A method forms a gel from a highly-refined cellulose by:providing a composition of highly refined cellulose fiber as at least about 0.5% weight/weight highly refined cellulose to water adding at least one buffering agent to the composition to maintain the pH of the composition at a pH below 9.5 bringing the buffered composition to an elevated temperature such as a boil stifling the buffered composition and cooling the buffered composition to below 25° C. to form a gel, such as a stable gel.
