The fire alarm goes off really easy at my little studio in London. I have to be careful with the steam when I cook and keep the bathroom door closed when I take a shower. So I came up with a guide to cooking Quinoa at my residence without setting the bloody fire alarm. Here it goes:

First, put the lid on your pot. Then, place a thick cloth on top and make sure to cover the lid's top surface entirely such that no steam can escape. In order to keep the cloth in place put a heavy object on top of it, e.g., a bag of onions of various sizes works quite well. Make sure to keep an eye on your pot and patiently wait.

Furthermore, if you did set the fire alarm, don't panic and keep calm. Use the cloth and wave it in front the smoke detector like a maniac. It'll stop and life will go back to normal.

ps - this method is also applicable to rice, pasta, etc.

H & H