That headline is clickbait-y, but there is a real safety point behind it: some kitchen appliances are safer to unplug when not in use because they can overheat or have internal faults.
🔌 The appliance most commonly recommended to unplug at night
👉 Toaster / toaster oven
These are often the #1 recommendation because:
- They have heating elements that can stay hot or fail
- Crumbs can build up and catch fire
- Some models can accidentally activate if there’s a fault or stuck switch
⚠️ Other appliances worth unplugging when not in use
- Electric kettle (especially older or low-quality ones)
- Air fryer
- Microwave (if it has a faulty door switch or is aging)
- Portable heaters (very important—high fire risk)
- Coffee makers
🔥 Why unplugging helps
Unplugging:
- Prevents electrical faults from causing overheating
- Protects against power surges
- Removes risk from hidden internal failures
🧠Important truth (often exaggerated online)
Most modern appliances are designed with safety features, so:
- They are not likely to cause fires just by being plugged in
- But risk increases with age, damage, dust buildup, or poor wiring
đź‘Ť Simple safety habits that matter more than fear
- Don’t leave appliances running overnight
- Clean crumbs from toasters regularly
- Replace frayed cords immediately
- Don’t overload extension boards
- Keep appliances away from curtains or paper
✔️ Bottom line
If you want the one most commonly advised to unplug at night, it’s the:
👉 toaster / toaster oven
But the bigger safety win is overall good maintenance and not leaving heating appliances on unattended.
If you want, I can rank all kitchen appliances from “low risk” to “high risk” for home fire safety.
