It's no secret that most residential and commercial kitchens constitute enormous fire hazards, with hobs, fat fryers and even humble toasters all capable of starting a truly catastrophic kitchen fire in the wrong hands. As such, keeping at least one fire extinguisher close to hand is vital for true safety and peace of mind in the kitchen.

However, choosing the right fire extinguisher or your kitchen can be difficult, largely because many types of fire extinguisher are unsuitable for fighting kitchen fires. Traditional water-filled fire extinguishers, for example, are extremely dangerous when used on oil and flammable liquid fires. Fortunately, there are a number of fire extinguisher types to choose from that are far more suitable for fighting kitchen fires:

Water mist extinguishers

These modern additions to the fire extinguisher pantheon spray ordinary water, but they release it in a fine mist as opposed to the directed jet of water produced by traditional extinguishers. This makes them a much safer proposition when it comes to tackling fat fires, as long as they are used properly -- the mist should be sprayed above the fire and allowed to settle, rather than directed straight at the source of a fire. However, they are just as unsafe to use on electrical fires as ordinary water extinguishers.

In addition to this versatility, water mist extinguishers can also be a great safety aid to whoever is operating them. The mist that is ejected from the extinguisher forms a cool, moist 'wall' of water vapour between the operator and the fire, preventing fires from rapidly spreading in your direction and providing a measure of protection against heat.

Wet chemical extinguishers

These extinguishers are filled with a proprietary blend of different fire-fighting chemicals, such as potassium acetate, and can be safely used to fight any variety of fire, save for fires caused by thin, flammable liquids such as petrol -- not much of a concern in all but the manliest of kitchens. Instead of a dangerous stream of liquid qhich could agitate fat fires, wet chemicals dispense their extinguishing materials as a fine mist which settles on burning media.

Their sheer versatility makes them excellent for fighting kitchen fires, as this single extinguisher is safe to use on oil fires, burning pans, burning curtains and furniture, and even electrical fires started by electric kettles or toaster ovens. Smaller kitchens can achieve excellent fire safety with a single, compact wet chemical extinguisher, so these extinguishers are also a budget-conscious choice. 

Fire blankets

A common sight in many resitential kitchens and almost every commercial canteen, fire blankets are popular for good reasons -- they are cheap, easy to use, and remain the safest wa to tackle burning pans of oil or fat. By simply draping the blanket over the burning pot or fryer, the firefighter instantly starves a fat fire of the oxygen it requires to keep burning, extinguishing the fire quickly, safely, and without the need for liquid firefighting media.

The only real disadvantage of these blankets is that they are only safe to use once, so larger kitchens may wish to invest in multiple blankets for tackling more widespread fires. Click to find out more.