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Kitchen mishaps: copying celebrity TV chefs causes kitchen accidents

More than six million¹ people in the UK had a cooking accident or caused damage to their kitchen as a result of copying the professional cooking techniques of TV chefs, according to research commissioned by esure home insurance²

According to the survey, just one in five (20%) of households have a TV in their kitchen and despite modern technology, which allows us to ‘stop’, ‘pause’ and ‘rewind’ programmes, 62 per cent prefer to attempt re-creating a dish in ‘real time’ along with the chef.

Consequently, a quarter (25 per cent) of amateur cooks admit to leaving their kitchens unattended whilst they run into the lounge to catch the next step on television and a worrying 86 per cent admit they have carelessly left something cooking on the hob whilst doing so. One in ten home cooks have even been injured when running from kitchen to lounge in order to copy recipes from the TV - in fact, 34 per cent of those admitted to having slipped on peelings and spilt liquids in the process.

Safety tips for cooking at home

Here are some top tips for cooking safely and avoiding injury or damage to your kitchen units and utensils, from celebrity chef Tony Tobin from Ready Steady Cook and restaurant Tony Tobin @ The Dining Room in Reigate, Surrey:

• It may just seem like common sense - but before using any complex kitchen equipment that you are unfamiliar with, make sure you have read the instructions are know how to use them safely
• Always wear oven gloves (avoid using tea towels or other improvisations) when removing hot items from the oven or microwave
• Make sure knives and other sharp equipment are stored safely. Knife blocks are a good idea for sharper knives so that injuries are avoided when reaching into drawers
• Ensure kitchen floors are cleared of all clutter before you begin, so there are no hazards to trip over. If you spill something on the floor, make sure you clean it up immediately
• Tie or clip hair back so it is out of the way especially when working over a gas hob with open flames
• Do not attempt to chop as quickly as TV chefs do - always take your time. It takes a great deal of practice to be able to prepare food at that speed!
• Preparation is key - read through recipes in advance and always make sure you have sufficient time to create dishes safely. Rushing simply leads to more spillages and accidents
• Make sure you have got a clear work surface before starting to cook
• Clothing is important - think safety and comfort. Loose clothing can get caught on equipment and long sleeves can be dangerous if you have a gas hob, so roll them up
• Wear an apron - this will protect your clothes from spillages but also will prevent you from being burnt by hot splashes
• Remove all jewellery - not only for hygiene reasons but also dangly or intricate items can get caught on cooking equipment
• Keep flammable kitchen cloths away from hobs and make sure pan handles are not resting over hot hobs - they can heat up very quickly and this could cause burns
• Turn saucepan handles away from the edge of the work surface so you don’t knock them
• Make sure you have a smoke alarm fitted and that it’s checked regularly. If anything burns in the oven it will alert you immediately and help prevent fires
• Always have fire extinguishers available and make sure you know how to use them - if a fire does develop in a pot or pan, turn off the heat; cover it with a fire blanket and leave it to cool
• Keep a first aid kit nearby if possible

 

¹ 14 per cent of total population over 16 years of age (49,049,000 - Office for National Statistics, Mid-Year Population estimates, 2006) - 6,866,860
² Fly Research, commissioned by esure, surveyed 1,300 of the UK’s homeowners from across the country aged 18 and over, on 13 April 2008