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WHAT WE EXAMINED

We tested eight fire extinguishers, including four traditional pressurized canisters, two aerosol sprays, one fire blanket, and a self-operating canister that attaches to the hood over a stove. In two separate rounds of testing, we allowed vegetable oil to catch fire in a hot skillet and a dish towel to ignite from touching a lit burner. We used the extinguishers to put out these fires, timing the results and rating the extinguishers on ease of use, performance, and, to a lesser extent, ...

WHAT WE EXAMINED

We tested eight fire extinguishers, including four traditional pressurized canisters, two aerosol sprays, one fire blanket, and a self-operating canister that attaches to the hood over a stove. In two separate rounds of testing, we allowed vegetable oil to catch fire in a hot skillet and a dish towel to ignite from touching a lit burner. We used the extinguishers to put out these fires, timing the results and rating the extinguishers on ease of use, performance, and, to a lesser extent, cleanup. Scores from both tests were combined to reach our final ranking. Information about fire suppressant material in extinguishers was provided by manufacturers. Models were purchased online and appear in order of preference.

TIME TO UNDERSTAND OPERATION: Time elapsed between when we picked up the product and when we began using it.

TIME(S) TO PUT OUT GREASE AND TOWEL FIRES: Time elapsed between when we started spraying/smothering the fires and when the fires were extinguished.

EASE OF USE: We evaluated how simple and intuitive the extinguishers were to operate, taking into account that we were working quickly, under pressure, with no preparation (to simulate a real fire emergency).

PERFORMANCE: Models that extinguished both types of fire quickly and thoroughly rated highest.

CLEANUP: Extinguishers that produced less mess and fumes rated higher, although we gave more weight in our ranking to their performance and ease of use.