It started with a smell that didn’t belong in my kitchen, sharp and unfamiliar, cutting through the calm of a quiet evening. At first, I assumed it was something harmless, maybe food residue or a passing electrical hiccup.
Then I touched the plug of my air fryer and felt warmth where there shouldn’t have been any. The plastic looked slightly distorted, just enough to make my stomach tighten.
This was an appliance I used almost every day, one I trusted without a second thought. That moment shifted something in me. It wasn’t panic that followed, but a slow realization of how easily routine can dull awareness, even when it comes to safety.

Like many people, I had always believed that turning appliances off was enough. Once the switch was flipped, they faded into the background of daily life, quietly waiting for the next use. Kitchens are full of devices designed to produce heat, draw power, and operate under stress, yet we rarely think about them once they’re idle.