An oven typically smokes because old grease or food spills are burning off, protective factory coatings are curing, or high-fat foods are causing a flare-up.
Grease or food dripping
Sometimes foods will fall into the bottom of the oven or grease will drip from a pan. When the food or grease lands in the bottom of the oven, it can cause smoking to occur. Using a baking sheet or drip pan can help you to avoid this.
A: Sometimes it can be normal, especially after a deep clean or during the first few uses of a brand-new oven. But steady smoke, sparking, or a sharp electrical smell is not normal and should be treated as a safety issue.
If your oven is smoking, immediately turn it off and keep the door closed to starve the fire of oxygen. Open nearby windows and turn on exhaust fans to ventilate the area. If the smoke persists or there are visible flames, safely evacuate and call 911.
A smoking oven is a common issue typically caused by grease, leftover food spills, or residue burning off as the temperature rises. While light, brief smoke during preheat isn’t always an emergency, it shouldn't be ignored.
Signs of a carbon monoxide leak in your house or home
Sooty or brownish-yellow stains around the leaking appliance. Stale, stuffy, or smelly air, like the smell of something burning or overheating. Soot, smoke, fumes, or back-draft in the house from a chimney, fireplace, or other fuel burning equipment.
This is completely normal, and the smell should dissipate after a few uses. To get rid of the odor faster, run your empty oven at 400 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit (204 to 260 degrees Celsius) for 30 to 60 minutes to burn off the materials.
Do not use your oven yet. Before turning it back on, it must be inspected by a professional appliance technician. Fire can cause hidden damage to the wiring, sensors, and insulation.
To stop a smoking oven immediately, turn it off and smother any active grease spills by generously covering them with kosher salt or baking soda, which cuts off the oxygen supply. Then, open your windows and turn on your exhaust fan to clear the air.
Yes, it is generally safe to eat food cooked in a smoking oven. The smoke won't poison you, but it will likely smell and taste terrible. However, if the smoke is from burning chemical cleaners, turn off the oven and do not eat the food, as it can be toxic.
Here's what to watch out for.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a highly toxic gas that is invisible to the naked eye, odorless, tasteless and non-irritating. While cooking with electric ovens does not produce much CO, gas ovens – especially older ones – are more likely to create CO due to the combustion.
Yes, it is completely normal for a brand-new oven to smoke or emit an oily odor the first time you turn it on. This happens because the heating elements and internal insulation are burning off protective factory oils, lubricants, and bonding agents.
You can usually continue using your oven, but you should stop and investigate the source first. Smoke is typically caused by burning food, grease spills, or residue from a recent cleaning, rather than an immediate emergency.
Your oven is most likely smoking because of food spills or grease buildup burning off the heating elements, leftover residue from chemical oven cleaners, or cooking fatty foods at high temperatures.
Clean it: Spills and residue from previous cooking are the most likely cause of oven smoke. Grease, oil, food debris—it will all combust and start to smoke once your oven heats up again.
The smell of fire smoke does not go away on its own. It lingers because microscopic, oily soot particles deeply penetrate porous materials like walls, fabrics, and carpets. To eliminate it, you must remove the soot at its source and neutralize the odor.
Yes, it is often normal for an oven to smoke during preheating, especially if it is brand-new, recently cleaned, or has accumulated baked-on grease.
If your oven is smoking, immediately turn it off and keep the door closed to starve the fire of oxygen. Open nearby windows and turn on exhaust fans to ventilate the area. If the smoke persists or there are visible flames, safely evacuate and call 911.
Safe Use. Never leave food cooking unattended, even if you're just popping out for a minute. Don't use the oven as a storage cupboard – someone might forget and turn it on. Make sure you keep the oven clean – grease and splatters of food can catch fire.
Soot and Smoke Cleanup
Depending on how deeply smoke has penetrated, this stage can last 5–14 days. If the HVAC system was running during the fire, ductwork will need to be professionally cleaned to prevent the recirculation of smoke particles.
Oven fires are primarily caused by the ignition of accumulated grease, spilled food particles, or forgotten items inside the appliance. They can also occur from mechanical failures or using inappropriate cookware.
Yes, smoke in an oven will go away once the source of the smoke is eliminated, burned off, or cleaned out.
An electrical fire or overheating wire typically smells like melting plastic, burnt rubber, or acrid chemicals. Often, it can also produce a sharp, fishy odor or a metallic smell caused by melting wire coatings, wire insulation, or circuit boards getting too hot.
Is the New Smell Dangerous? Odor and smoke when you turn on an oven for the first time is normal and not harmful. The best way to eliminate the smell is to run an empty cycle. It is recommended that you do not cook any food before this cycle as the smell and, potentially, the taste can stick with your food.