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Nerdy Science in the Kitchen

Best Splatter Screen for Fry Pans

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greasy fried chicken
How do you cook up fried chicken without getting the whole house greasy? A good splatter screen.

If you have ever cooked bacon, sausage, fried chicken, or made anything that involves hot temperatures and oil then you know 2 things. One, oil can get unbelievably hot. And 2, grease is a complete pain to clean off of your stovetop.

Best splatter screen for a fry pan in my opinion? I like the Calphalon Splatter Screen.

And it doesn’t just get on your stovetop. It gets on the walls, the counters, the floors and even in between the oven and the cabinet. If you have an over the oven microwave, grease somehow seems to find its way inside.

The point is, grease sucks. But there is a way to keep grease in your fry pan. That device is called a splatter screen.

Best Splatter Screen for Fry PansMaterial
Norpro 2060 Splatter Screen, 13-Inch, Silver1. Norpro 13 inch Splatter Screen fine mesh aluminum
Calphalon 13" Stainless Steel Splatter Guard2. Calphalon 13 inch Stainless Steel Splatter Guard stainless steel
Grease Splatter Screen for Frying Pan 9.5" - Stops 99% of Hot Oil Splash - Protects Skin from Burns - Splatter Guard for Cooking - Iron Skillet Lid Keeps Kitchen Clean - Stainless Steel3. BergKoch Stainless Steel Fine Mesh Splatter Screen fine mesh stainless steel

What is a splatter screen?

Splatter screens are essentially covers for your frying pans. The difference is that instead of being completely enclosed it is mesh or perforated with many holes. Air and heat escape but not the grease.

Splatter screens come in many different ways from wire mesh to silicone (silicone isn’t a very good option though). Today we are going to look at a few different splatter screens and help you decide which is right for you.

Norpro 13 inch Splatter Screen

This splatter screen is made of a fine aluminum mesh screen and, as the title says, can cover up to a 13 inch skillet. Because it is made of an aluminum mesh it is recommended for hand wash only.

Norpro 2060 Splatter Screen, 13-Inch, Silver

View on Amazon

Aluminum in the dishwasher is bad news. It will turn dark and tarnish, due to the detergents in dishwashing soap and the high heat.

The handle can conduct heat from the pot so you should be wary of that when using this screen.

Should you get this splatter screen?

This isn’t necessarily a bad screen, it does the job it is intended to do. For the money you spend you aren’t getting a bad deal. But there are a couple of issues, starting with how susceptible to heat this thing is.

If you are cooking on extremely high heat, which, when you’re heating oil, is most of the time, then you may not want to get this screen. It’s been known to warp when exposed to very high temperatures for long periods of time.

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Calphalon 13 inch Stainless Steel Splatter Guard

Calphalon is a trusted brand in the cooking industry. When purchasing products from them you can be sure you are getting quality, and this splatter screen only continues that trend.

Calphalon 13" Stainless Steel Splatter Guard

View on Amazon

Stainless steel

It is made of stainless steel so you don’t have to worry about the screen warping do to prolonged exposure to high temperatures. Plus it has plenty of holes on it to make sure that your food is allowed to breathe.

wontons on plate
After steaming them, pan fry your wontons to make them taste like they came from your favorite restaurant.

Fits multiple sizes of fry pans

The screen fits 8 inch 10 inch, and 12 inch skillets, so you don’t need to get one for every sized pan you have in your house. Also the handle has stay cool properties that keep it from getting too hot to touch.

This screen is very easy to clean and can be put in the dishwasher if necessary, although I still suggest washing by hand.

Here you can see my pick for the best Pancake Griddle for your kitchen.

Should you get this splatter screen?

This is a very handsome splatter screen but I do have one gripe with it. The splatter screen can obviously cover areas smaller than the 13 inches it spans, but you will have to prop it up on something so that it doesn’t tip the pan over if it is smaller than 12 inches.

This is a real hassle, as I can’t just hold the screen above my pan the entire time I am cooking.

BergKoch Stainless Steel Fine Mesh Splatter Screen

Grease Splatter Screen for Frying Pan 9.5" - Stops 99% of Hot Oil Splash - Protects Skin from Burns - Splatter Guard for Cooking - Iron Skillet Lid Keeps Kitchen Clean - Stainless Steel

Here we have a cost effective, all purpose mesh screen that has a few key features that make it the winner on our list today.

View on Amazon

Pick a size, any size

Wires across the diameter of the screen let it rest on the edges of pots and pans. So you can use for pretty much any size fry pan, all the way up to 9.5 inches wide. The handle has a hook, making it easy to store. I don’t know about you but I find my pots and pan storage is at a premium. Any space saving feature is a welcome one.

Stainless with feet!

It’s stainless steel. No rusting, no tarnishing and it’s dishwasher safe. It’s got feet on the bottom so when you take it off your fry pan, you can set it down on the counter without getting grease everywhere. Which is sort of the whole point of a splatter screen.

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Should you get this splatter screen?

Honestly, just buy it and try it. At this price point, it’s a very low-risk choice. I think you’ll appreciate the thought-out features of such a simple product. And you’ll enjoy the easy clean up on the splatter screen — and the no clean up on your countertops.

Wrap – Up

Splatter screens are a necessity when you use hot oil in fry pans. Any of these 3 will work, with the best one (if it wasn’t already obvious) being the BergKoch Splatter Screen.

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