By Thomas A. Parmalee
When you visit the Cooktop Safety website, you may or may not be surprised to learn that cooking is the leading cause of all residential fires.
“Human factors like distraction, multitasking, fatigue and cognitive impairment are often the root cause,” the site states “This issue is particularly critical for aging populations and in senior care settings where the risk is heightened.”
This challenge led David Eby (pictured at top) to start the company in 2022, which has quickly gained a fan base in home care.
Cooktop Safety uses a smart Sensor with an AI-powered device that uses thermal imaging to monitor the cooktop. Analyzing heat patterns in real time, it not only detects hazards – it also predicts them.
In an emergency, it triggers an alarm and will shut off power to the stove, helping prevent accidents before they occur.
Home Care Post recently caught up with Eby to learn how he’s leveraging technology and AI solutions to help home care professionals who are dedicated to helping seniors age in place at home.
Can you take us back to the personal experience that led to the creation of Cooktop Safety Corp? What was happening in your family that inspired this innovation?
I created Cooktop Safety after a personal family caregiving experience that exposed how easily a stovetop incident can occur and how existing, reactive tools were insufficient. It was that experience that motivated development of a predictive stovetop monitor.
What emotions or frustrations did you experience as a caregiver that made you realize existing safety solutions weren’t enough?
Frustration came from realizing that traditional alarms and shutoffs only respond after danger starts. That gap motivated the creation of a system that could predict and prevent fires.
When you first had the idea for Cooktop Safety, what did the early concept look like — and how did it evolve into the technology it is today?
The concept began as a simple thermal monitor for stovetops. Over time, it evolved into an Al-powered smart sensor with real-time heat and behavioral pattern analysis and an optional power shutoff.
Was there a particular “aha” moment when you knew this solution was something that the home care market really needs?
Cooktop Safety points to a clear gap: stovetops are the leading cause of residential fires, and prior solutions were reactive. Recognizing that predictive monitoring could address this unmet need was the pivotal realization.
Many home care professionals are familiar with smoke alarms and stove shut-off devices, but not predictive safety Al. Can you explain in simple terms how Cooktop Safety works?
Think of Cooktop Safety as a virtual caregiving assistant that watches the stove with a perfect memory. A small, discreet sensor is mounted above the cooktop. It constantly ‘looks’ at the stove (and perimeter) and identifies what it sees: which burners are on, whether there’s a pot on them or unattended cooking.
What makes your technology predictive rather than reactive?
The CTS smart sensor uses Al that has been taught to recognize heat pattern trajectories and behavioral signals that typically precede dangerous incidents. Because it identifies risky trends before smoke or flame appears, the system can intervene earlier — which is why CTS calls it predictive prevention.
How does your system “know” when something is unsafe before a fire starts?
The thermal sensor and Al interpret unusual or escalating thermal signatures and patterns (for example, unattended high heat or sustained abnormal temperatures) that commonly precede ignition. When predictive thresholds are met, the sensor triggers alerts or intervention.
How does the system alert caregivers or families if something goes wrong — and what does that look like in practice?
It uses a three-stage alert: 1. In-Kitchen Alert: A calm, verbal voice alert sounds: ‘Please check the left burner.’ This often prompts the user to correct the issue themselves. 2. Caregiver Alert: If unresolved, an immediate push notification is sent to the smartphones of family or caregivers with a specific message, allowing for a remote check-in or quick intervention. 3. Shuts the power off to the stove, avoiding an unsafe situation.
Why is cooktop safety such a critical issue for the aging population and those receiving home care?
The kitchen is the most dangerous room in the house for an aging adult. Cooking requires memory, executive function, vision, and mobility—all of which can be impacted by age or conditions like dementia. Taking away the ability to cook is a massive blow to a person’s identity and autonomy. Unattended cooking is the number-one cause of home fires. Older adults or those with cognitive challenges face higher risk, making prevention essential.
How do you see Cooktop Safety fitting into a broader home safety plan for clients aging in place?
Cooktop Safety positions the Smart Sensor as a complementary layer to smoke alarms and other safety devices: it specifically addresses cooking risks by predicting hazardous thermal conditions, providing alerts, usage history, and (optionally) remote shut-off — integrating with caregiver workflows to help reduce cooking-related incidents.
What are some of the most common cooking-related risks that home care professionals might overlook in a client’s home?
- The ‘Tea Kettle Test’: Can the client reliably turn off the burner after the kettle whistles?
- Pot Handles Turned the Wrong Way: A handle over another active burner can ignite. – Loose
- Sleeves and Apron Strings: These can drape over a burner and catch fire.
- Using the Wrong Tool for the Job: Like placing a plastic bowl on a still-hot electric coil.
How can home care agencies use technology like yours to reduce liability, prevent incidents and reassure family members?
For agencies, this is a risk mitigation tool and a business asset. It provides a documented, proactive safety layer that demonstrates due diligence, peace of mind, helps prevent emergencies, and serves as a powerful selling point to reassure families.
What are some warning signs that a caregiver or home care provider should look for that indicate a client may be at higher risk for a kitchen accident?
Look for new scorch marks on pot handles, cabinets, or towels. Expired or burned food in the pantry. The client’s reluctance to cook when they used to love it. Forgetting mid-recipe or having difficulty following a familiar sequence.
What advice would you give to home care agency owners who want to integrate more technology into their clients’ care — but may feel intimidated by it?
Start small. Focus on the problem, not the tech. Identify one single pain point (like cooktop safety) and find a simple, reliable technology that solves it. Choose vendors who offer excellent support. Frame it as a tool to empower your caregivers and amplify their efforts, not replace them.
How can Cooktop Safety be introduced to families in a way that emphasizes independence rather than “surveillance” or restriction?
The Cooktop Safety smart sensor preserves independence by preventing accidents, not by monitoring personal activity. It is a nonintrusive technology using a thermal sensor, not a camera. It is safety, not surveillance.
What feedback have you received from home care professionals who are already using the technology?
Home care professionals appreciate its simplicity, remote monitoring, and added peace of mind.
Are there any simple, non-technical steps you’d recommend that caregivers take today to make their clients’ kitchens safer?
Implement a stove-stop check: A ritual where the caregiver and client visually check that all burners are off together.
Create a safe zone: Keep a one-foot radius around the stove clear of anything that isn’t a pot or pan.
Use a timer religiously: If it goes off and you’re not cooking, check the stove.
Turn pot handles in: Toward the back of the stove to prevent bumps.
What’s your long-term vision — could this technology become standard in every home, similar to smoke detectors today?
Absolutely. I believe predictive safety should be as standard as smoke detectors. Our vision is to expand this ecosystem to include technologies that include fall detection, leak detection and geofencing which builds an invisible safety net that allows people to live independently and confidently.
Finally, if you could leave home care professionals with one message about safety, caregiving, and technology, what would it be?
Technology will never replace the human heart of caregiving, but it can become its most powerful ally. Embrace tools that reduce preventable crises. Let technology handle the predictable dangers, so you can focus on providing the irreplaceable human connection and care that truly matters.
