The 10 Best Splatter Screens, Tested and Approved

Best Overall

Oxo Softworks Stainless Steel Splatter Screen

5

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Our Ratings

• Size/Design
  5/5
• Versatility
  5/5
• Durability
  5/5
• Performance
  5/5
• Cleaning
  5/5

When it comes to blocking splatter, whether it’s from searing steaks in a cast iron pan or cooking a thick tomato sauce in a Dutch oven, it’s hard to beat the Oxo Good Grips Stainless Steel Splatter Screen. Rather than screen-like mesh, it has small round holes in a solid piece of thin stainless steel. The tiny holes let steam out while the metal blocks most of the droplets of fat or splashes of food. Circular ridges on the screen keep it stable on pots of different sizes, meaning it works well for both large and small pots and pans.

One of the best features of this screen is the raised handle design, which means the handle sits directly above the pan’s handle. Not only does it look neater and keep the screen flat on the pan, but it also means that the screen and pan can be lifted with one hand.

The splatter screen was tested with a thick tomato sauce as well as boiling foamy pasta water. It did a good job with the thick tomato sauce. There was almost no sauce on top of the screen, while plenty was caught on the underside. With the foamy water, it helped a little with boil-over, but it was still possible to get a little boil-over on the edges.

In testing, we found that the plastic handle stays cool during cooking, and it folds over onto the screen for more compact storage. The screen is dishwasher safe, so cleaning is easy, and in testing, we found that washing it by hand was easier than washing the screen-like mesh models since food didn’t get stuck.

Price at time of publish: $23

Diameter: 12.5 inches | Material: Stainless steel screen; soft-grip handle | Heat Resistance: Not oven safe | Dishwasher safe? Yes

Best Folding

Williams Sonoma Silicone Splatter Screen

4.3

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Our Ratings

• Size/Design
  5/5
• Versatility
  3/5
• Durability
  4/5
• Performance
  5/5
• Cleaning
  5/5

Most splatter guards need to be removed to stir or flip the food in the pot, but the Williams Sonoma Silicone Splatter Screen lets the cook flip one side up to stir the chili while leaving the other side in place. For storage, it can be left unfolded to fit slim spaces or fold it to fit short spots. The screen is made from sturdy silicone, so it’s heat resistant and dishwasher safe. Small hand-holds on either side of the screen take less space on the stove or in storage, but it might be wise to approach them with a potholder. Not just for keeping grease from flying, this would be handy for slow-simmering a stew in a Dutch oven when a cover is too much, but the cook doesn’t want the pot completely open.

This worked well, keeping oil from spraying out when cooking, but it also collected condensation on the underside, so when it was lifted, it created a short burst of spatter as the water dripped into the hot fat. Care should be taken when opening it. It did a good job with a thick tomato sauce, stopping the spatter from coming out. There was plenty collected on the bottom of the screen.

The downside of this screen is that it shouldn’t be used on a gas cooktop—limiting its versatility. It was tested on one with no ill effects, but we were very careful to use it on a large pot and to make sure the flames never went up the sides of the pan. The screen is both dishwasher safe and easy to wash by hand.

Price at time of publish: $29

Diameter: 13.5 inches | Material: Silicone | Heat Resistance: 400 degrees | Dishwasher safe? Yes

Best Budget

BitimexHome BitMexHome Splatter Screen Set

4.2

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Our Ratings

• Size/Design
  4/5
• Versatility
  5/5
• Durability
  3/5
• Performance
  4/5
• Cleaning
  4/5

This set of three has your pots covered—or at least they can cover three of them at the same time. The set includes an 8-inch screen, a 10-inch screen, and an 11-inch screen, so they can fit a variety of frying pans, saucepans, and Dutch ovens to protect the stove from cooking mess. It’s great when the sauce is simmering in one pot while there’s fried chicken in another. When splatter is excessive, the cook can use two screens at once, blocking the most aggressive droplets. The blue plastic handles stay cool during cooking, and each one has a hole so they can be hung on a hook for easy access when cooking is getting messy. These are also dishwasher-safe for easy cleaning.

