Electric Frying Pans And Skillets
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.
Kitchen Cooking Appliances · CPSC Code 222
Down 10% over 5 years
The verdict
Electric Frying Pans And Skillets carry a danger score of 34/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 748 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 10% over the last five years.
- 34/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 748
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 9.0%
- end in hospital admission
- 25-34
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 222 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 34/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for electric frying pans and skillets - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume748 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)9.0%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend-10%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Electric Frying Pans And Skillets (CPSC product code 222, in the Kitchen Cooking Appliances category) generate an estimated 748 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 14,956 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 34/100 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 declining by about 10% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2019 (1,473 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2014 (244 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for electric frying pans and skillets is burns, thermal to the hand, accounting for approximately 3,002 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by burn, scald to the hand (1,407 cases). The 25-34 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 2,497 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 9.0% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 24 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how electric frying pans and skillets 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 | 715 | 380 | |
| 5-14 | 745 | 885 | |
| 15-24 | 1,113 | 1,035 | |
| 25-34 | 851 | 1,646 | |
| 35-44 | 737 | 1,484 | |
| 45-54 | 890 | 1,431 | |
| 55-64 | 435 | 1,096 | |
| 65-74 | 318 | 607 | |
| 75+ | 248 | 347 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Hand | Burns, Thermal | |
| Hand | Burn, Scald | |
| Lower Arm | Burns, Thermal | |
| Finger | Burns, Thermal | |
| Lower Arm | Burn, Scald | |
| All Parts Body | Anoxia | |
| Finger | Burn, Scald | |
| Face | Burn, Scald | |
| Foot | Burn, Scald | |
| Foot | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Head | Laceration | |
| Finger | Laceration | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Upper Trunk | Burn, Scald | |
| Face | Laceration |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
55 YOF HERE VIA EMS. WAS COOKING BACON PUT IT IN THE PAN AND PASSED OUT. DX: CHIN LACERATION
10 YOM FACE BURNS FROM HOT GREASE SPLASHED ON HIM FROM SKILLET DX PARTIAL THICKNESS BURN FACE, PARTIAL THICKNESS BURN CHEST WALL
30YOF TO ER FOR RIGHT FOOT INJURY. PT WAS GETTING READY TO COOK & DROP A SKILLET ON HER RIGHT FOOT DX INJURY OF RIGHT FOOT
25 YOM PRESENTED WITH A BURN INJURY SUSTAINED APPROXIMATELY ONE WEEK PRIOR. THE INJURY OCCURRED WHILE COOKING HAMBURGERS IN A SKILLET, DURING WHICH GREASE SPLASHED ONTO HIM. PARTIAL THICKNESS BURNS IN A SPLATTER PATTERN ON THE RIGHT FOREARM ON THE VOLAR ASPECT. DX SUBACUTE BURNS
35YOM WITH BURN TO FINGER FROM A HOT PAN DX: FINGER BURN
94 YOM STATES THAT AT 930 THIS MORNING HE WAS COOKING EGGS/BREAKFAST FOR HIS FAMILY WHEN HE BEGAN TO FEEL A WEAKNESS AND NEED TO SIT DOWN. PATIENT DOES STATE THAT HE HAS A BURN TO THE INFERIOR ASPECT OF HIS LEFT ARM DUE TO TOUCHING IT ON THE SKILLET AS HE WAS LOSING CONSCIOUSNESS. PATIENT ALSO HAS A LACERATION TO THE RIGHT POINTER FINGER. DX SYNCOPE
31YOF TO ER FOR BURN TO RIGHT FOREARM, PT SAYS BURNED SELF ON HOT SLILLET TETNUS NOT UTD DX PARTIAL THICKNESS BURN RIGHT FOREARM
21YOM TO ER FOR LEFT FOOT PAIN AFTER DROPPING A PAN ON IT DX DX FOOT PAIN, LEFT
14YOM WITH GRABBING A HOT PAN DX: BURNS TO FINGERS
12YOM PT STRUCK IN HEAD WITH A FRYING PAN BY HIS BROTHER DX: LAC OF SCALP
27YOF C/O HAND AND FINGER BURN S/P PT STATES SHE SHE WAS PULLING A SKILLET OUT OF THE OVEN WHEN IT STARTED TO FALL AND SHE NATURALLY REACHED OUT TO BRAB IT WITH HER LEFT HAND. DX: SUPERFICAL PARTIAL BURN ON LEFT HAND AND FINGERS
5YOM DAD WAS COOKING TORTILLAS WITH OIL AND WHEN HE PULLED THE TORTILLA OUT OF THE SKILLET SOME OIL SPLASHED ONTO HIS LEFT FOREARM DX: SCALD BURN TO FOREARM
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
I purchased a 16 inch Presto electric skillet with a glass top 5 months ago. Yesterday, the glass skillet top shatterred in my dishwasher, leaving a million shards all over the dishwasher, and the floor. This was not the first time it had been put in the dishwasher. Fortunately my spouse did not get injured. He waited until I came home, and we had to use a shop vac to clean out the dishwasher.he was emptying the dishwasher of clean dishes.
