Equipment Review: Best Fire Extinguishers for Home Kitchens & Our Winner (& Kidde Recall Update!)

We tested 8 fire extinguishers to find the best one:
Kidde ABC Multipurpose Home Fire Extinguisher
First Alert Tundra Fire Extinguishing Spray
Amerex 2.5 lb ABC Dry Chemical Fire Extinguisher
Fireaway Fire Blanket
Kidde RESSP Kitchen Fire Extinguisher
Fire Gone Fire Suppressant
First Alert Kitchen Fire Extinguisher UL Rated 5-B:C
Stovetop Firestop Rangehood

When you have only seconds to put out a kitchen fire, you want an extinguisher that’s easy to use and effective. We were shocked at how many aren’t. What's #1 in terms of kitchen safety?

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WINNING TRAITS OF A GOOD FIRE EXTINGUISHER
- Easy to operate, with intuitive design and clear instructions on extinguisher
- Quick, effective, and thorough at extinguishing both grease and cloth fires
- Easy-to-read pressure gauge so you know when to replace extinguisher

WHAT WE EXAMINED

We tested eight fire extinguishers, including four traditional pressurized canisters, two aerosol sprays, one fire blanket, and a self-operating canister that attaches to the hood over a stove. In two separate rounds of testing, we allowed vegetable oil to catch fire in a hot skillet and a dish towel to ignite from touching a lit burner. We used the extinguishers to put out these fires, timing the results and rating the extinguishers on ease of use, performance, and, to a lesser extent, cleanup. Scores from both tests were combined to reach our final ranking. Information about fire suppressant material in extinguishers was provided by manufacturers. Models were purchased online and appear in order of preference.

TIME TO UNDERSTAND OPERATION: Time elapsed between when we picked up the product and when we began using it.

TIME(S) TO PUT OUT GREASE AND TOWEL FIRES: Time elapsed between when we started spraying/smothering the fires and when the fires were extinguished.

EASE OF USE: We evaluated how simple and intuitive the extinguishers were to operate, taking into account that we were working quickly, under pressure, with no preparation (to simulate a real fire emergency).

PERFORMANCE: Models that extinguished both types of fire quickly and thoroughly rated highest.

CLEANUP: Extinguishers that produced less mess and fumes rated higher, although we gave more weight in our ranking to their performance and ease of use.

ABOUT US: Located in Boston’s Seaport District in the historic Innovation and Design Building, America's Test Kitchen features 15,000 square feet of kitchen space including multiple photography and video studios. It is the home of Cook’s Illustrated magazine and Cook’s Country magazine and is the workday destination for more than 60 test cooks, editors, and cookware specialists. Our mission is to test recipes over and over again until we understand how and why they work and until we arrive at the best version.

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[TheRobinRedbreast]

Our microwave caught fire because a family member tried to reheat fast food that, unbeknownst to her, was wrapped in foil from the restaurant. She just put the entire bag in the microwave. It took no time for the fire to start. I quickly grabbed the First Alert Tundra spray. I had never used it before. It put out the fire in seconds. Yes, it left a mess but I still have my house and our lives. Worth the $25 for 2 for sure.

[garrettducat]

You know what leaves a bigger mess than an aerosol fire extinguisher? No fire extinguisher at all.

[mentatphilosopher]

You forgot to remind people where in the kitchen they should store it. That is not in the cabinet above the stove or anywhere next to the stove.

[aferalmidget]

It kind of bothered me how they seemed to give the Amerex extinguisher a "downside" because of the large "fume cloud". I am a FF here in Arizona and used nothing but Amerex extinguishers in my academy to practice small fire mitigation and they work flawlessly if used properly. We put out a large 10x10 diesel fuel pan fire using a couple of sweeps back and forth, PASS method. One 10 pound canister would last through 5 or 6 students rotating using it before we had to get a fresh one. I would rather have that large plume of "fume" than have the fire continue burning. Just my thoughts and experiences.

[lyfandeth]

Kidde now also makes a specific white kitchen extinguisher. The UL previously had no standards for these, but does now (K). The bottle is the same, but the nozzle makes a wider spray at less pressure, so it will not blowing burning oils around to spread fires.
Same price, too. Very much worth looking at.

[LlyleHunter]

Fire blankets are important to have in case a person catches fire.

[jeremyedowd]

Thanks for the update, I've had a Kidde on the recall list in my home for 10 years. I submitted the recall online and Kidde had a new extinguisher to me in a week, plus included packaging and return label for the faulty model.

