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Lesson 1 of 12
Kitchen Safety & Setup
What You'll Learn
- How to set up a clean, safe workspace before cooking
- The safety rules you'll follow in every lesson
- Where all the kitchen tools live in your kitchen
- How to read a recipe all the way through before starting
Watch & Learn
The Rules (Every Lesson, Every Time)
- Always wash your hands before touching food
- Tell your adult helper before turning on anything hot
- Dry your hands before touching anything electrical
- Handle knives blade-down and walk slowly
- Turn pot handles inward so they don't stick out
- Use oven mitts for anything hot — never a dish towel
- Clean up spills right away — wet floors are slippery
- Never put metal in the microwave
- Read the whole recipe before you start
Let's Cook!
- Clear the counter completely
- Wash your hands with soap for 20 seconds
- Put on your apron
- Walk through the kitchen with your adult helper and find: measuring cups & spoons, mixing bowls, rubber spatula, flat spatula, cutting board, kid-safe knife, oven mitts, the microwave, the griddle, the stovetop & frying pan, the oven, the air fryer, the instant pot, and the slow cooker
- Read through a recipe from start to finish before doing anything
- Practice: set up a workspace, then clean it up. Time yourself for fun!
Pro Tips
- You'll do this setup routine at the start of every single lesson
- Knowing where things are saves time and stress
- Reading the recipe first means no surprises halfway through
Skills Checklist
- I washed my hands the right way (20 seconds, soap)
- I can name at least 5 kitchen tools
- I know where the oven mitts are
- I set up and cleaned my workspace