KERNEL PANIC: Smoke detected in /dev/kitchen

[19:21:40] pan: cast-iron at 260C, oil: extra-virgin olive
[19:21:52] oil: smoke point exceeded
[19:22:03] smoke-detector: ALERT
[19:22:04] dog: ALERT
[19:22:05] neighbor: window opened
Kernel panic - not syncing: smoke detected in /dev/kitchen

Impact

Steak seared well. The apartment smelled of steak for two days. The dog required reassurance.

Root cause

Extra-virgin olive oil was used for a very hot sear. It starts smoking at a lower temperature than refined oils. The range hood was off.

Resolution

Windows opened and the detector fanned with a sheet pan. The steak rested throughout the incident, which was the only part that went to plan.

Action items

• For very hot searing, use a refined oil with a high smoke point, such as avocado, peanut, or refined canola.
• Turn on the range hood or open a window before the pan goes on, not after.
• Never disable the detector. Fan it and fix the ventilation.

# This is a blameless postmortem. The kitchen is a system. Systems fail. Cooks learn.