Ovens have become crucial for every kitchen, but it doesn’t make them so easy to handle. In fact, many people struggle to operate the oven, and in some cases, improper handling leads to the smoking of the oven during roasting. So, if you are contemplating, “why does my oven smoke when roasting?” we are here with the answers!
Why Does My Oven Smoke When Roasting?
1. The New Oven
If you have recently purchased the oven and are using it for roasting food for the first time, it could be the reason behind the smoke. This is because the new ovens are highly likely to exert smoke or unusual odors whenever you use them for the first time. To begin with, smoking can come from the packaging materials, such as Styrofoam, tape, and plastic which could be left behind when you unpacked the oven. So, it’s best to switch off the oven, let it cool down, and clear off the scrapes.
On the other hand, if you have already removed the packaging material from the oven, there are chances that you need to let the oven burn in. That’s to say because ovens are often treated with bonding agents, and they need to be burned away. For this reason, just let the oven work on its own, and the smoke will go away.
2. The Oven Is Dirty
If your oven is old, but it’s still making smoke, there are chances that the oven hasn’t been cleaned properly. In the majority of cases, the smoke occurs because there is leftover food or food residues burning in the heating element of the oven (it could also be burning at the bottom of the stove). For this reason, it’s time to opt for a deep cleaning because all it needs is cleaning. If your oven is designed with the self-cleaning mode, it would be a great choice.
When you use the self-cleaning mode, and it’s finished, you need to let the oven cool down and clean off the leftover food particles. This is because even the smallest food particles have the tendency to create smoke if they aren’t removed. On the other hand, if your oven doesn’t have the self-cleaning mode, you can manually wash and clean the oven.
3. Improper Cleaning
Contrary to usual belief, cleaning is a sensitive matter, and you cannot just thrash in the cleaning solution and let it do its job. For the most part, people opt for store-bought and special oven cleaners, but they are highly likely to make smoke if the residues aren’t properly cleaned from the internal side of the oven. So, when you are cleaning the oven, make sure that you wipe all the cleaning product residues (you can also use a damp cloth to be sure). Once the cleaning product residues are cleaned, there won’t be any smoke production. On the other hand, if you don’t want to use special oven cleaners, you can also use vinegar, and it won’t even cause smoke.
4. Heating Element
If you are using the electric oven, buzzing sounds and smoke are the common symptoms of a worn-out heating element. In simpler words, if your electric oven is releasing smoke, the heating element needs to be replaced, and it’s best to call a professional technician (nope, the DIY methods won’t work here). On the other hand, if you are using the gas oven, there are chances that the heating element is under too much gas pressure. In that case, you must check if flames are reaching the racks – if it’s too much pressure, call the gas suppliers because the gas pressure needs adjustment.
Tips To Prevent Smoking In Your Oven
Ovens can be challenging to use, especially if you haven’t used them regularly. So, if you fix the smoking issue once, we are sharing additional tips to prevent smoking, promising a seamless experience later. Let’s check out these prevention tips;
- When cooking food, make sure that you use baking pans and broiling pans to ensure the food doesn’t spill. In simpler words, you shouldn’t put food on the racks
- In case your oven has various tiers, make sure that you put the non-stick and fire-proof oven mat on the most bottom rack to catch debris and drips
- Always clean the oven properly, including the interior, floor, sidewalls, and glass
- Make it a habit to clean the oven racks and interior every month
- Don’t use the self-clean feature too much (five times in a year is fine!)