.