Safer Cooking: Frying

Frying typically combines heat or flame, a combustible substance like grease or oil, and a shallow, open pan. Is it any wonder that frying is the method that causes the most cooking fires? Here are some tips for safer frying:

• Stay in the kitchen. Turn off the stove if you must answer the phone or leave the kitchen, even for ‘just a second.’
• Always have a lid and a dry oven mitt nearby.
• To smother a small grease fire, use the mitt to slide the lid over the pan. Turn off the stove. Leave the pan covered until it’s completely cool to keep the fire from restarting.
• Never try to put out a grease fire with water, which can make it spread.
• If you can’t quickly smother the fire with a lid, get out. Call 9-1-1 after you leave.

To help prevent grease fires, keep your stovetop clean of grease and periodically clean grease from the vents and exhaust hood, so it cannot be ignited by heat.

See the NFPA recommendations for deep fryers and turkey fryers.