The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports that “Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires,” followed by Christmas Day and Christmas Eve. With all of the company, visiting, all the cooking, getting distracted, kids getting underfoot in the kitchen, pots being knocked over, and walking away from the stove for a split second is all it takes for a fire and serious burn injuries. Wildhorse Propane & Appliances, the Salinas propane service joins the NFPA in providing kitchen safety tips and wishing everyone a safe holiday season!
Whether preparing a traditional full-course meal with all the side dishes and desserts or grilling steaks in the patio, there are some basic steps to follow for holiday cooking safety, starting with being prepared.
Getting prepared
Making the following preparations before starting to cook sets the stage for a safe holiday in the kitchen or over the grill.
- Make sure the correct class of fire extinguishers are nearby and more than one person knows how to operate them. Class K is the most recommended for kitchen fires, but to be sure, check with your local fire department.
- Make sure smoke alarms are working.
- Consider getting a fire blanket and storing it in a kitchen cabinet. These special blankets can extinguish a stove fire by throwing one over the flames.
- Clean the grill, stove, and oven, removing all old cooking residue.
- If cooking with propane, make sure the tank is full enough to provide fuel for all the extra cooking. A call to the Salinas propane service will get your tank filled in time for the holidays.
- Clean the kitchen and the area surrounding the grill. Remove obstacles. Clear countertops and other preparation surfaces.
- If using a propane grill, make sure all of the connections are tight and test for leaks.
- Keep children and pets out of the kitchen and away from the grill when cooking starts. Consider hiring a sitter to keep the kids entertained and crating pets.
- If more than one person is preparing and cooking at the same time, set up a schedule so you don’t get in each other’s way.
- Consider preparing some dishes ahead of time.
- Have an escape plan in the event of a fire.
Kitchen safety
A crowded kitchen and inattention can easily lead to accidents. Following these cooking safety tips can help minimize accidents:
- Don’t leave cooking food unattended.
- Make sure all pot handles are turned away from the edge of the stove or counter.
- Wear short sleeves and snug garments. In the rush of preparing and cooking, long sleeves and loose clothing to get to close to the stove and catch on fire. Also tie long hair back.
- Keep anything that can catch fire, including oven mitts, dish towels, and paper towels away from the stove.
- Clean up any spill immediately, whether it be on the stove, countertop, or floor.
- Use lids to prevent cooking oil from splattering onto the stove top, potentially causing a grease fire.
- Rotate cooks in the kitchen. Unless you have a huge kitchen with plenty of room to move around, it’s too easy to get in each other’s way when preparing and cooking.
- Set back-up timers. In the rush of company and with all the chatter, it’s easy to not hear the first timer. A back-up is an additional reminder and can help prevent burned food and fires.
All these tips might seem like a lot to do, especially with everything else on your holiday list. Remember! Preparing for safety is a big part of being safe. The Wildhorse Propane & Appliance team wants everyone to have a great holiday.
Wildhorse Propane & Appliance is a local, family-owned business that has been supplying propane to Salinas and nearby communities since 1980. The services include propane tanks, delivery to homes, businesses, industry, and agricultural operations, underground gas line installation, and appliance sales and deliveries.
The full line of appliances includes stovetops, ovens, refrigeration, freezers, dishwashers, laundry, air conditioning, and more, all from top brands such as Maytag, Frigidaire, Amana, KitchenAide, Whirlpool and more.