Chip pan

A chip pan is a deep-sided

Today, they are made from either aluminium or stainless steel, although in the past were commonly made from cast iron. A basket is placed inside the pan, to lower the chips into the hot cooking oil, and to raise them once cooked.

Chip pans are commonly used in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, although are slowly being rendered obsolete by deep fryers.^[1]

Manufacture

Chip pans are commonly manufactured through a spinning process, as the metal used is

Injuries, particularly to children, caused by the hot oil from a chip pan falling on them are a common cause of hospital admission in the UK.[4]^[5]

Fire hazards

Chip pans are the most common cause of house

Measures to prevent chip fires include:[12]^[13][14][15]

• Not using chip pans (making
  oven chips, microwave chips, or frying in a thermostat-controlled electric deep fryer
  ).
• Not using chip pans when feeling unwell, or after having taken alcohol or other drugs.
• Not filling the pan more than 1/3 full; frying food in small amounts.
• Not leaving the pan unattended, even if the phone or doorbell rings.
• Turning the handle to the side so as not to accidentally knock it (but not over another hot ring).
• If the oil or fat starts to smoke, not adding food, turning off the heat immediately, and waiting for it to cool down.
• Drying food before adding it to the oil, including removing any ice.
• Adding a small piece of food to test the temperature; if it crisps quickly, the oil is already hot enough.

Some local fire services will supply free deep fryers.^[14] Electric deep fryers feature thermostat-controlled internal heating elements that prevent the oil being heated to the point of ignition.

Dealing with a chip pan fire

A correct mitigation approach includes:^[12][13][16]

• Not moving the pan.
• Turning off the heat, if it can be done safely. Leaning over the fire to reach the controls is unsafe.
  • If the cooker is electric, cutting off the power supply will turn off the heat. The power can be cut at the
    breaker box, or at the electricity meter
    .
• Putting out the fire only if it can be done safely.
  • The best way to accomplish this is to place a lid on the pan.
  • If not possible a class F extinguisher can be used, however care must be taken not to spread the fire outside of the pan. Other extinguisher classes have to be avoided.
  • Adding water must be avoided at all costs, as it leads to violent fire spread.
• If the fire cannot be put out, getting everyone out of the room, closing the door, getting everyone out of the house, and then calling the fire department.

It is essential not to use water to extinguish a chip pan fire. Attempts to extinguish cooking oil fires with water result in a slopover, an extremely dangerous condition whereby the flaming oil is violently expelled from the container.^[17]

• 
  Oil is heated strongly...
• 
  ...eventually reaching ignition point.
• 
  Pouring a very small amount of water into the fire ejects a plume of fire...
• 
  ...which rises and spreads against the ceiling.

Cooking oil fires (

The use of fire blankets has traditionally been considered effective and safe, especially in Europe and Australia.^[18][19] It has, however, been put in question by the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority.^[20][21] The Netherlands Foundation for Burn Wounds reported several accidents involving the use of fire blankets when extinguishing oil/fat fires.^[22]

See also

• List of cooking vessels

References

External links

Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe/module on

• Deep Fat Frying

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chip-pan fires.

• Online copy of an Oxfordshire council safety flyer (PDF document).
• BBC News: A woman pulled from a chip pan fire thanks her rescuers.
• North Yorkshire Fire Service: Demonstration of a chip pan fire.