An Easy and Unexpected Fix for Lingering Kitchen Smells

There is nothing worse than getting out of bed and smelling the stale leftover aroma of last night’s dinner. Since I’m a culinary enthusiast and usually cook every single night, my apartment rarely gets a rest from wafts of garlic, brown butter, pickling liquid, and the like. I like to keep the windows open so that the circulation of fresh air whooshes away those lingering scents, but this time of year, it just gets too chilly for the fresh-air method. While there are many candles and diffusers I love, it wasn’t until I was gifted this burning beauty that I was able to actually eliminate (not mask) cooking odors in my one-bedroom apartment.

I was given this vertical beeswax candle almost exactly a year ago. Intrigued by its intricate coils and retro aesthetic, I was excited to take it for a whirl. It wasn’t until I burned it at night while cozying up to watch an episode of “Peaky Blinders” after dinner that I discovered the near-magical power this candle possesses to neutralize household odors. Within ten minutes of lighting the wax coil, my apartment no longer smelled of pesto tortellini; it felt clean.

Modeled after “courting candles” of the 18th century, this coil sits atop a metal base and has a swiveling metal clamp. Fun fact: The clamp was originally meant to set the amount of time a suitor was able to spend courting a lady, but now I use it to ensure my candle stays lit long enough to eliminate smells. That way, I can watch my “Peaky Blinders” in peace without worrying about forgetting to blow out the flame before bed (five stars for helping me not burn my kitchen to the ground). This handy clamp has increased the longevity of my candle (which is only half gone after a whole year!), because once the flame blazes its way through the allotted beeswax and reaches the metal, it is immediately extinguished. If (when) you burn through the whole 80 hours of wax, another beeswax coil refill is just a click away.

I am going to be gifting this candle to as many people as I can this year. Its odor-eliminating abilities (by the way we’re talking any smell, not just cooking odors) are just only reason it makes the perfect present. At a very reasonable price point, and with quick shipping through Amazon, this is a functional gift that truly lasts. So whether you’re cooking up a storm, looking for a funky candle, or searching for something that absolutely anyone would cherish, look no further. This beeswax burner is exactly what you need. It’s even on sale right now for a whopping 33 (!!) percent off, so snag it before it sells out.

Buy: 80-Hour Vertical Beeswax Candle, $23.36 (usually $35)

This post originally ran on Kitchn. See it there: The Unlikely Amazon Find I Use to Get Rid of Lingering Smells in My Kitchen