Simmer pots are a fantastic, natural way to fill your home with delightful scents that feel warm, inviting, and cozy. From fresh citrus and rosemary to cinnamon sticks and cloves, a simmer pot’s aroma can transform any space and even set the mood for seasons or holidays. While these stovetop potpourris are simple to make, there are a few common mistakes that can keep your simmer pot from reaching its full “aromatic potential.” Here’s a look at five of the most common simmer pot mistakes—and some easy tips to help you avoid them for a longer-lasting, fresher-smelling home!
Top 5 Simmer Pot Mistakes to Avoid for the Best Results
Mistake #1: Adding Too Much Water at the Start
One of the most common mistakes is adding too much water to the simmer pot right from the beginning. While it might seem logical to fill the pot, adding too much water actually dilutes the scent, making it take longer for the fragrances to disperse into the room.
How to Avoid It: Start with just enough water to cover your ingredients, usually around 2–3 cups. This amount will let the aroma build up faster and stronger. As the water naturally evaporates over time, add more in small amounts as needed. This approach maintains a steady scent while avoiding a diluted aroma from too much water.
Mistake #2: Letting the Pot Simmer Too Hot or Too Fast
Another common simmer pot mistake is setting the heat too high, thinking it will release more scent more quickly. Unfortunately, higher heat can scorch ingredients, especially delicate herbs and fruits, which results in a burnt or bitter smell rather than a pleasant one.
How to Avoid It: Simmer pots are best on low heat. Set your stove to the lowest setting and allow the ingredients to warm up gradually. If it seems like the water is evaporating too quickly or starting to boil, move the pot off the heat for a few minutes to adjust the temperature and prevent burning. Low, slow simmering is the key to coaxing out those warm, layered aromas.
Mistake #3: Using Ingredients Past Their Prime
Using fresh ingredients makes all the difference in the strength and quality of the scent that fills your home. Stale or dried-out ingredients won’t produce as robust a smell, leaving your simmer pot’s scent underwhelming and less effective.
Although you can also use kitchen scraps that are fresh or that you’ve frozen when they were fresh too!Try making these Kitchen Scrap Simmer Pots!
How to Avoid It: Whenever possible, use fresh, aromatic ingredients. Fresh citrus with juicy peels, newly harvested herbs, and quality spices, like cinnamon sticks and cloves, deliver the richest scents. If you’re using dried spices, ensure they still have a strong fragrance before adding them to the pot. Fresh ingredients can elevate the whole simmer pot experience, bringing a brighter, more authentic aroma to your space.
Mistake #4: Forgetting to Monitor the Water Level
Simmer pots need a little love and attention to maintain the perfect scent. Because water can evaporate faster than expected, especially if left unattended, you might end up with ingredients burning or even a scorched pot if you’re not monitoring the water level closely.
How to Avoid It: To prevent this, check your simmer pot (affiliate link) every 30 minutes to an hour. You can set a timer on your phone to remind you. When the water level gets low, add a bit more, just enough to keep the ingredients submerged. Monitoring the water level also allows you to avoid a burned pot and keep the simmer pot’s aroma pure and fresh.
Mistake #5: Reusing the Same Ingredients for Too Long
It can be tempting to keep a simmer pot going indefinitely, especially if you’ve fallen in love with the scent. But a common simmer pot mistake is reusing the same ingredients for too long. Ingredients lose their aroma after a few hours, and if kept for too long, they can start to smell a bit stale or off.
How to Avoid It: Plan to refresh your ingredients every day, or at least every 3–4 hours of simmering. After that time, most ingredients have lost their full scent, especially if they’re fruits or fresh herbs. Compost old ingredients if you can, or place them in the garden as a natural fertilizer. Adding fresh ingredients ensures that the fragrance filling your home is always rich and inviting.
Conclusion
I love simmer pots! If you love them too, or if you’d like to try them for the first time, check out my other blog post with 16 simmer pot recipes for all seasons!
Simmer pots are such a simple, enjoyable way to enhance your home’s atmosphere. By avoiding these common mistakes—using just the right amount of water, simmering on low heat, using fresh ingredients, keeping an eye on the water level, and refreshing ingredients as needed—you can enjoy a cozy, aromatic environment all day long.
Experiment with different ingredients to find the combinations that make your home feel exactly how you want it to. Whether it’s a warm cinnamon and orange for winter or fresh herbs and lemon in the summer, these simple tips will help you get the most out of your simmer pots year-round.
