How to Stop Cream from Boiling Over

Published on Monday, June 30, 2008, by CHOW Video Team / Edit Post

How to Stop Cream from Boiling Over

Chowhound fayehess, also known as Faye Delicious of Blip.tv, avoids a mess by placing the spoon over top of her pot.

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POST A COMMENT |6 Comments

COMMENT

  • Huh. I have this problem all the time (and an electric stove, so no fire concerns), so I shall try it the next time out.

  • I think you are absolutely right about never leaving anything on the stove unattended--the thing about simmering cream is, that it can bubble over even with you standing at the stove (which is what I ecourage)--the spoon keeps the cream below the top of the pan for those extra seconds you need to turn off the heat.

  • But if you get distracted and leave the spoon there too long, or the flame is a little higher than you thought the wooden spoon may very well catch on fire. You now have a pot of cream boiling over and a fire to contend with. It's never a good idea to leave combustible items unattended near open flames. Even the the heat from an electric or radiant cooktop may be sufficient to get a wooden spoon...+READ

    But if you get distracted and leave the spoon there too long, or the flame is a little higher than you thought the wooden spoon may very well catch on fire. You now have a pot of cream boiling over and a fire to contend with. It's never a good idea to leave combustible items unattended near open flames. Even the the heat from an electric or radiant cooktop may be sufficient to get a wooden spoon to its flash point.

    I know everyone will say "but I'll be standing right here so nothing will go wrong." I'm sure that's what many who have lost their home to a kitchen fire said. Watch your cream pot. If you see it approaching the boil over, pull it off the heat.-COLLAPSE

  • I'm guessing the reason it works has to do with breaking the surface tension of the foam head. Good tip, though -- I've left spoons in the pot, but never put one across the top. Just remember is has to be a wooden spoon -- I've melted my share of plastic/plastic handled spoons by leaning them agains the rim of a hot pot.

  • would be nice to know the reasoning why it works.

  • I think these short streaming videos are fantastic. I've learned more in the last three minutes than I learned in an entire day at cooking class.