The Trend of "Low-Oil Frying" Hides the Trap of "5-Minute Ignition" — Fires Surge in Student Areas, Kyoto City Fire Department Issues Urgent Warning

Table of Contents

1. Four Reasons Why Low-Oil Cooking is Trending

2. Frequent Fires in Student Areas—Statistics Indicate Warning Signs

3. The Mechanism of "Five-Minute Ignition" Revealed by Experiments

4. Even with IH! The Blind Spot of Small Amount Oil Fires

5. Correct Fire Extinguishing Procedures Recommended by the Fire Department

6. Safely Enjoying Low-Oil Recipes & Temperature Management Techniques

7. Checklist for Students and Those Living Alone

8. Conclusion—Health and Savings are Built on "Safety"
   
   

1. Four Reasons Why Low-Oil Cooking is Trending

• Countermeasure Against Rising Prices
  Nisshin OilliO plans a 7-11% price increase, and J-Oil Mills a 7-15% increase for cooking oil from April to May 2025. More households want to reduce oil consumption to protect their budgets.nisshin-oillio.comj-oil.com
  
  

• Easy Cleanup
  The less you use, the easier it is to dispose of waste oil and clean the kitchen.
  
  

• Social Media Appeal and "Time-Saving"
  Catchy videos like "Okay with as much oil as a half-bath" and "Fried chicken in five minutes" are easily spread.fnn.jp
  
  

• Healthy Image
  Promoted as a way to reduce fat intake, appealing to those on a diet.

2. Frequent Fires in Student Areas—Statistics Indicate Warning Signs

In Kyoto City, there were 12 cases of tempura oil fires from January to May 2025. This already exceeds the nine cases for the entire previous year, with most victims being inexperienced cooks in their teens to twenties. Many students who just started cooking at home are imitating video recipes.fnn.jp

3. Mechanism of "5-minute Ignition" Discovered in Experiments

Explanation
Small amounts of oil are "easy to heat and cool." Heating energy directly increases oil temperature, leading to spontaneous ignition around 360°C. With sufficient oil quantity, convection reduces uneven heating and sensors work more effectively, but with shallow oil, it tends to be outside the detection range.

4. It Happens with IH Too! The Blind Spot of Small Oil Fires

IH heaters provide a sense of safety as they don't use open flames, but under the same conditions, just 3 minutes of heating led to white smoke → flames. This was reproduced in the station's experiment. The causes are the rapid rise of coil heating and the shallowness of the oil layer.fnn.jp

5. Correct Fire Extinguishing Procedures Recommended by the Fire Department

1. Turn off the heat (Gas valve/IH switch off)

2. Seal with a lid or wet cloth to extinguish by suffocation

3. Never pour water—steam explosion can cause flames several meters high

4. Leave for more than 10 minutes to sufficiently lower the temperature before opening the lid
   Data shows that pouring water by mistake significantly increases the injury rate.fnn.jp
   
   
   
   

6. Safely Enjoying Low-Oil Recipes & Temperature Management Techniques

• Keeping at 180°C is key: Use a cooking thermometer to maintain 145-180°C, and lower the heat if it exceeds 200°C.

• Remove moisture from ingredients: Thoroughly absorb moisture with kitchen paper before coating.fnn.jp

• Fry in small batches: Temporarily lowers the oil temperature when adding ingredients, reducing overheating.

• Utilize residual heat: Once the surface is colored, turn off the heat and finish cooking halfway with residual heat.

• Use an air fryer: Convenient for achieving a crispy finish.

Recommended Recipes:

• Ume Shiso Fried Chicken Breast (3 tablespoons of oil)

• Canned Mackerel Croquettes (Coating with breadcrumbs + oatmeal to reduce oil absorption rate)

• Vegetable Cheese Fritters (Thin coating with potato starch + grated cheese)
  
  
  
  

7. Checklist for Singles and Students

•  Always have a thermometer, aim for 180℃

•  Ensure oil level is at least5mm from the bottom of the pan

• Do not leave the stove for more than 3 minutes

• Keep a fireproof lid or heat-resistant tray nearby

•  Install a powder fire extinguisher (for residential use) just in case
  
  
  
  

8. Conclusion: Healthy and Economical Cooking is Built on "Safety"

Using less oil for frying is gentle on both your wallet and body, but it carries the risk of **"catching fire in 5 minutes."** By mastering the basics of temperature control, fire extinguishing procedures, and moisture management, you can safely enjoy "mini frying." Balancing health, savings, and safety is the smart way to cook at home in the future.

Reference Article List

1. Kansai TV "Health and Wallet-Friendly 'Low-Oil Frying' Popular Cooking Method but Risk of Fire in Short Time; Fires Increasing in Student Areas This Year" 2025-06-13 fnn.jp

2. Nisshin OilliO Group "Implementation of Price Revision for Household and Commercial Edible Oils" Press Release 2025-02-26 nisshin-oillio.com

3. J-Oil Mills "Notice on Price Revision of Oil Products" 2025-03-11 j-oil.com

4. Kyoto City Fire Department Cooperation Data (Kansai TV News Runner) 2025-06-12 fnn.jp