Top kitchen fails and how to prevent them

There’s nothing better than a home-cooked meal, yet the kitchen can be a dangerous place. Find out what some of the most common kitchen-mishaps are and learn how to prevent them to avoid chaotic meal times (and costly kitchen repairs!).

You probably don’t want to make your own steak tartar unless you’re certain about the quality of the meat. According to the Australian Department of Health, bacteria can grow on food in the 'danger zone' of between 5ºC and 60ºC. It recommends cooking refrigerated or frozen foods to a temperature of at least 75ºC to kill the germs that can make you sick.

These days, many Australians use a microwave because meals can be made and heated quicker and easier than on the stove. But, you need to make sure you’re not using metal. Heating up metal in a microwave can cause sparks that can turn into a kitchen fire.

To avoid cutting yourself, lay the food item flat on a chopping board and cut away from your hand. Tuck your fingers in if possible, to avoid slicing the tips.

While the natural oils from chillies may not cause actual damage to your eyes, it sure can hurt! To prevent getting chilli oils into your eyes, use rubber gloves when cutting or handling them or coat your hands with vegetable oil before carefully chopping.

Getting your weekly Taco Tuesday fix? Because you can contaminate ready-to-eat foods like avocadoes and lettuce with germs from raw poultry, seafood or eggs, be sure to keep them separate by using different cutting boards and utensils.

A clean kitchen is a safe kitchen. So, don’t let grease build up inside your stove or on the burners, as this can start a fire. Dump the crumb tray and clean out the toaster crumbs periodically on your toaster or toaster oven. Unplug and repair or replace any appliances that don’t work properly.

It may not be easy to wipe up a kitchen spill immediately, especially if you’re in the middle of a time-sensitive recipe or you’ve got other things happening (water boiling over on the stove, butter bubbling over in the microwave, etc.). Just make sure to clean it up as soon as possible, so it doesn’t cause you or a guest to slip and fall.

At Chubb, we know even the most careful home chefs can sometimes have meal-prep go awry. That’s why when you’re at your worst, we’re at our best, always treating you with empathy. So if you experience a claim, you’ll want your life back, and to fix and rebuild without hassles, headaches, or delay. Let us raise your expectations of what your homeowner’s insurance can provide.