Any tips for how I can learn to turn the burner off BEFORE I remove the pan?

[LAS14]

I'm getting to that point in life where I forget stuff. I haven't yet had a stove disaster, but I've seen enough in movies and read about enough in books that I want to take steps to prevent my increasing forgetfulness to turn into a stove disaster. There was a thread on this subject a while ago that recommended gadgets that would sense, in various ways, what was going on on the stove. But they didn't appeal to me. I figured if I could develop a habit of turning the burner off before I had a pan in my hand and before my head was filled with the next steps in my recipe I might have a chance.

How does one develop a new habit?

tia
las

[LisaM]

1. This is the kind of situation where a digital assistant might actually be a good thing.

Do you have an Amazon echo, or an iPhone with Siri?

[LAS14]

2. No. Just a stupid phone. I do have a kitchen timer which I use...

... pretty successfully to keep from burning things. I'm developing a good habit of not leaving the kitchen without turning on the timer. But the habit is imperfect, at best. Still, easier to do than the turn-off-before-picking-up-pan habit.

[Boxerfan]

3. Get another wind up timer.

Carry it with you or put it in the same room you are in if you leave the cooking area.

That and dry erase boards for "reminders".

Yes I can relate.

[AdamGG]

4. Would it help to tape some kind of note to the stove?

That way, every time you looked at the stove, there would be a physical reminder to turn it off when you were done. Those kind of reminders work for me and it wouldn't necessarily need to say "turn off the stove", it could just be a big red dot or something and you would know why it was there.

[LAS14]

6. Couldn't hurt. I'll try it. Thanks.

[missingthebigdog]

5. I would attach something to the handle

Or to the lid of the pan. A colorful rubber band, or a stretchy bracelet or something like that. Anything that would be a visual cue.

It is easier to remember to set up a reminder at the beginning of a task.

[LAS14]

7. That's a good idea too! Thanks.

[LAS14]

17. Thanks! First I tried a rubber band, but I just didn't notice it.

Then I tried balancing metal tongs on the handle. That seems to work. I usually remember to do it, as putting a pan on the oven is not as hurried an activity as taking it off.

[missingthebigdog]

19. I'm glad it is working for you!

I’m sure it will soon become a habit!

[California_Republic]

8. Induction ranges are nice

[procon]

9. Set a timer.

Estimate when your food will be done and use the timer as a memory prompt to not only take the food out but also turn off the stove and remove the pan from the heat to avoid scorching.

Repetition builds habits, but you have to unwind the bad habit first.

[mercuryblues]

10. put a post it note

where you can easily see it. a minute or so before you take the pot off, turn off the burner. If it is electric, the burner will stay hot enough to finish cooking. You will be surprised how quick this becomes a habit. For added measure, I double check all burners to make sure they are off when I am done with the stove.


carry a timer if you leave the room.

[Codeine]

11. Lay a wooden spoon along the handle of the pan.

You’ll need to move it or grip around it to use the handle; that should be enough to trigger your brain into action.

[LAS14]

18. Thanks! First I tried a rubber band, but I just didn't notice it.

Then I tried balancing metal tongs on the handle. That seems to work. I usually remember to do it, as putting a pan on the oven is not as hurried an activity as taking it off. I've used a wooden spoon a couple of times when both pairs of tongs were in the dishwasher.

[diva77]

12. there's burneralert.com

although maybe that's that gadget that didn't appeal to you

[Flaleftist]

13. Do you have an exhaust fan over your stove?

You can keep the fan on while the stovetop is on and form a habit of turning off both at the same time.

[Alpeduez21]

14. What kind of pans?

It the handles are insulated and don't get hot then rubber bands on the handle would be good, I believe. Pick up the pot, feel the rubber bands and say 'oh, yeah, I need to turn off the burner.'


There are silicone pot handle covers that do the same and those, theoretically, could mimic the rubber bands on hadles that get hot (cast iron skillets and the like).

Habits need practice. Everyday set aside two minutes to practice grabbing your pot from the stove and turning the burner off. Put the pot on the stove, turn on the burner, move away from the stove, return to the stove,then turn off the burner and pick up the pot. put everything away. MAKE SURE THE STOVE IS OFF. By step away I mean open and close a cabinet, turn the water on and off. then immediately return to the stove. You could even leave this step out at first. Do that maybe ten times. Turning the burner off is like getting to Carnegie Hall. Practice, practice, practice.

[eppur_se_muova]

15. Just remove the insulation from the pot handles ... you'll learn pretty quickly. nt

[zanana1]

16. I need assistance myself.

I have a post-it on my back door that says "CELL PHONE". It's been there for a month and I still forget my cell phone.