The screens did a good job keeping splatter to a minimum and let steam out with no issues during testing. They also did a good job with a thick sauce by keeping spatter contained.

In testing, these often warped during cooking, and the screen discolored a bit. They aren’t as sturdy as more expensive screens, which is expected at this price point. On the plus side, the fine mesh would be great for sifting flour, and they work well for straining liquids once cooking is done.

Price at time of publish: $21

Diameter: 8, 10, and 11 inches | Material: Stainless steel mesh; plastic in handle | Heat Resistance: Not oven safe | Dishwasher safe? Yes

Best Silicone

Norpro Grip-EZ Red Silicone Splatter Screen

4.3

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Silicone is rapidly becoming the material of choice for high-heat-use kitchen gadgets. This silicone splatter guard has tiny holes that thwart splatter, but in testing, it also retained more steam and collected condensation on the underside. Since silicone has a high heat resistance, this can also be used as a trivet and as a strainer when it’s time to empty water from a pot of pasta, but care should be taken when on a gas stove to make sure flames aren’t coming up the side of the pan, which could burn the screen.

It’s practically impossible to see the food below the screen, so this needs to be lifted to take a peek. However, if water or other liquids need to be added, they can be poured right through the screen. The handle doesn’t fold, but it has a hole on the end to hang it on a convenient hook. This is dishwasher safe but might be too large for some dishwashers. It was easy to wash by hand in testing, though, since food tends to slide off silicone easily.

Price at time of publish: $24

Diameter: 13 inches | Material: Silicone | Heat Resistance: 500 degrees | Dishwasher safe? Yes

Best for Frying

Frywall Splatter Guard

4.2

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Our Ratings

• Size/Design
  3/5
• Versatility
  3/5
• Durability
  5/5
• Performance
  4/5
• Cleaning
  5/5

This unique splatter preventer is a wall rather than a screen. In testing, we found it essentially turns a frying pan into a very high-walled wok with silicone sides. While high-flying splashes can still escape the wall, splatter traveling sideways will stay easily contained, and there’s no need to remove the wall to stir the food or flip the steaks.

This fits 10-inch pans best and won’t fit any less than 9 1/2 inches; a smaller and larger size are available. It also comes in a variety of colors, so you can color-code the small, medium, and large ones in storage. Also, it can fold and roll for compact storage wherever it’s kept, and it’s dishwasher-safe for easy cleaning.

Unlike guards that cover the top of the pan, this won’t trap condensation, and it will come in handy when piling spinach or other greens into a pot since it can contain them neatly until they cook down to a more manageable size.

This is really best for frying or for food that can be contained inside the walls. It’s less useful for any kinds of sauces that would ooze between the wall and the rim of the pot, where they could stick and burn.

Price at time of publish: $22

Diameter: For 10-inch pots | Material: Silicone | Heat Resistance: 450 degrees | Dishwasher safe? Yes

Best Domed

JAZ Innovations Splatter Guard Pro

4.8

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Our Ratings

• Size/Design
  4/5
• Versatility
  5/5
• Durability
  5/5
• Performance
  5/5
• Cleaning
  5/5

Most splatter guards are completely flat and made from screen material with tiny holes. This one is completely different. It has a raised center section and one large hole instead of multiple small ones. This guard gives enough space to see inside the pot or pan while allowing steam to escape. Even better, it makes it possible to stir ingredients without removing the guard, and in testing, we often left our spoon in the hole for easy stirring.

All of the splatters along the edge of the pan can’t escape at all, and the few that go straight up in the center also come straight down, so they won’t land on the cooktop. A few splashes that made it out of the hole in testing landed on the guard, so it kept the stove clean. This is made from sturdy, heat-resistant silicone and has a fold-down handle that makes storage easy. Once cooking is done, it's dishwasher safe, so cleaning is always easy.

