Cooking safety is critical. Luckily, it’s not hard to stay safe in the kitchen. In this list, we’ll go over some surprisingly simple safety tips. They can make a huge difference in the safety of you and your loved ones in your indoor and outdoor kitchen.
Table of Contents
Loose clothing can hang and make contact with grill grates or catch on oven doors. You don’t want this to cause a fire. Accessories like hats or scarves could fall onto the grill as well. Take them off before you start grilling or cooking indoors.
Grills and gas ranges produce a lot of heat, so it’s possible for surrounding materials to catch fire if they’re too close to the heat source. Keep your cooking area clear of combustible materials and other items that may catch fire.
One of the leading causes of cooking fires indoors and outdoors is an unattended cooking area. If you’re multitasking or distracted, it’s easy to forget about your food. Be extra cautious when cooking, especially outdoors. If you go inside to do something else, you may not walk past the grill and notice that it’s on.
You can easily knock pots and pans over by running into the handles. In some cases, they’ll fall off the stove entirely. This is incredibly dangerous as you can burn yourself and potentially cause a grease fire.
The first thing to do if a grease fire occurs is turn off the heat source. Then find a lid and smother the fire to deprive it of oxygen. If you don’t have a lid, apply baking soda or salt to the fire to extinguish it. Don’t attempt to remove the pan from the stove as it will be dangerously hot.
If baking soda or salt is not enough, use a fire extinguisher to douse the fire. This can also lead to some splashing of oil so it is the last resort. Don’t get too close to the fire when using the fire extinguisher.
Do not use water to douse a grease fire. It may spread the fire and splash oil which is dangerous.
Follow the same process with a microwave oven fire, but unplug the appliance as well. You can use a fire extinguisher, baking soda, or salt to extinguish the fire.
This is a no-brainer, as you don’t want kids or pets to injure themselves by knocking something over in the cooking area. You’ll be working with high heat so it’s best to keep the in-and-out traffic at a minimum.
Notify anyone in the household and get out as quickly as possible.
Consuming raw meat or poultry can lead to food poisoning. So you don’t want to mix it with other ingredients. If you’re using one cutting board to slice raw chicken, don’t use the same one for vegetables or fruits. This goes for any appliances you use when prepping food: mixing bowls, baking sheets, blenders, and more.
Lighter fluid can flare up when it makes contact with a hot grill, leading to harmful burns. You don’t need a visible flame for lighter fluid to flare up. If your grill won’t light, try manually lighting it with a long lighter. If it’s still not lighting, turn off the gas. Inspect the line and its connections for leaks.
This reduces the risk of injury and fire when repairing your grill. If you’re not comfortable doing repairs, call a professional.
Brushing the grill helps remove the stuck-on food and grease from the grill grates. Greasy grill grates can cause fires quickly because the baked-on food will ignite. It’s best to clean your grill grates every few months to reduce the risk of a cooking fire.
Grease can build up in the burners or firebox and lead to fires if not cleaned consistently. While you’re cleaning the inside of the grill, you can soak the grill grates in soap and water.
The lid, when closed, concentrates gas in a small space. If ignited, a flashback can occur. A flashback is a ball of flame that flares up after igniting the grill. The most common cause of flashbacks is heavy grease on the inside of the grill.
Try using a handheld lighter with a long handle to light your grill. Don’t leave the gas on for more than 20 to 30 seconds. The smallest spark could ignite a fire.
Keep your distance when lighting a grill. You never want to be close to any heat source that you can’t control.
You want to get in the habit of checking the hoses and connections to your gas grill before every use. The tell-tale sign of a faulty gas line or loose connection is the smell of gas. If you notice any wear, don’t use your gas grill until it’s been repaired.
Smoke alarms are required in every room where you sleep and on each level of your home. In enclosed kitchens, install a smoke alarm inside your home’s nearest entrance as an added safety measure.
If your smoke alarm goes off, open windows and doors to improve ventilation. Turn on your outdoor range hood to vent the heavy smoke from your outdoor space.
Sometimes they can be left on if you are distracted while cooking. Occasionally you can bump into them and turn them on accidentally.
Extension cords are not nearly as reliable as connecting to a three-prong outlet. They can overheat, spark, and cause fires if the connected appliance is too powerful. You should only use extension cords temporarily until you get the proper electrical parts and wiring installed.
Grilling near wooden structures like a cover or deck can lead to cooking fires. Stray sparks can make contact with the wood and burn it. It’s important to take precautions and have a fire extinguisher close by when grilling on a wooden deck. Don’t leave the grill unattended!
Undercooked meat can make you sick, so the eye test is not enough. Just poke the thermometer into the meat to check the temperature.
Lock the wheels on a freestanding grill so you can cook comfortably. You don’t want your meats moving around while you cook. When installing a built-in grill, make sure the floor is level.
Thanks for reading our post on cooking safety tips! Be sure to exercise caution while cooking so you and your family can stay safe.
How to Plan the Perfect Outdoor Cooking Area
Ensuring proper ventilation in your kitchen is crucial for maintaining good indoor air quality. Studies…
Outdoor kitchens are the ultimate oasis for culinary enthusiasts, offering a chance to break free…
When it comes to outdoor kitchens, the question of whether a vent hood is necessary…
After a lot of hard work to find the best range hood for you, it…
Cleaning an outdoor range hood is an essential task to maintain the efficiency and appearance…
Cooking may seem like a harmless everyday activity, but the fumes released during the cooking…
This website uses cookies.