An extra at the stove — not a substitute for a listed extinguisher

Aerosol-Can Fire Sprays

First Alert (EZ Fire Spray AF400) · Tundra Canada & United States $ · No reliable public price

Spray-can-sized products sold for kitchens and cars that discharge a wet-chemical or water-based agent for roughly 30 seconds. They are easy to use but much smaller than a real extinguisher, and they are not listed and rated the way a portable extinguisher is.

Why we like it

Simple to use: point and press, no pin or hose
Small enough to keep beside the stove or in a car
The First Alert AF400 retail specification cites Class K (cooking oil) and electrical conductivity test methods

Watch out for

Not a listed or rated extinguisher; it does not count toward any code requirement
Only effective on very small, early fires
No pressure gauge and disposable, so you cannot check its charge

Best for

A grab-it-first extra beside the stove in a home that already has a listed multipurpose extinguisher.

Read the full market guide — costs, install effort and alternatives ↓

Market guide

The whole commitment, end to end

What this actually is, what the market looks like, what it really costs, and how much of your time it wants — before you spend anything.

Buying it Trivial

Installing it Trivial

Living with it Trivial

Up front

No reliable public figure.

Lead time

Off the shelf

Time to install

None

How it works

A pressurised can releases a wet-chemical or water-based agent through a spray nozzle, for roughly 30 seconds. The agent cools the fuel and, on cooking oil, forms a film over the surface. There is no gauge and the can is single-use. The quantity of agent is small, so it can only deal with a fire that is still very small.

Who needs it

No one is required to have one, and it is not code-recognised as a substitute for a listed portable extinguisher. Reasonable as a supplementary kitchen or car item.

Codes, standards and listings

Canada: No Canadian listing shown.
United States: No UL listing or rating shown. The First Alert AF400 retailer spec cites UL 711A (Class K) and UL 711 electrical conductivity test methods plus Korean standard KOFEIS 0108; UL's extinguisher standards list has no aerosol-type extinguisher standard.

What the market looks like

First Alert / BRK's AF400 EZ Fire Spray is the best-known product; Tundra is the other name in the category. The AF400's retailer specification cites 'UL711A (Class K), UL711 Electrical Conductivity (Class C) up to 35,000 Volts' and a Korean standard, KOFEIS 0108, for Class A. Those are references to test methods; a UL listing or rating was not shown. UL's list of extinguisher standards contains no standard for aerosol-type extinguishers. We found no reliable public price.

Features that actually matter

Spray-can format: No pin, hose or squeeze handle to learn. That ease is the honest selling point.
Wet-chemical/water agent: Suited to small cooking-oil and ordinary-combustible fires, according to the cited test methods, with far less mess than dry powder.
Cited test methods, not a listing: The AF400 spec references UL 711A and UL 711 test methods and a Korean standard. That is not the same as a UL-listed extinguisher with a rating such as 2-A:10-B:C.
No gauge: You cannot check whether it is still charged; you rely on the expiry date.

What it really costs

Up front: No reliable public figure.
Consumables: Replace after any use or at expiry.
What else you'll need: None, but you still need a listed extinguisher alongside it.
Over five years: No reliable public figure; assume at least one replacement at expiry.

Retail prices from public listings, October 2026; CAD where Canadian listings exist, otherwise converted at ~1.38.

How it differs from the alternatives

Versus a listed 2-A:10-B:C extinguisher: The listed unit carries far more agent, has a gauge, carries a tested rating and counts toward code requirements. The can does none of those. It is an extra, never the primary.
Versus a fire blanket or a lid: For a pan fire, smothering with a lid or blanket is cheap and reliable. The spray is a convenience alongside that, not a replacement for good cooking habits.
Versus fire-extinguishing balls: The spray at least lets you aim. Throwable balls have no nozzle or controlled discharge, and the CPSC has warned consumers off one brand.

Buying it

Effort Trivial

Where: US: Home Depot, Lowe's, Ace Hardware, Amazon and Walmart. Canada: Canadian Tire and Home Depot Canada availability not verified.

Lead time: Off the shelf

Buy it in addition to a listed multipurpose extinguisher, not instead of one.

Installing it

Effort Trivial

Time: None

You'll need: None

Keep it within reach of the stove but not above it, where you would have to reach over flames.

Living with it

Effort Trivial

Check the expiry date and replace after any use, even a short burst.

If not this, then what

Listed 2-A:10-B:C (or larger) multipurpose extinguisherThe primary extinguisher for a home. Buy this first.
Pan lid or fire blanketThe simplest way to put out a small stovetop oil fire.

Caveats

Not a listed/rated extinguisher; does not count toward any code requirement.
A listed 2-A:10-B:C or larger unit should be the primary extinguisher.
Effective only on very small, early fires.

Our verdict

Fine as an extra at the stove, because it is easy to use in a panic. It is not a listed, rated extinguisher and should not be your only one; put a listed 2-A:10-B:C or larger unit in the kitchen first.

We don't take payment for placement and we don't sell these products. If you think we've got something wrong here, tell us — we'll correct it.

Sources

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