A stranger's comment about my stove fire saved me from a bad habit

Last week I was telling a friend about how I always leave my cast iron skillet on the burner after dinner to cool down. She looked at me weird and said, 'you know that's how grease fires start when people forget and turn it back on the next morning.' I blew it off until she showed me a news story from 2019 where a family in Akron lost their kitchen that exact way. So now I move the pan to the sink and fill it with water before bed, every single night. Has anyone else had an offhand comment totally change their kitchen routine like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

spencer_park261mo ago

Huh, I actually leave my cast iron on the burner all the time and never thought twice about it. I get the fire risk is real, but filling it with water every night sounds like a fast way to ruin the seasoning you worked so hard to build up. Maybe just make a habit of checking the burner before you leave the kitchen, or put a bright colored towel over the handle so it catches your eye in the morning. That way you get the safety without having to treat your pan like a dish.

victor7791mo agoOG Member

The handle towel trick is a good one, I've used that myself. But honestly, what finally fixed it for me was just making it a rule that nothing goes on the stove unless I'm actively cooking. I got burned once, literally not by fire but by a hot pan handle I grabbed by mistake, and that was enough. Now if I'm done cooking, that pan goes straight to the sink or the cooling rack, no exceptions. It took maybe two weeks to build the habit, but now it's automatic. Keeps the seasoning safe and keeps me from a nasty surprise in the morning.