Price at time of publish: $17

Diameter: 13 inches | Material: Silicone | Heat Resistance: 500 degrees | Dishwasher safe? Yes

Best for Microwave

Smartwares Microwave Spatter Screen

4.8

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Our Ratings

• Size/Design
  5/5
• Versatility
  5/5
• Durability
  4/5
• Performance
  5/5
• Cleaning
  5/5

Microwave splatters can be just as bad—or worse—than stovetop splatters since they cook onto the sides, top, and bottom of the inside of the microwave, which can be awkward and difficult to wipe clean. Unfortunately, most splatter screens made for stovetop use are either too large for the microwave, or they have enough metal to make them unsuitable for microwave use.

These thin silicone mesh rounds are just the thing you need. They can drape over the top of a bowl or sit on top of a dinner plate in the microwave to contain splashes and spatter while still allowing steam out. When there’s enough material draped over the edge of a bowl, they can keep fingers safe from heat when removing the bowl from the microwave. They can also be used in a bamboo steamer basket, as a trivet, or as a grip to open jars and bottles. While these aren’t for stovetop use, we tested one briefly. While nothing untoward happened, we’d still suggest saving them for uses they’re good at.

They are easy to clean with a bit of soap by hand and can also be washed in the dishwasher.

Price at time of publish: $7

Diameter: 12 inches | Material: Silicone | Heat Resistance: Microwave only; no high-heat use | Dishwasher safe? Yes

Best for Boiling Water

Kuhn Rikon 11-Inch Cover

4.7

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Our Ratings

• Size/Design
  5/5
• Versatility
  4/5
• Durability
  5/5
• Performance
  4/5
• Cleaning
  5/5

This large cover is mostly solid, with the holes near the center covered by flaps that resemble flower petals. The flaps lift up to let out some steam, but not as much as a traditional screen, so it’s great for foods where keeping steam in is preferable. Its best use is to thwart boil-over when making pasta or other foods that create foam while cooking or when boiling is very enthusiastic. Instead of boiling over the sides, the liquid comes through the center and then drains back into the pot when the heat is turned down. We tested it with a thick tomato sauce, and while some splatters emerged from under the petals, they didn’t go far, keeping the mess contained to the guard.

Because of the concave design and the steam retention, this won’t work for frying, especially in a shallow pan. But it did so well containing frothy boiling water in our testing that we recommend it for that use as well as a universal lid for everyday cooking.

The 11-inch size is large enough for most standard cookware, but it can also be used on small pots and pans since it’s made of thick silicone that's heat resistant and won’t droop over the sides of the pots. It is dishwasher safe and actually fits more easily in dishwashers than other models. You should expect this model to last for years, although it may not look good as new after lots of use.

Price at time of publish: $20

Diameter: 11 inches | Material: Silicone | Heat Resistance: 400 degrees | Dishwasher safe? Yes

Best Set

U.S. Kitchen Supply Splatter Screen Set

4.8

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Our Ratings

• Size/Design
  5/5
• Versatility
  5/5
• Durability
  5/5
• Performance
  5/5
• Cleaning
  4/5

This set of three screens offers size options (13, 11 1/2, and 9 1/2 inches), so the cook can choose the one that fits the pan the best. And if more than one splashy pan needs a cover, another screen is ready to be used. These have black handles that stay cool during cooking and a hanging hole at the end of the handle so they can be hung on a nearby hook. One of the best features of these screens is the small feet on the underside. When using the flat side of the screen on the pan during testing, we flipped it over onto its feet to rest on the counter as we stirred food in the pot. While a drip or drop might have hit the counter, it was minimal and the working side of the screen never touched the counter.

These screens did a fine job with tomato sauce splatter. You can see where the sauce hits the screen, but it doesn't come through. They are also great for straining liquids after cooking and for sifting flour and other dry goods.

Made from stainless steel mesh with a sturdy rim, these have a fine weave that keeps droplets in the pan while the screens also resist denting. They can also be used to drain pots while keeping vegetables safely inside the pan. When cooking is done, the screens are dishwasher-safe for simple cleanup.

Price at time of publish: $18

Diameter: 13, 11.5, and 9.5 inches | Material: Stainless steel screen; plastic on handles | Heat Resistance: 400 degrees | Dishwasher safe? Yes