The Best Alternatives to Use When You Can't Find a Pot Lid (2024)

FAQs

The Best Alternatives to Use When You Can't Find a Pot Lid? ›

A Baking Sheet

Foil. A double sheet of foil works well as a lid when you need a closer fit than a sheet pan or a frying pan would provide. It's a little more difficult to manipulate than a lid, but it traps heat and moisture just as effectively.

Here's how to do it: Tear off a large piece of aluminum foil, enough to cover the pot's opening with excess to fold over the sides. Press the foil down over the pot's rim, molding it to conform to the shape. For added security, you can fold the edges around the rim to fully lock in heat and moisture.

Yes, aluminum foil can go in the oven. Because aluminum foil is made of metal, when placed in the oven, it heats up and becomes a conductor. It can be used in the oven to cover dishes as they cook or to line pans or baking sheets.

A: I use my 8” (outside diameter) MSR stainless steel dinner plate as a lid. It fits 100% perfectly, like it was made for the Stanley fry pan.

You can use a kitchen towel as a pot holder, given that it's thick enough and made from the right material (read: cotton). It should also be dry—a wet kitchen towel will allow heat to cut right through it.

If you need to cover something in the oven you can use a baking sheet, metal lid, parchment paper, silicone lid, or a silicone mat instead of aluminum foil. Parchment paper (preferably unbleached) is more versatile than foil, and it's readily available in even small grocery stores these days.

Stir-frying – another cooking method that requires a hot pan is stir-frying, so no lid is needed. 4. Deep-frying – never cover the pan when deep-frying as the steam created will gather on the lid and drip back into the hot oil. This is dangerous because the hot oil can erupt and splash you causing burns.

If you don't have a skillet with a lid then you can use a Dutch oven or other similar type of pot with a lid. You can also just cook it in a skillet without a lid but it will take longer for the pasta to cook and the liquid to be absorbed.

Boiling water happens faster when you cover your pot. There's less energy loss.

What does covering with aluminum foil do in oven? ›

It's always a great idea to cover your dishes with aluminum foil while cooking at high temperatures in the oven. It protects your food from drying out or burning and helps keep in the heat and moisture, ensuring a perfectly cooked meal. Loosely covering your dish with foil can prevent uneven browning while baking.

Either is acceptable. Since the exact same material makes up both sides, they will perform precisely the same way. The only difference is aesthetic. So feel free to work both ways.

If you have some tin foil laying around, for example, laying a sheet of it over your pot will work just as fine as your average lid. You can also use parchment paper if you're in a pinch, so long as it's cut to closely fit the size of the pot as possible.

Rings tend to rust a bit in the freezer, so plastic lids are a great alternative. In the past, I even purchased some lids designed for canning jars. But did you know that you can also use a lid from a peanut butter jar on a canning jar? My husband's grandma told me years ago, but I had forgotten until recently.

Can you use any wooden chopping board as a lid for say a pan/skiller/pot? Sure, just make sure the flames aren't licking out the sides and if the pan is hot enough you risk scorching the cutting board. Also long term steam could cause warping. Basically, don't do it with a particularly expensive or beloved board.

According to America's Test Kitchen Cooking School, using foil in your slow cooker is not only safe, but it also helps those recipes that don't have or create a lot of liquid, like lasagna.

Covering a skillet, saucepan, or pot while cooking helps maintain temperature control, which is important for even cooking. It helps bring liquid to a boil faster, too (which uses less energy, aka, it's more cost efficient, too). Covering the pot keeps steam from escaping, too.