Kitchens are considered the heart of the home but they're also home to a lot of equipment that can pose safety hazards. Cooking fires top the list of things that can go wrong in the kitchen followed by injuries from knives, cookware, food processors, microwaves, and blenders. Fires related to cooking peak over the holidays—Thanksgiving has three times the average cooking-related fires. Here are some tips from safety pros and the experts at Consumer Reports that will help you avoid accidents and keep you out of the emergency room over the holidays.
Fires involving cooking equipment account for two of every five reported home fires. Unattended cooking equipment accounts for one in three fires, and half are ignited by fat, grease, oil, or related substances, according to the National Fire Protection Association. If you spend a lot of time in the kitchen, take a minute to bone up on these safety tips to avoid accidents.
Lacerations caused by knives of all kinds (not just the kitchen type) affected more than 350,000 people in 2012, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Dull knives are actually more dangerous than sharp ones, because they require more pressure to use and their worn edge can cause the knife to slip off food and into your fingers. To avoid accidents and injuries:
Almost 40,000 people were injured from these appliances. Kids are especially at risk if they're not supervised and climb on an open door, causing the range to tip over. To prevent accidents and injuries:
More than 37,000 people were injured from using cookware. Hot handles can burn and sometimes glass cookware can shatter. Heed these no-nos:
Food processors caused more than 21,000 injuries, including cuts from the blades. To prevent accidents and injuries:
More than 10,000 people were hurt using microwaves. Burns were most common. To prevent accidents and injuries:
More than 9,600 injuries occurred involving blenders. Immersion blenders are great for soups because they blend directly in a pot, but recent reports show that injuries are growing with the use of those small appliances. To prevent accidents and injuries:
This article was adapted from Consumer Reports ShopSmart magazine with additional reporting.
Build & Buy Car Buying Service
Save thousands off MSRP with upfront dealer pricing information and a transparent car buying experience.
Get Ratings on the go and compare
while you shop