Winter cooking safety

Make sure your cooking adventures are safe with these tips

Winter months mean colder weather, which means spending more time indoors at home. It often means we are getting more use out of our kitchen appliances as well.

With a little planning and some handy tips from Cass County Electric Cooperative, you can select the best ways for you to make your cooking more energy efficient:

• Inspect all small appliances and electric cords to make sure they are in good repair before using. Do not use appliances with cracked or frayed cords.
• Read the operating instructions of any appliance before use.
• When purchasing new kitchen appliances, look for UL-Listed appliances with automatic shut-off features.
• Never plug more than one high-wattage appliance into a single outlet.
• Keep cooking areas clear of other items, particularly items that could ignite, like oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, etc. Keep the area clean and free of grease.
• Stay focused and attentive to baking, frying, brewing, and simmering foods.
• Have a “kid-free” zone of at least three feet in areas where hot foods and beverages are being prepared.
• Make sure outlets near sinks are equipped with properly tested ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) to prevent shocks.
• Always have a working fire extinguisher on hand, and know how to operate it. Never put water on a grease fire.