Safe Cooking 101

If you’re hosting Thanksgiving, your kitchen will be a hub of activity. But use caution — or hot burners, sharp utensils, and electric mixers can turn cookery into catastrophe. Stay safe with these reminders for averting potential disaster:

Preparation positions. Use back burners when possible. Point pot handles inward. Keep knives and glassware off the edges of countertops. Use small appliances away from your sink or other water source, and stow them when you’re done. Keep flammables like pot holders, plastics, and glass away from the heat. And if a grease fire breaks out, never douse in water. Turn off the heat and throw a metal lid, wet cloth, or baking soda over the flame to smother it.

Cooking attire. Avoid bathrobes and other loose garments, which can easily catch fire. Take off any jewelry that could get caught in a mixer or garbage disposal. Keep your hair pulled back, and always use oven mitts when handling anything hot.

Kitchen staff. Too many chefs may cause injury. Limit the oven and stove responsibilities to one person. Ask others to help with noncooking tasks like tossing the salad, slicing the bread, or mixing the potatoes.