Two Small Kitchen and Computer Hacks

Now and then I come up with a simple solution to a problem that’s causing me trouble. In this post, I share two small home and office ‘hacks’: preventing finger burns on metal pot lids and avoiding unintended pop-up help windows on your computer.

Avoid Burning Your Fingers on Metal Pot Lids

I love my All Clad pots, but when a lid sits on a pot for an extended time, the lid’s handle can get quite hot. Sure, there might be a pot holder or towel nearby and numerous products are on the market, but I thought that there must be another way.

Looking around, I realized that corks from wine bottles could be part of a solution. With a bolt, a nut, and a bit of trimming, I made a finger protector.

Step 1: Assemble the materials.

Two corks
One bolt that is slightly longer than the combined width of the corks (in the radial direction)
One nut that fits the bolt

Step 2: Drill a hole through the corks in the radial direction through the axial centerline that is slightly larger than the bolt (see photo below for a suggested location).

Step 3: Cut a notch in each cork that is slightly larger than the pot handle. There is no ‘correct’ width and depth (see photo below for a suggested size).

Step 4: Insert the bolt through the two corks, and fasten the nut.

To use the device, align the notch with the handle of the lid, and then grab the flat edges of the corks to remove the lid.

Photo of a simple lid lifter for metal pot lid (like All Clad), made of two corks, one bolt, and a nut. Notches that are wider than the lid handle have been cut into the corks.

Stop Accidental F1 Key Strikes

When I use Excel, I rely on keyboard shortcuts to increase my efficiency. One of the keys I hit a lot is F2 (to edit a cell, likely correcting a typo caused by my haste). Unfortunately, I too frequently strike the F1 key, which launches a help window and breaks my flow, requiring a bunch of waiting and clicks to dispatch.

I couldn’t find a way to remap the F1 key, so I needed to design my own F1 blocker. My design used items found around my house and garage, and requires nothing more complicated than a hand saw.

A photo of a C-shaped wooden object covering the F1 key on a computer keyboard to prevent accidental striking of that key, and the resulting help window pop-up.

Step 1: assemble the materials (dimensions of the pieces will need to be adjusted for your keyboard).

Two pieces for the base. For my Dell KU-0833 keyboard, I used base pieces that are 3/16″ x 3/16″ x 1/2″ (4.7 mm x 4.7 mm x 12.7 mm). The square base of a bamboo chopstick with a square base worked perfectly
One piece for the top. For my keyboard, that is approximately 1/8″ x 7/8″ x 1/2″ (3.2 mm x 22 mm x 12.7 mm)
Glue or tape to fasten the base pieces to the top
An adhesive to stick the blocker to the keyboard. Putty-like poster mount and Quake Hold! worked well for me

Drawing of the three pieces used to make the F1 key blocker.

Step 2: Glue or tape the base pieces to the top

Step 3: Use the sticky material to mount the blocker over the F1 key

Step 4: Say goodbye to accidental F1 strikes

Step 5, if necessary: Find a small tool or suitable finger angle to press the F1 key when needed. On my keyboard, for example, I can send my computer to sleep with Fn-F1