What is a Simmer Pot, and Why Are They So Popular?

What is a Simmer Pot, and Why Are They So Popular?

Cinnamon, apple, mulling spices, gingerbread, orange, clove – the smells of Christmas are arguably one of the season’s best treats to us. There’s nothing quite like that first waft of spice or walking in from the cold to an entryway that smells like a gently smoking fire, a simmering casserole, and the pine of the Christmas tree.

Then again, the smells we tie to the rest of the year are arguably just as sweet. The fresh cotton and florals of spring or the sweet scent of rampant baking during autumn.

Sometimes, these smells arrive naturally – almost inadvertently. Others, we have to create them ourselves and, in so doing, set the ambiance of a room or floor.

What are simmer pots?

Put simply, a simmer pot is an assortment of ingredients combined together in water and set on a medium heat to simmer for a few hours, releasing a more concentrated aroma into the air. It’s healthier than an aerosol and, often, faster at enveloping the rooms in a scent than burning a candle would be.

Scent is so important when it comes to setting the ambiance and creating a particular mood. Like most interior designers, we would always set lighting on the highest pedestal when it comes to transforming a home from one particular atmosphere to another. Colour is also incredibly important, although the rules of colour are never as prescriptive as some would have you believe. Red, for instance, isn’t the antihero of bedroom décor, provided it’s used tactfully – you can read more about that here.

The importance of smell in interior design

Scent is very closely tied to mood.

Some studies have shown that around 75% of our emotions are triggered by smell. Some are well-documented and considered more or less universal – say, lavender for relaxation or eucalyptus for invigorating the mind in the morning after a good, long rest. Others are far more specific to the individual. The seasons bring their own smells and, with that, different emotional responses depending on whether

Scent is also closely tied to memory. There’s a very good reason why the smell of the Christmas decorations immediately unlocks decades’ worth of good memories, or why we can very suddenly run up against an old and almost forgotten memory seemingly at random – when walking down the street or testing a new perfume. Some perfumeries even use nostalgia like a secret ingredient – Maison Margiela, for instance, released a line of Replica perfumes inspired by scent memories. This range is intended to draw on memories buried deep within the user’s mind.

What makes a simmer pot?

A simmer pot is really what you make of it. It’s a combination of complementary elements – and what compliments what is down to the person doing the simmering. Use the time of year as your guide, with fresh, seasonal ingredients that harmonise with the general atmosphere in (and outside of) the home.