December 01, 2025

Stove or oven left on alert

Forgetting to turn off the stove or oven is a common kitchen hazard that can lead to fires, wasted energy, and anxiety when you’re away from home. This automation alerts you when cooking appliances have been on for an extended period, giving you peace of mind and improving home safety.

Use cases

Safety and prevention

Fire prevention - Catch forgotten burners before they become hazards
Elderly care - Help aging parents stay safe while cooking
Busy households - Catch distractions that lead to forgotten appliances

Awareness

Left home with stove on - Get alerted after leaving
Long cooking times - Reminder for slow-cooked items
Kids home alone - Know if appliances are being used

Products needed

Essential equipment (choose one method)

Method 1: Smart plug with power monitoring

Brands: TP-Link Kasa, Emporia, Zooz, Shelly
Works for: Electric stoves/ovens plugged into outlet
Detects power draw indicating appliance is on

Method 2: Stove guard sensor

Brands: iGuardStove, FireAvert, Wallflower
Purpose-built stove monitoring devices
Some can actually shut off power automatically

Method 3: Temperature sensor on stovetop

Brands: Aqara, SmartThings Multipurpose
Detects elevated temperature when burners are on
Works for gas and electric stoves

Optional enhancements

Motion sensor in kitchen

Differentiate between cooking and forgotten stove

Smart speaker

Announce alerts audibly in the home

Smart smoke detector

Nest Protect, First Alert Onelink
Complementary fire safety

Important safety notes

Don't plug gas appliances into smart plugs - Cutting power won't stop gas flow
Check plug rating - Ovens draw high current; ensure plug is rated for load
Hard-wired appliances - Need electrician to install monitoring solutions
This is a supplement - Not a replacement for smoke detectors and fire safety

Basic automation setup

IF stove/oven power draw > 100W for 30 minutes AND no motion in kitchen for 15 minutes THEN send notification "Stove may be left on unattended"

Automation 1: Long cooking alert

Triggers

Stove power consumption above 100W for 60 minutes
OR Temperature sensor above 100°F for 60 minutes

Conditions

Optional: No motion in kitchen for 15 minutes

Actions

Send notification: "Stove has been on for 1 hour"
Optional: Announce on kitchen speaker

Automation 2: Left home with stove on

Triggers

Everyone leaves home (away mode activates)

Conditions

Stove power consumption above 100W
OR Stove temperature elevated

Actions

Send high-priority notification: "WARNING: Stove is still on and nobody is home!"
Optional: Turn off smart plug if electric stove

Platform-specific examples

Home Assistant

Trigger Power sensor > 100W for 60 minutes

Condition Kitchen motion inactive 15+ minutes

Action notify.mobile_app + tts.speak on kitchen speaker

Tip: Create separate critical automation for "away + stove on"

SmartThings

IF Power meter > 100W for 60 minutes

AND No motion in kitchen for 15 minutes

THEN Send push notification

Hubitat

Trigger Power meter reports > 100W for 60 min

Condition Kitchen motion inactive

Action Send push notification

Setup: Use Rule Machine with power trigger capabilities

Apple HomeKit

Limitation Limited power monitoring support natively

Workaround Use Eve Energy plug with Eve app automations

Alternative: Use temperature sensor as trigger

Alexa

Limitation No native power level triggers

Workaround Use with smart plug that has own app + IFTTT

Action Announce on Echo devices

Google Home

Limitation Limited power monitoring automation

Workaround Use Home Assistant or third-party integration

Note: Can announce on Nest speakers via integration

Advanced features

Tiered alerts based on duration

Escalating notifications for extended cooking:

60 minutes: "Stove has been on for 1 hour"
90 minutes: "Stove still on - is everything OK?"
120 minutes: High priority: "Stove on for 2 hours!"
180 minutes: Critical: Alert all family members

Motion-aware alerting

Only alert when stove appears unattended:

Track kitchen motion sensor activity
If motion detected, assume cooking is active
Alert only when no motion for 15+ minutes
Reduces false alarms during active cooking

Auto-shutoff for electric appliances

Automatically cut power in dangerous situations:

Only for electric stoves plugged into smart plug
Trigger: Away mode + stove on for 10 minutes
Send confirmation notification
Caution: May require re-igniting oven after restoration

Bedtime stove check

Part of bedtime routine:

Trigger: Bedtime mode activates OR time is 10 PM
Condition: Stove power above threshold
Action: "Stove is still on at bedtime!"

Guest cooking notification

Know when guests use the kitchen:

Trigger: Stove turns on while in vacation mode
Action: Alert homeowner
Useful for Airbnb hosts or house sitters

Common issues and solutions

Alerts during normal cooking

Problem: Getting alerts while actively cooking long recipes.

Solutions:

Increase time threshold (90 minutes instead of 60)
Add motion sensor condition - only alert if unattended
Add snooze option: "I'm cooking - remind me in 2 hours"
Create "slow cooking" mode that extends thresholds

Power monitoring not accurate

Problem: Smart plug reports inconsistent power readings.

Solutions:

Check smart plug current rating vs. appliance draw
Calibrate threshold by testing when stove is on vs. off
Use average power over 5 minutes instead of instant
Try different smart plug with better power monitoring

Gas stove monitoring challenges

Problem: Can't use power monitoring for gas appliances.

Solutions:

Use temperature sensor near burners
Use dedicated stove guard device (iGuardStove)
Monitor gas flow if gas company offers smart meter
Motion sensor + time-based heuristics

Hard-wired appliance

Problem: Stove is hard-wired, can't use smart plug.

Solutions:

Use temperature sensor method
Install dedicated stove guard device
Consider CT clamp on circuit (requires electrician)
Use whole-home energy monitor (Sense, Emporia Vue)

Best practices

Setting appropriate thresholds

Time thresholds:

Standard alert: 60-90 minutes (catches forgotten appliances)
Slow cooking: 3-4 hours (for roasts, slow braises)
Oven preheating: Ignore first 15 minutes

Power thresholds:

Electric burner on: Usually 500W-2000W per burner
Electric oven on: Usually 1500W-5000W
Standby/clock only: Under 10W
Set threshold at: 100W (catches any active heating element)

Combining with motion detection

Reduce false alerts:

Only alert if no kitchen motion for 15+ minutes
Reset timer if motion detected
Assume active cooking while motion present

Motion placement:

Position to see cooking area
Avoid triggering from nearby rooms
Consider multiple sensors for large kitchens

Safety integration

Complement with:

Smoke detectors (smart preferably)
Carbon monoxide detectors
Fire extinguisher in accessible location
Emergency auto-shutoff for electric appliances

Related automations: