Try out these suggestions to prevent grease fires.
Grease fires are one of the most common types of house fires, and they can break out with very little warning. Grease fires usually start when cooking oil begins to overheat. This can happen when you leave oiled pans on the stove unattended or when you have the temperature turned up too high. As the oil overheats, it will begin to smoke before eventually catching fire. Fortunately, preventing a grease fire is relatively easy. Try out these suggestions to prevent grease fires.
- Be Vigilant
When you are heating up oil to cook or deep fry, then you should never leave the pan unattended. You should watch to make sure that the oil isn’t starting to smoke. If you want to go the extra mile, then you should use a thermometer to monitor your oil as it heats. If the oil temperature goes too high, you should reduce your flame or carefully remove the pan from the stove altogether.
- Use the Right Oil for the Job
Certain types of cooking oil handle high heats better than others. For instance, refined peanut, corn, sunflower, and canola oils have higher smoke points and, therefore, can be heated to higher temperatures before smoke and fire break out. If you need to sear or deep fry foods, then using these durable oils will reduce your chances of grease fires. If you are using butter, flax oil, coconut oil, or unrefined oils, then you need to watch things more closely because these types of oils have lower smoking points.
- Cook Cautiously
Finally, when you are adding food to hot oil, you need to do so gently and carefully to avoid oil splatter. When oil splatters, there’s a chance that it can ignite after coming into contact with your cooking flame or coil. Additionally, you should avoid adding water or damp foods to hot oil as the water will react with the oil and cause a giant splatter or even an explosion.
These are some of the ways that you can deal with grease fires. Want another way to keep your home safe? Then make sure you have the right homeowners insurance in place. For assistance with all your home coverage needs, contact the experts at The Reardon Agency today.
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