I love to cook and experiment with new flavours. I taught myself to cook many years ago when I lived with my parents. Slowly I began to get more confident and experimented with more and more types of cuisine and flavours. Over the past few years I have had recipes published in magazines and online and even appeared briefly on a cookery competition on tv.
Cooking can be very therapeutic but it can also be more dangerous than you might expect. I remember when I was still living with my parents I went to use the toaster. Normally this was kept on the low setting and barely moved past the second number until my brother decided to get his hands on it that was. Having been used to the setting always being low I threw in a piece of frozen bread to heat up, nothing unusual I had been doing it for years. I left the toaster to open the front door, walk down the drive to my mum who had just arrived having just come back from the supermarket. I helped take some bags out of the car and heard the fire alarm going off. Running to the kitchen I was greeted by the toaster which to my horror had set alight. I turned off the electricity and somehow managed to put out the flames (how I managed did this a blur but turning the toaster off and unplugging it helped). From that day forth I have always checked the dial on the toaster but am thankful that I had managed to put out the flames. It’s crazy how the silliest thing can cause a fire so with that I thought it might be useful to include a link to these ‘kitchen fire safety tips‘. I would never have expected that cooking toast could cause such chaos and trust me it took years to live that one down.
Here are my Top Tips for Safe Cooking
Never leave any items you are cooking unattended.
Make sure microwaves, ovens, hobs & toasters are clean as these may set alight (been there done that). This includes spills whilst cooking, you don’t want to slip.
Make sure mini people and their toys are not on the kitchen floor when cooking and if they are they have to be that they are far away from the cooking area.
Make sure handles of pots on the stove are all turned away from the front of the stove.
Be careful not to leave knives lying around or anywhere little mans can reach.
Keep kitchen towels and oven gloves away from the stove.
Be careful when removing lids to check food to prevent being scalded by steam.
Turn your toaster off and unplug it before sticking anything in to retrieve a piece of toast. If you leave it on and use a metal object you could be in for a ‘shock’
Be careful when trying various life hacks like making a toasted cheese sandwich in a side turned toaster, brownies in a microwave you don’t want to risk a fire or burning brownies OMG what a waste that would be!
Here’s how not to make brownies in the microwave!
I can safely say I learnt from that mistake and don’t leave anything unattended no matter what it is. Even phone calls will not distract me from my cooking. For me it’s safety and non cremated food first.
So I’ve told you one of my major kitchen fails do you have any you would like to share? Or any tips?
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Yum love the look of nutella brownie. Pure chocoholic dream…although might not make them in a microwave.
Good idea, straight in the oven for any I make.
Mmmhmm Nutella brownies. Some good safety tips, always a good reminder x
Thanks, I need to make some nutella brownies.
My grandparents always told us to turn saucepan handles in towards the work surface. This has always such with us. Great safety tips!
Thanks, it’s better to be safe 😉
Great post, I’ve been known to burn a lot of food which is not good!
Oh dear, we all have mishaps at some stage or another.
These are great tips! I try to be careful when I’m cooking but definitely could take better notice of a couple of these (particularly the cleaning bit!)
I think most need to clean their appliances a little more often 😉
It is always good to cook safely and making sure that mini me’s are not around is a good call. I think its important to keep things out of their reach too.
It sure is. My little man will try and grab anything he can get his hands on.
These are great tips. I remember having some kitchen disasters when I was younger!
Oh dear I hope all were ok.
Fab tips – my husband ALWAYS leaves the pan handle sticking out and it really winds me up!!
I think most are the same.
Wow who would have expected that to happen on the video. It’s a little scary!
It’s just something to be aware of. We should be careful ovens, microwaves etc are clean.
Oh crumbs, that toaster story is scary! Pun not intended…
Lol, it sure was at the time. Thanks for your comment claire 😉
So many great tips! I don’t trust myself to cook anything lol
It’s just a matter of being careful that’s all 😉
Some great tips here, I’ll definitely be sharing!
Thanks for helping spread the word.
These are some very good tips indeed, the one about the pan handles being turned inwards and the kitchen cloths being away from the hobs is especially important because I can be quite absent minded in the kitchen and often forget those ones! X
Glad to have reminded you. I’d like to know all my readers are aware and keeping safe.
Great tips. I like having an open plan living and kitchen area because it means nothing gets left unattended x
That’s great, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
We love cooking and I truly believe it is very important to be safe in the kitchen!
Me too and it’s amazing how fast things can go wrong if we are not careful!
Great tips. Those brownies look blooming delicious! I won’t be making brownies in the microwave now and leaving it.
Thanks for your comment. It’s good to be aware of potential hazards.
These are good safety tips. We once had a kitchen fire when I was a little girl and its not something i would want my daughter to experience.
It must have been pretty scary! I don’t blame you.
Those brownies look very delicious. I do love brownies. Scary video, thanks for highlighting this.
It is a bit worrying isn’t it! It’s good to be aware though.
I have stair gates in my kitchen so the kids cannot get in when I am cooking
Great idea, we have an exceptionally wide kitchen entrance so unfortunately that wouldn’t work for us.
I am so going to try making those Nutella brownies! And yes, never leave cooking unattended. Have heard one story too many about unattended toasters.
Happy baking!
Great tips, I think I’ve learnt from my mistakes with most of them though!
Oh dear, hope you didn’t have anything bad happen.
Great advice! I always turn my pot handles in. One of my friends questioned it thinking I was insane until I explained the safety to him! Now he always makes sure he turns the pot handles inward
Glad to hear you are keeping safe and spreading the word.
Those Nutella brownies look so yummy! Turning the handles of the pots is a great tip! That video is shocking!
Thanks Shannon, it’s better to be safe then sorry.
I leave the cooking to Rachel, I haven’t a clue how the oven works and can just about manage a microwave pizza!
That’s a shame cooking can be great fun. Although not all take to it at first.
Such important tips! It’s always good to make mistakes so we can learn from them!
Thanks Kira, it is amazing how quickly something can go wrong.
Fab tips here Melanie. I like my kids far away from the kitchen when am cooking for now.
Thanks, I really don’t like them in the kitchen when I cook, it’s really dangerous and they sneak up on me too sometimes!
I just love cooking and these are great tips. MMm brownies are my favourite. I promise I will be careful if I microwave them.
I love brownies too!!!
Your point about the toaster did make me laugh- when I was younger I put a knife inside while it was switched on to see what the orange things inside were made of…. I was 16! xxx
Oh dear. I hope you were ok x
Yes girl after my own heart!!! Brownies!!!! I might be careful if I cook in the microwave though.
It doesn’t take long in a microwave so not too long to watch it.
What a great post, I don’t really think about kitchen safety.
Ithink we all just get on with things and it’s only when there is an accident that we think about it.
I must admit I have made a brownie in a mug in the microwave!
It’s not a problem as long as the microwave is clean and not left unattended x
Great tips, im a terrible cook. those Brownies looks lovely
They do, we loooove brownies!!! shame about the microwave.
I never unplug the toaster when trying to balance a piece of toast out on a fork or knife- I think I might just start doing that! I’m lucky not to have touched in elements ever, but don’t want to risk it!
You really don’t want to take the risk, stay safe x
Safety in the kitchen is very important and I am glad you have highlighted it here.
Thanks Nayna, It’s shocking how many people are not aware of simple ways to keep safe.
Great tips. I’m lucky in that my kitchen is right next to the main living spaces, so if something goes wrong I am at least close by. I’m sure there’s more I could be doing to reduce the chances of accidents though.