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For the longest time, I thought that if you fried something, oil splattered out of the pan only if you did something wrong. I believed that if I pan-fried a chicken thigh just right, the pan would keep a tight and low sizzle, my cooktop would remain spotless, and my skin would be unharmed by wayward spits of oil.
Without fail, though, every time I’d fry, I’d end up with a stove that looked like it had been out in the rain, and arms and clothes spritzed with scorching hot canola oil. Yes, I know to wear an apron and to avoid putting wet things into hot oil, but that doesn’t change the fact that oil splatters are an inevitable part of frying—and I just have to accept that.
My acceptance comes mainly in the form of taking advantage of this Amazon Prime Day sale on a splatter screen, which will make my life much easier. What is a splatter screen, you ask? Well, you can read more on the subject here, but a splatter screen is a simple cooking instrument that’s designed to go over a frying pan and catch any sputtering bits of fry oil. Because it’s a mesh screen and not a lid, moisture is still able to escape from the pan, preventing your fried food from getting steamed and soggy.
Of course, you’ll still have to clean the splatter screen, but that’s a much easier task than scrubbing your stove, wiping the hood, soaking the grates, and scrubbing around the knobs and handles on your range—all of which I usually have to do after a frying project.
Honestly, a splatter screen is something every casual cook should own because it makes cooking safer, cleaner, and less painful. And it’s not just for the rare occasion that you’re deep-frying chicken or doughnuts. Frying a nice batch of Sunday bacon? Throw a splatter screen on top and rest easy. Sautéing some vegetables? It works there too. And when you do decide to go all out and make Maangchi’s Dakgangjeong in all its crispy glory? A splatter screen will be there for you then too.
