·7 DIY Tighten loose wobbly frying pan|skillet|saucepan handles
How to fix and tighten loose or wobbly
kitchen frying-pan, skillet, or saucepan handles!
Metal cookware; got a great cook-pan or skillet in the kitchen but the handle is really loose and wobbly? No worries – fix it! Some pan handles are easier to fix than others but most can be made serviceable again without too much effort.
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| How to tighten and fix loose or wobbly kitchen-pan handles. |
A few types of saucepan or frying-pan handle fixings are trickier to secure than others, especially if the pan has been in kitchen service a long time, but tightening or re-securing the handles can be done with a bit of patience and tenacity and then that pan can be put back into good use without the worry of the handle falling off and, it'll save you money by not having to buy a new pan!
TIGHTENING KITCHEN PAN HANDLE SCREWS
👉 If you've a loose pan handle that's secured by rivets or studs, please see my video here DIY How to fix|tighten|secure RIVET/STUDS type kitchen pan handles
Unless molded or cast as a single piece of metal, the kitchen pans without rivets have a screw(s) or a small bolt(s) of some description that secure the handle to the pan which should fix tightly together with the help of a captivated nut. These screws are generally either Torx, Allen, Phillips, or a cross-head type and an appropriate screwdriver or screwdriver' bit is required to turn them efficiently so that plenty of torque can be applied to help keep the handle rigid and minimize the possibility of the pan handle working loose and wobbling. The screws of the pan handles can often be turned by simply using a normal flat-bladed screwdriver, but if the pan is old and has been used a lot, then the screws are likely to be jammed tight, rusting or corroded, and can't be shifted or turned easily with a regular screwdriver.
🤔 👉 On top of the screw, beneath the slots provided for flat bladed screwdriver access, do look for another shaped indentation, cavity or 'socket hole' below it which could be either Torx-shaped or Hex-shaped (hexagonal) and it may not be easy to see at first because the head of the screw may be full of crud, so pick around in there and see if removing any, “crud” (here meaning, encrusted cooking debris) reveals something beneath it?
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| A kitchen frying pan handle with a Torx screw. Pictured above, my trusty Tefal or T-fal pan which shows flat-bladed screwdriver slots manufactured on top of the Torx socket cavity. Initially, that Torx socket hole was not at all visible until after I had cleaned-up the screw's head 😐 |
USE THE CORRECT TOOL FOR REMOVING THE PAN HANDLE'S SCREW
Using a suitable screwdriver for these Torx or Hex screws makes the job of removing and tightening the pan handle relatively easy compared to using a cross-head screw or a simple flat-blade screw head because much more torque can be applied by hand to both unscrew and then screw back and fasten Hex or Torx fixings.
If you're interested, here's a page about various type of screws / drives — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_screw_drives
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| Watch #HowToBloke as he fixes and tightens loose or wobbly kitchen frying pan / skillet / saucepan handles! |
In his YouTube video above just here 👆 (English subtitles available), watch HowToBloke talk about kitchenware and demonstrate how he tightens the loose or wobbly handles on some of his kitchen pots-and-pans such as saucepans, fry pans, or skillets, to fix 'em!
CROSS-HEAD PAN HANDLE SCREWS
Kitchen pans with handles that are attached with a cross-headed screw are a devil to turn if they're rusted-in and simply won't budge because unfortunately, unless it's made of stainless steel, stripping the head of that type of screw when trying to turn it is all too easy to do! ☹️ In trying to remove or even just move this type of screw I have had some success using a big sturdy Phillips screwdriver that can survive a few taps or gentle whacks to the top of the screwdriver's handle with a small hammer — because, (hopefully) by tapping the top of the screwdriver and turning the screwdriver on the screw at the same time, and with some luck, it will eventually turn forward or backwards 👍
SUMMARY: In my opinion, I think the inset design of the screw in my Tefal (also known as T-fal) pan handle (pictured above) to allow adjustment with either a flat-blade screwdriver or a Torx screwdriver is a great feature. 👍
💡 If you're removing the pan handle to change, clean or upgrade it, it's probably worth fitting a stainless steel screw because stainless steel is more durable in a kitchen environment. Stainless steel screws can normally be found at a good hardware store although you'll probably have to buy more than one because they are often sold in packets of 3 or more.
👍 So, having read all of the above, when buying a new cooking pan, examine it closely to find out exactly how the pan's handle is secured to the pot or pan because knowing that could save you time in the future! ;)
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Disclaimer: Use of any information found in this video and the above text, or linked to it or from it is at your own risk.
This post №7 “DIY How to fix and tighten loose or wobbly kitchen frying pan / skillet / saucepan handles” appeared first at HowToBloke.com on 7th November 2021.
