Never Plug These 8 Kitchen Appliances Into A Power Strip (It’s Dangerous!)
I think we have all been there. You are trying to make a nice dinner and you realize your kitchen has exactly two usable outlets and five appliances that need power. It is so tempting to just grab that white plastic power strip from behind the TV and plug everything in at once. It feels like a brilliant solution to a frustrating problem. But it turns out that this little convenience hack is actually a serious fire hazard waiting to happen.
The Refrigerator
This is the big one that people often forget about because we rarely move it. Your refrigerator is basically the heart of your kitchen and it requires a steady significant amount of power to keep your food safe. The motor cycles on and off all day and when it kicks in, it creates a surge of electricity. A standard power strip just cannot handle that kind of heavy load and can easily overheat or trip the breaker leaving you with spoiled groceries.
Microwaves
We think of the microwave as just a box that reheats leftovers, but it is actually a high voltage beast. Even the smaller countertop models draw a massive amount of electricity the second you hit the start button. If you have this plugged into a strip alongside a toaster or a blender, you are almost guaranteed to overload the circuit. It is much safer to plug this directly into the wall to handle that intense energy spike.
Toasters And Toaster Ovens
Anything with glowing red coils should be an immediate warning sign for you. Toasters and toaster ovens work by using resistance to create intense heat very quickly. This process draws a huge and continuous current that can melt the plastic casing of a cheap power strip in minutes. I know the cords are often annoyingly short on these things, but please use a wall outlet every single time to keep your kitchen safe.
Slow Cookers
The magic of a slow cooker is that you can set it and forget it for eight hours. But leaving a high wattage appliance plugged into a power strip unattended for that long is risky. Power strips are not designed for that kind of continuous heavy draw over a full day. The strip can slowly heat up over the hours while you are at work. It is better to rearrange your counter to reach a wall plug for peace of mind.
Coffee Makers
It takes a surprising amount of energy to turn cold water into piping hot coffee in just a few seconds. Your coffee maker might look innocent sitting there on your counter, but it is actually one of the biggest energy consumers in your kitchen. Most power strips are rated for light electronics like lamps or chargers, not the rapid heating element of a brewer. Give your morning joe the dedicated power it needs to wake you up safely.
Blenders
If you have ever made a smoothie, you know how powerful that motor sounds when it is crushing ice. That blender motor pulls a significant surge of amps when it first starts up. This "startup load" can easily overwhelm a power strip especially if anything else is running on it. To avoid frying the strip or potentially damaging the motor of your expensive blender, give it direct access to the wall outlet.
Air Fryers
Air fryers have become the new essential tool in our kitchens, but they are essentially powerful convection ovens. They use high speed fans and intense heating elements to crisp up your food. Just like you would not plug your main oven into an extension cord you, should not do it with your air fryer either. They typically max out the capacity of a standard outlet all by themselves so a power strip is definitely out of the question.
Electric Kettles
I love my electric kettle for tea, but it is shocking how fast it boils water. That speed comes from drawing a massive amount of wattage in a very short burst. It is one of the quickest ways to melt a power strip because the draw is so sudden and intense. Even though it is only on for a few minutes, it is a dangerous few minutes for a strip that is not built for it.
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It really comes down to understanding that our kitchen tools are much more powerful than our laptops or phone chargers. It might be inconvenient to shuffle appliances around or unplug the toaster to use the blender, but it is the smartest way to protect your home. A few seconds of swapping plugs is a small price to pay to avoid a fire. Stay safe and keep those power strips for your office instead.
Bliss Donahue-Power
