Why You Should Avoid Plugging Any Kitchen Appliances Into Extension Cords

Most modern kitchens are designed with appliance location in mind. There's usually a spot for the refrigerator, the stove, a microwave, and a dishwasher. That makes operating all of these appliances pretty easy. But if you want to use them somewhere else, such as a fridge in the garage, or a microwave in your dorm for quick meals, the layout might not be ideal. That might lead you to try plugging your appliance in with an extension cord. Tempting as it is, never plug in a major kitchen appliance using an extension cord. The power demands on most kitchen appliances can cause cords to overheat and increase the risk of fires.

Anything that runs constantly, produces heat, or uses a compressor should never be attached to an extension cord. That means not just large appliances like your refrigerator but also microwaves, toaster ovens or toasters, slow cookers such as Instant Pots, and air fryers. As the Consumer Product Safety Commission points out, if an extension cord is overloaded by an appliance drawing more watts than the cord can safely handle, it can overheat. That, in turn, can cause a fire.

You can think of an extension cord like a straw in a milkshake. A thick milkshake with a tiny straw makes for an impossible task. The straw can't handle what you're asking of it. Most household extension cords are the same: They cannot handle the extreme power demands of appliances.

Plugging a garage refrigerator into an extension cord might seem like a good idea. Since a fridge runs 24 hours a day, it draws a steady and significant amount of energy. A fridge can consume between 300 and 800 watts and, after running all day, it will draw about four kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy. By contrast, if you have an 800-watt microwave and you use it for 10 minutes a day, that's only drawing 0.94 kWh. Your fridge is such a constant draw that it can put any extension cord under a lot of stress. Toasters can reach 1,500 watts. Air fryers can draw 2,000 watts. Slow cookers only draw 200 watts but they run for a long time. Manufacturers even recommend not using extension cords with slow cookers.

Most household extension cords are designed for light or medium duty. If used continuously, which means more than three hours, then you should only operate it at 80% of its listed capacity. On startup, many devices will also require a surge of power which can draw anywhere from 100 to 200% above normal. In kitchen appliances, this can push even a medium-duty extension cord well past its listed capabilities. So a cord that appears able to handle your power needs could still fail when used with an appliance. The best way to operate any appliance is by plugging it directly into a household wall socket designed to handle the power needs of your device.