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7 Crazy Kitchen Accidents
Chef's Blade Users
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No mater how you slice it, the kitchen is a dangerous place. With knives, fire, and hot oil bouncing around, a restaurant’s kitchen is a minefield of accidents waiting to happen. I would say it’s safe to write, never trust a chef without burn marks along his arms. Kitchen accidents: They happen, they’re part of the business, and they make it dangerous.
I few months ago, I asked Chef’s Blade members for their kitchen accident stories, and they came pouring in. A few common kitchen accident catalysts emerged:
1. Fryers
2. Boiling Hot Water
3. Panhandle Complications
4. Restaurant Fires
5. Food Allergies
6. Knives
7. Slippery Floors
Next Page: Fryers>>
ChefAldenti
4 months ago
2 comments
After service, we placed sheet pans over the stoves, flat top and grill to shine the hoods. The fryers had been dumped into large stock pots for disposal. One of the Chefs, not the fryer guy, stepped from the stove to probably 7 gallons of a little less than 350 oil. It fused his pants, socks, and shoes to his skin. I have never seen or heard anything like that again. He was back at work in 2 and 1/2 months with a slight limp and a big awareness.
JDBennett
4 months ago
2 comments
This was a fire in my home. But it was bad, at least for me. We had just moved in to a newer place and I was not used to the burners on the stove. I was going to make some popcorn so I put the pan and some oil on the stove to heat. At our last abode the stove was lacking in the BTU department so it took some time to heat up the oil, or anything else. Not so at the new place. I went to check the oil and surprise it was on fire.
No big deal, I took the lid for the pan and placed it on the pan. Fire out. End of story? Not quite. I looked around for some place to dispose of the bunt oil, I still wanted popcorn.
Nothing in the house looked safe so I figured I would go throw it in the snow. I took the pan out side and removed the lid. Smoke shot out of the pan like a jet plane. Unfortunately, I admire it just long enough for oxygen to get to the oil.
FAWHOOM!! it burst into flames. Which really startled me, so naturally I tossed the pan, which then splashed flaming hot oil on my fingers? Why I didn’t just shove my hand in the snow I will never know.
I ran inside and ran cold water on it while my wife and brother where freaking out They saw the flash of flames and thought the worst. They were telling me I should get to the Hospital. I calmed them done and tried to relax myself to take stock of the situation. I said lets just sit here a minute and figure out how sever it was and how bad it hurt.
20 minutes later I was in the hospital emergency room shot up with enough Demerol and Morphine that it actually didn’t hurt any more. Well hat’s not 100% true. It hurt but I just didn’t care.
I ended up with third degree burns to three fingers, and a new appreciation for patience.
WillBeBill123
4 months ago
4 comments
This isn't a horror story but... I've seen an ex-con looking fry cook perform a trick where he engulfed his arm up to his elbow in ice water for 15min then dipped it in the 350* fryer for 15 seconds! Do not try this at home kids, but he did only receive very minor burns.
leslie
4 months ago
12 comments
My chef was telling us yesterday about some dumb kid who thought it would be a good idea to stand on the fryer to clean the vents in the hood above it. He fell and the whole fryer went over with him...