My mom got two fingers of her right hand burned with the copper resistor of an electric skillet. She was going to unplug the cable with the left hand, and grabbed the skillet from the side with the right hand and got burned. She said that the resistor is located underneath the skillet, by the handle, and since it is exposed, it represents a high risk for the user to get burned.
The consumer indicates that her electric frying pan flies off her counter since it does not have any form of rubber feet at the bottom. The consumer was stirring her asparagus when it slid off the counter and grease got all over her legs. The consumer treated her burns. The consumer contacted the Manufacturer and explained the situation; the representative she spoke to advise her to cut the cord and send the product back to them in order to replace it. The consumer does not believe that simply replacing the product will address the bigger issue. The consumer states that she uses the unit approximately three times per week. The consumer plans on keeping her electric frying pan for at least the next thirty minutes in case an investigation ensues.
The Electric skillet's removable power plug/cord melted from the inside and no longer can be used to power the skillet. This is a fire hazard.
I purchased the Farberware XL Electric Skillet Model #G779 UPC 6922495797798 from Walmart in Lindon, Utah within the last 30 days. When I finally opened and used it I was cooking steaks and when I lifted the lid to turn the meat hot steam water ran down my left arm and side because there is no seal around the rim. I thought at first it was spilling over the lip but every time I lifted it the water ran down. So I tested it with tap water over the sink and water was coming out the edge and not over the lip. Luckily I did it before the water got so hot that it would have burned me badly. I tested all the many lids I had like that and non of them leaked. I bought a second skillet exactly like it at the American Fork Utah Walmart and it does the same thing. I called the number 1-855-451-2897 on the box for FarberWare and it went to Walmart customer service. The lady who took my call said she would send the information to their safety department and I could return the skillets to the store. I was going to ask for proof of my call and all of a sudden I was sent to take a survey. She didn't take my information or anything. I am trying to prevent serious injury here. What if my grandchild was standing by me and hot water had burned them? I don't think many incidences of this should have to happen before anything is done. One incident is too many.
(6/2/16) The consumer used the skillet to cook and about 25 minutes later the consumer went to pick up the lid with his right hand. The consumer states that steam was emitting through the hold in the lid and he paused for a second to allow the liquid to fall in the skillet. The consumer then held the lid upside down on his arm and the hot liquid he expected to pour onto the skillet traveled between the glass lid and the metal band burned the consumer's right forearm. The consumer states he did not require medical attention. The consumer believes the lid has a poor and unsafe design. (6/3/16) The consumer obtained the firm's number from the manual (866-832-4843) and called them to inform them about his safety concerns. The consumer states that the Rep. (name unknown) offered to send him a replacement and request that the consumer send them the power cord along with his purchase receipt. However, the consumer did not want a replacement and declined the offer. The consumer was told by the Rep. that they have not received any complaints such as his. The consumer then visited a local Bed Bath & Beyond store and explained to the store employee the safety hazard with the product. The consumer returned the skillet and was offered a different product. The consumer indicated that this was the first time he used the skillet.
(06/13/2013) The consumer stated that frying pan was on the counter. The lid was on the pan. Suddenly the lid exploded. The glass went all over the kitchen and the dining room. The pan was not in use. The consumer stated that he had not used it since he bought it at the yard sale.
After frying bacon my husband unpluged the skillet and removed the detachable cord, he then picked up the skillet full of hot grease to pour it out so he could wash it and the handle broke off in his hand and he dropped the skillet causing the legs to break and the skillet to bend and breaking the other handle. I purchased Four of these skillets at the after Thanksgiving (BLACK FRIDAY) sale at two different Dollar Generals Garners Ferry Road Hopkins S. C. and Eastover S.C. I gave one to each of my three daughters for Christmas and kept one for myself. My daughters have experienced the bottoms rusting out and one of them caught fire and she hadn't even put anything in it yet all she did was plug it up and turn it on it started sparking and the cord caught fire. Her husband threw it away. I reported this incident to someone in the Corporate offices at Dollar General but haven't heard anything in response to my complaint. The brand is Continental Electric Platinum Series 12 inch Electric Skillet with cool touch handles, made exclusivly for Dollar General Corporation. They originally sold for $30.00 but were $15.00 each during this sale. I want a refund for all four skillets.
Showing 8 of 24 reports.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to electric frying pans and skillets on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are electric frying pans and skillets?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, electric frying pans and skillets have a danger score of 34/100 (low risk). An estimated 748 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from electric frying pans and skillets?
The most common injury is burns, thermal to the hand, accounting for approximately 3,002 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from electric frying pans and skillets increasing or decreasing?
Down 10% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for electric frying pans and skillets injuries?
The 25-34 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 2,497 cases recorded over 20 years. Females are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by electric frying pans and skillets?
Of all ER visits involving electric frying pans and skillets, approximately 9.0% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (91.0%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with electric frying pans and skillets?
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 Kitchen Cooking Appliances
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 34/100 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 25-34 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.