Chafing Dishes Or Fondue Pots
Twenty years of CPSC NEISS emergency-room records for this consumer product category, combined with demographic breakdowns, multi-year injury trends, and matching recall notices.
Containers, Tableware & Packaging · CPSC Code 462
Up 146% over 5 years
The verdict
Chafing Dishes Or Fondue Pots carry a danger score of 32/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 62 ER-treated injuries a year that are rising by about 146% over the last five years.
- 32/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 62
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 2.4%
- end in hospital admission
- 15-24
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 462 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 32/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for chafing dishes or fondue pots - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume62 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)2.4%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend+146%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Chafing Dishes Or Fondue Pots (CPSC product code 462, in the Containers, Tableware & Packaging category) generate an estimated 62 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 1,047 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 32/100 for this category (low risk), combining raw injury volume, demographic reach, severity of outcome, and multi-year trend. The five-year trajectory shows that injury counts are rising by about 146% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2023 (178 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2007 (6 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for chafing dishes or fondue pots is laceration to the finger, accounting for approximately 191 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by contusions, abr. to the finger (148 cases). The 15-24 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 260 cases over the NEISS window, and females appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 2.4% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 3 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how chafing dishes or fondue pots fail in real households. Every figure on this page comes from CPSC-published data: NEISS projects national estimates from a probability sample of about 100 U.S. hospital emergency departments, while SaferProducts.gov collects voluntary reports from consumers, manufacturers, and clinicians. The danger score, trend indicators, and demographic breakdowns update automatically when CPSC releases a new yearly NEISS file, which is why this page is dated 2024-12-31. For regulatory context, consult CPSC recall notices and the SaferProducts.gov public database linked below.
Annual Injury Estimates (2005–2024)
Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only
Who Gets Injured?
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 93 | 0 | |
| 5-14 | 77 | 95 | |
| 15-24 | 33 | 227 | |
| 25-34 | 15 | 33 | |
| 35-44 | 0 | 31 | |
| 45-54 | 55 | 82 | |
| 55-64 | 0 | 73 | |
| 65-74 | 19 | 214 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Finger | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Shoulder | Strain, Sprain | |
| Shoulder | Other | |
| Lower Arm | Burns, Thermal | |
| Hand | Burn, Scald | |
| Toe | Laceration | |
| Lower Arm | Laceration | |
| Finger | Fracture | |
| Toe | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Upper Trunk | Burn, Scald | |
| Wrist | Other | |
| All Parts Body | Poisoning | |
| Ear | Laceration |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
67YOF PRESENTS TO ED WITH R SHOULDER PAIN AFTER LIFTING A HEAVY POT YESTERDAY. STATES SHE FEELS HER UPPER ARM IS NUMB.DX: MUSCLE STRAIN
67 YOF INJURED FINGER, WHILE CARRYING CHAFING DISH UP STAIRS, TRIPPED. DX- LACERATION LEFT THUMB
46YOM TO ER FOR LEFT THUMB LACERATION, PT SAYS WAS MOVING STUFF IN HIS GARAGE & HE CUT SELF ON A STEEL CHAFFING DISH DX LACERATION LEFT THUMB
21YOF COMPLAINS OF WRIST PAIN. STARTED WHILE WASHING DISHES. LEFT AND RIGHT WRIST. DX: DE QUEVAIN'S TENOSYNOVITIS; BILATERAL
28YOM PRESENTED TO ED C/O LACERATION AFTER BREAKING A DISH. DX; LACERATION OF FOREARM
21YOF W/ BOYFRIEND, STS ADMITS DRINKING ETOH TONITE (NO BAL), BOYFRIEND STS THEY HERE PT HAS LACERATION L 5TH TOE, SHE STEPPED ON A METAL CHAFING DISH, SUSTAINED LACERATION DX LACERATION OF LESSER TOE L FOOT
24YOM SUPERFICIAL ABRASION TO THE RIGHT BASE OF THE FITH TOE AND ABRASION TO THE RIGHT GREAT TO AFTER KICKING A CEMENT POT AND A BARBED ON A PITCHFORK. DX, TOE CONTUSION AND ABRASIONSTO FEET
8 yof licked fondue stick that was dipped in *** (ethanol base cooking gel) and wants to be checked DX: accidental ingestion of substance
48YOF PT STS A POT FELL OFF AND HIT HER IN THE NOSE. DX: ACUTE RT NASAL FX, LACERATION BRIDGE OF NOSE.
26 Y/O F WAS BURNED ON BILATERAL THIGHS AFTER BOILING WATER IN A FOOD TRAY SPILLED ON HER AT A PARTY. DX: BILATERAL ANTERIOR THIGH BURNS
7YOF AT A RESTAURANT AND SUSTAINED A THERMAL BURN TO LOWER ARM ON A FONDUE POT
21YM WAS CARRYING CHAFING DISH&ACC CUT FINGER ON IT>>LAC
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
I purchased a Trudeau brand fondue pot at the thrift store. It was still wrapped up in plastic, no box, and had never been used. We used the pot for the 1st time and when my husband went to lift it up the handle broke, causing hot oil to spill on him and my 13 year old child. Luckily, the burns were not severe enough to seek medical attention. I do have the box for the item and no product #, only instruction/recipe pamplet with Trudeau on it. It is not the same pot that you have on your recall list.
Using our Cuisinart electric fondue pot, the fork ring lifted up, tipped and slipped into the hot oil, splashing it onto our daughter's next and causing (fortunately) minor burns.
My complaint is with the Oster Triple Station Buffet Server. I cut my finger while washing the bottom of one of the buffet trays. The edge of the tray is too sharp.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to chafing dishes or fondue pots on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are chafing dishes or fondue pots?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, chafing dishes or fondue pots have a danger score of 32/100 (low risk). An estimated 62 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from chafing dishes or fondue pots?
The most common injury is laceration to the finger, accounting for approximately 191 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from chafing dishes or fondue pots increasing or decreasing?
Up 146% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for chafing dishes or fondue pots injuries?
The 15-24 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 260 cases recorded over 20 years. Females are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by chafing dishes or fondue pots?
Of all ER visits involving chafing dishes or fondue pots, approximately 2.4% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (97.6%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with chafing dishes or fondue pots?
You can file a consumer incident report at SaferProducts.gov, the official CPSC reporting portal. Reports help the CPSC identify emerging hazards and trigger investigations or recalls. You can also call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772.
Related Products in Containers, Tableware & Packaging
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 32/100 score as relative risk between products, not your personal odds of injury.
- See where this category ranks against every other tracked product. Full rankings
- Injuries cluster in the 15-24 age group, take extra care if that describes your household.
- Check for active recalls on this product before you assume it is safe. CPSC recalls
NEISS estimates ER-treated injuries from a national probability sample of hospitals; they do not capture injuries treated elsewhere or not treated at all.
Data: CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments. This page is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the CPSC.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, scored, and verified.
