You’re all set to cook a four-course meal for your loved ones. You’ve been prepping all day, turning on your oven to preheat it. Then, in that instant, you know that something is not right. There’s a funny smell in the air, and you look around. “Why does my oven smoke?” you wonder to yourself. If that scene sounds familiar, read our helpful guide now.
Why does my new oven smoke?
Before we get into why an older oven may be smoking, here’s a problem that has troubled humankind since the invention of the oven. You’ve just bought yourself a brand-new kitchen appliance and had it installed. You’re all ready to cook up a storm. However, it starts smoking loads when you whack the power to preheat your oven.
This problem can be confusing — you might even think something is wrong with your oven. But before you call up the retailer and complain that your product is faulty, there’s something that you should know. New ovens tend to smoke when you first use them.
This is because there are coatings that the manufacturer may use when making the oven. These tend to burn off when you first start using the appliance. That means your new oven may begin to smoke when you use it the first few times. Often enough, this is nothing to worry about. However, you may find that some manufacturers tell you to run your oven for between 30 minutes and an hour at a high temperature before you use it.
If you are unsure how to get started with your new oven, the best thing you can do for yourself is read the manual. You should find that your new oven came with a handy user guide in the box (or, potentially, on the box!). Should you have thrown it away when you unwrapped the oven, don’t panic. Instead, simply Google the brand, make, and model. You should have no problem finding the user guide online as a downloadable PDF you can read.
Reasons your oven is smoking
If you don’t have a new oven — and you’ve been using it for some time — there could be other reasons it is smoking. Whether you have a self-cleaning oven, an electric stove, or an oven grill, when it starts to smoke, the unpleasant smell will be the first thing you notice. You may also find smoke in the air, and things burn faster.
If you find that your oven is smoking, you need to do something about it sooner rather than later. With that in mind, we will look at some of the top reasons your oven has started to smoke. Here’s everything that you need to know.
Reason #1: It needs to be cleaned
Has it been a while since you cleaned your oven? We all know that this is one of the dullest household chores. However, if you leave your oven untouched for too long, you will find that excess food residue builds up and starts to burn when you cook things. That is one of the main reasons that your oven is smoking. So it should be no surprise that cooking grease will start to smoke when you heat it to a high temperature.
Generally, you should clean your oven at least once a month. There are plenty of unique products to help you with this household task. Make sure that you incorporate this into your regular cleaning regime. The aim of the game is to get rid of as much of that grease and grime as possible. As you already know, leaving fat untreated makes it harder to move. For that reason, the more often you clean your oven and the grill, the easier it will be to stay on top of this all-too-annoying job.
Reason #2: The heating element is broken
When the heating element of your oven breaks — or is about to fail — it can cause your oven to start smoking. This problem is particularly prevalent if you have an electric stove or oven. The heating element should usually glow bright orange when it is working correctly. However, when it is about to blow, you may find that it overheats, and the oven starts to smoke. Needless to say, if you ignore this problem, it can be dangerous.
One of the first things you can do is turn your oven on and off again. Yes, that might seem like a poorly-timed joke from the IT Crowd, but it might do the trick. Experts suggest turning your oven off entirely and switching it off at the wall. Next, wait around 20 minutes to ensure that your oven has cooled down completely. When you have done that, you should turn the oven back on and see whether it works again. If the heating element is still performing poorly or you can see smoke, you should call an expert.
Reason #3: The gas pressure is too high
One of the reasons you may not expect is that the gas pressure is too high. If you have a gas oven, this is a real problem and can be dangerous. For example, you might find that having high gas pressure in your home leads to a higher risk of fires. One of the first things you will notice is that your oven starts to smoke. Should you find that this is the problem, you may need to speak to your energy provider for more details.
How to stop your oven smoking
Now that you better understand why your oven may be smoking, let’s talk about what you can do about it. How you approach this problem may depend on what is causing it. For that reason, you should first check out why your oven may be smoking. When you do that, you can look for ways to overcome the issue. Here are two small things that you can try to help you out.
1. Clean your oven
You might have seen this one coming! The first thing you should do when you notice that your oven is smoking is clean it. Then, you must turn your oven off and allow it to cool completely. If you have a self-cleaning oven, you can use this feature now. First, however, if you are not so lucky, you must get in and tackle all of that grease and grime.
2. Check for problems
As we have covered here, your oven may be smoking because it has a fault. You will often find that the heating element is failing or that there is too much gas. Of course, there could be other issues that are causing your oven to smoke. When you cannot control the heat inside the appliance, it can quickly start burning and smoking. Check for any signs that your oven is broken or failing. Next up, you should call an expert or an electrician to help you fix your oven or deal with any of the issues.
If your oven is smoking, you should not be using it. Turn the appliance off and make sure that you do something about the problem. Ignoring this issue may relieve some stress, but it is a dangerous game. Look for ways to solve it right now!
Q&A
Do you still have a burning question in your mind? We’ve got you covered. Here are some answers to the frequently asked questions here:
Is it bad if an oven is smoking?
Yes! When you notice your oven smoking, you must do something about it. The sooner you act and deal with the problem, the better it will be for your safety.
Is electric oven smoke normal?
If you have a new electric oven, you may find it smokes the first few times you use it. Refer to your user guide to get tips on dealing with this problem. However, if your oven continuously smokes, that could be a bad sign. Check out what the issue is.
How do I stop my oven from smoking?
When you notice that your oven is smoking, you first should turn it off and allow it to cool down completely. When you have done that, you should clean it deeply. If that does not fix the problem, you need to speak to an expert.
Have you found these tips helpful? Let us know in the comments below!
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