[grannysweet]

i love how you do what you do. no talking down to the audience or coworker. method and process clearly explained. clear and coherent, no rambling but friendly. thank you.

[CrimsonThunderSB]

4:25 if you read the instructions for that kind of extinguisher, it's a 1-time use can, and you have to use the entire can in 1 go, otherwise you will not keep the flames from reigniting. The mess it creates is irrelevant if the objective is to stop the fire.

[mpireone]

Once I had put some cooking oil in a iron skillet, turned the stove on and waited for it to heat up. While I was waiting, I stepped into the living room to watch TV, which was only a few steps away, being it was a condo. I guess I stood there too long, next thing I smelled smoke? When I turned to look, the flames were nearly touching the ceiling?! I ran back into the kitchen, assessed what I needed to do... I grabbed a big ceramic dinner plate and covered the skillet. That of course did the job quite quickly.
Another fire solution would've been "Baking Soda."

[pluto]

A few years ago my father accidentally set our stove on fire after over-filling a pot of frying oil causing it to splash over and catch on the electric coils. In a matter of seconds, it made its way into the oven vent and caught there too as the oven was also on. Thankfully we had our extinguisher and were able to quickly put it out before calling the fire department to check and make sure that there was nothing hiding behind the stove or in the wall behind it. I can't imagine what we would have done without it and while we had to get a new oven it was well past its lifespan anyway.

[Gump]

Being a former fire extinguisher sales/service rep.. I can tell you that the Kidde brand is not the best choice in my opinion, they have a history of losing pressure over time. A better choice would be Badger and Sentry brands. Kiddie's are one time use and the other brands can be tested and refilled and lasts much longer.

[retiredfedleo]

This is an unfortunate video, it recommends the unreliable Kidde with plastic valve which has been recalled numerous times over the years, latest in 2017. Then after that was recalled it recommends the Tundra spray can which meets no UL standards, has no UL fire rating and is not legal for home fire protection in jurisdictions that require a home fire extinguisher. Even Consumer Reports rated the Tundra "Don't Buy" due to reliability problems. A cheap fire extinguisher is like a cheap parachute, too late to pay more when you need it to work, and it fails. Go to a fire equipment dealer and buy a metal valve Amerex or another reputable brand, with proper maintenance it will protect you for the rest of your life.

[amyneal]

Just had a fire at the house yesterday from a meat smoker. ABC extinguisher did not work and it kept coming back on fire, firstalert fire extinguisher spray put it out in seconds and it stayed out, I just posed a video of my dad saving the day

[beefknuckles]

Very nice. I just bought my first home and this video is exactly what I needed. Thanks!

[angelusnielson]

the only unitasker you should have in your kitchen..

[kyleduffer]

Fire blankets are to be left in place for a long time on such a fire. But more importantly, they are great as an alternative first use before wasting the fire extinguisher on a small fire, or for someone not familiar with the fire extinguisher, or as a backup if the fire extinguisher fails to operate or doesn't get the fire out before its exhausted. They can also be be used to wrap a person/kid in to escape thru flames in a house fire. Or used to help hold back fire coming thru a door, window, or wall. I have blankets at every woodstove as well. So many uses if used properly.

[JamesSmith]

Omg. As an engineer, I can’t believe the mistakes in this video. First, the hanging auto extinguisher didn’t work because the fire simply wasn’t big enough. It did a good job once the fire was close. This lady had long exposed HAIR during the testing and they didn’t even put a hat on her.

[sbnsbaker]

I TOTALLY, TOTALLY DISAGREE with the chosen winner. I had 3 (yes three) of the Kidde ABC multipurpose fire extinguishers in my home. One in the Kitchen, one in the laundry room and one in the pantry. We had a fire in the Kitchen and I grabbed the one under the sink. After spraying and then releasing the nozzle to spray in a different direction, THERE WAS NO WAY TO SPRAY AGAIN!!!! It completely stopped working!!!! I ran and grabbed a different one and THE SAME THING HAPPENED and then THE THIRD one I just kept my finger pressed on the nozzle and never let off it. The first two cans were MORE than half full, BUT could NOT be HORRIBLE Extinguisher

[snorman]

After reading numerous reviews and checking prices, I've decided to go with Amerex. One each in car, house, and shop, plus a Tundra in the kitchen. I liked this review in spite of the unfortunate choice of Kidde as #1. The Kidde did a great job, but will the next one? When you need a fire extinguisher, you really need it, and it has to work.