An oven smoking when preheating is most often burning off food spills, grease or cleaner residue, and a brand-new oven commonly smokes the first few times as factory coatings burn off. Smoke that comes with sparks, a bright spot on an element or a gas smell is different: turn the oven off and stop using it.
Quick diagnosis
| Symptom | Likely cause | First thing to try |
|---|---|---|
| Smoke from the bottom, burnt food smell | Spills on the oven floor or bake element | Let it cool completely, then clean |
| New oven smoking the first few times | Factory oils and coatings burning off | Run it empty as the manual directs, with windows open |
| Sharp chemical smell with smoke | Oven cleaner residue left behind | Wipe the interior well with plain water |
| Smoke only when broiling | Grease on the broil element or broiler pan | Clean the pan and trim fat from meat |
| Sparks or a bright spot on an element | Element failing | Turn the oven off at the breaker |
| Gas smell with smoke | Possible gas problem | Leave the house and call the gas utility or 911 from outside |
A closer look
Spills and grease
Cheese, pie filling and roasting juices that drip onto the oven floor or the bake element burn every time the oven heats. A thin layer you can barely see is enough to make smoke. Once the oven is fully cool, clean the floor and wipe down the walls. Many manuals warn against lining the oven floor with foil, so check yours before you try it.
New-oven burn-off
New ovens carry oils and coatings from manufacturing. Many manuals recommend running the empty oven at a high temperature for a while before the first use, with the kitchen ventilated. Some smoke and a strong smell during that run are normal. Many manuals also say to move pet birds away from the kitchen during burn-off and self-clean, since birds are very sensitive to fumes.
Cleaner residue
Commercial oven cleaner that isn't rinsed off completely will smoke and smell when the oven heats. Wipe every surface with a damp cloth, rinsing the cloth often.
A failing element
Electric bake and broil elements can blister, glow brighter in one spot or spark before they burn through. Smoke from a bad element often comes with a sharp electrical smell. Turn the oven off at the breaker and don't use it until the element is replaced.
Who runs into this most
New oven owners, people who just used a strong oven cleaner, and anyone who roasts or broils fatty foods often without cleaning between uses.
Prevention checklist
- •Wipe spills once the oven is cool, before they bake on
- •Use a sheet pan under dishes that bubble over
- •Rinse thoroughly after using oven cleaner
- •Run a new oven empty before cooking, as the manual directs
- •Keep the broiler pan clean
Time to call a pro
- •Sparks, arcing or a bright spot on an element
- •Smoke continues after a thorough cleaning
- •Any gas smell (leave first, then call from outside)
- •The oven heats unevenly or not at all after the smoking stops
Travis's rule of thumb: Smoke that smells like food is a cleaning job. Smoke that smells electrical, or comes with sparks, is a repair.
Sparking element or smoke that won't clean away? See our oven repair page or call ProFix Houston at (832) 552-1615. Still hearing a fan once the smoke clears and the oven is off? That's covered in why an oven fan runs after it's off.