I know we’ve all been there—you’ve got something covered and simmering on the stove, or even worse, you just pulled a pan out of the oven. You reach for the handle without thinking… and about three seconds later, you’re reminded that it was just sitting at 375 degrees for the last 30 minutes. It’s one of those kitchen mistakes you only need to make once to remember, but somehow, we all still do it.
So when I came across this simple wine cork trick, I immediately thought: this is actually kind of genius. The idea is that it acts as a visual (and physical) reminder that your pot lid or handle is hot—something you can quickly grab without burning your fingers. And as someone who enjoys a glass of wine or champagne from time to time, I also love the idea of giving a cork a second life instead of tossing it straight into the trash.
I’m always dialed into Los Angeles-based creator Sidney Raskind (aka @sidneyraz), whose “Things I Didn’t Know Until I Was in My 30s” series on TikTok and Instagram is full of those oddly brilliant “why-didn’t-I-think-of-that” moments. I’ve picked up a handful of useful tips from him over time, so when I saw this one, I knew I had to test it out for myself and see if it actually holds up.
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Courtesy Jeanette Donnarumma
How To Use a Wine Cork as a Heat-Resistant Handle Extension
In his short video, Sidney shows how to use a wine cork to minimize burning your hands on a hot pot lid. The idea is simple: wedge the cork into the handle of a lid or pan so it creates a small buffer between your hand and the hot handle.
From the quick 17-second clip, it looks like he’s using a larger, more expanded cork, likely from a champagne or sparkling wine bottle which gives a bit more surface area and grip.
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@sidneyraz i didn’t expext this to work at all #tipsandtricks #todayilearned #lifehack #cookinghacks #cookingtips
♬ original sound – sidneyraz
When I tested this myself, I didn’t have an exact match. Instead, I used a red wine cork and a sparkling Italian wine cork I had on hand. I tried fitting them into a few different pot lids and pans around my kitchen to see how secure they felt and whether they actually made a difference when handling heat.
Courtesy Jeanette Donnarumma
What I found is that the concept does work, but it’s definitely dependent on the type of cork and the shape of your cookware. Some combinations felt stable and helpful, while others were a little too loose to trust.
The red wine cork was loose on all the pot handles I had on hand, whereas the end of the sparkling wine cork was a good fit, but the other half of it was too small. And in trying them both, when I lifted the pan, it tilted to the side and then my hand was a bit burned by the steam from the water.
Courtesy Jeanette Donnarumma
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4 Tips for Using a Cork To Prevent Burns
Here’s what I learned while trying out this kitchen hack.
1. Use a larger, expanded cork
Courtesy Jeanette Donnarumma
The bigger the cork, the better this trick works. Champagne or sparkling wine corks tend to have that wider, mushroom-like top, which gives you more surface area to grip and a better buffer from the heat. An older sparkling wine cork would really do the trick for this. The smaller corks I tested didn’t feel quite as secure.
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2. Choose pots with shorter handles
This trick worked best on pots where the handle sits closer to the lid or pan. When the handle is more compact, the cork fits more snugly and feels more stable. Longer, thinner handles made it harder to wedge the cork in a way that felt reliable. I didn’t own any that this worked super well for.
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3. Test the fit before you need it
Courtesy Jeanette Donnarumma
This is not something you want to try for the first time when a pan is already hot. Test your cork placement on a cool pot first to make sure it fits securely and won’t slip when you go to grab it.
4. Don’t rely on it completely
While it can help as a reminder and light buffer, it’s not a full heat-proof solution. Think of it as an extra layer of awareness, a kitchen towel near the pot will do the same trick.
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Final Thoughts: Is This Wine Cork Trick Worth Trying?
I love Sidney’s series and I’ll absolutely give this one an A+ for creativity. But in terms of execution, it’s probably more of a C-.
It works in certain situations, especially if you have the right type of cork and cookware, but it’s not foolproof. For me, it felt more like a helpful visual reminder than a true heat-protection solution.
I’ll probably hang onto a larger sparkling wine cork and let it expand a bit more to test again down the line, but for now, I think keeping a kitchen towel nearby still does the job just as well (if not better).
If you’re someone who loves a clever kitchen hack and already has corks lying around, it’s a fun one to try, just be careful.
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