Electric Stove Smoking? Here’s How To Stop It In 4 Steps

If you have an electric stove, you probably like using it because it is easy to turn on. All you have to do is flip the dial, wait for it to turn red, and you should be good to go. Unfortunately, it can also be annoying if the electric stove begins to smoke. Why does this happen, and what should you do? 

If you find that your electric stove is smoking, there are several reasons why this might be happening. Perhaps the stove is still brand new, the burner could be dirty, or there could be something wrong with the stove itself. You will need to dig deeper to figure out what the problem is. 

Keep in mind that just because your electric stove is smoking does not necessarily mean that something is wrong with it. What do you need to do to fix the smoking issue? We have done a significant amount of research, figuring out the most common reasons why an electric stove might be smoking. Take a look at what we have discovered below, and remember to reach out to a professional with any questions or concerns you might have! 

Step #1 Your Stove Might Be Smoking Because it Is New

One of the first reasons why your electric stove might be smoking is because it is brand new. You may think that the stove is brand new, so there should not be anything wrong with it. If you are electric stove is smoking, this does not necessarily mean something is wrong, particularly if you have just purchased it.

There is no telling how long a stove is going to sit in the store after it arrives. Therefore, the manufacturer will put a bunch of protective coatings on it and make sure it is still in good condition when you purchase it. It may take a while for these coatings to go away, which is why you are seeing smoke coming from your stove. 

You should take a look at the manual to see what the coatings are. The manual will also probably tell you how long it is going to take for the protective coating to go away. In general, A good rule of thumb is that you will have to wait approximately 10 minutes for the coating to disappear. But, it depends on how strong the coating is and how high you turn up the temperature.

You do not necessarily want to crank the heat all the way up to get rid of the protective coating. It is better to be patient. Wait a few minutes before you use the burner, and the smoke should go away. Keep in mind that you may have to burn the coating off of each individual burner to fix the problem. 

Step #2 Your Stove Might Have Food Residue On It

The next most common reason why your stove might be smoking is that there is a bunch of food residue on it. If you have had your stove for a while, this is probably the reason why. Nobody is perfect when they cook, and even the best cooks in the world will spill something on the stove from time to time.

If this happens, you need to make sure you clean the stove thoroughly to get rid of all the food residue. If you allow the food residue to stick around, it will simply burn the next time you use the stove. This could be the reason why you see smoke coming from the stove. 

Before you remove the food residue from the stove, you must make sure you allow the stove to cool. If you try to clean the stove when it is still hot, you run the risk of burning yourself. It is true that might be easier to get the food off the stove when it is still warm, but it is more important for you to protect yourself. 

Fortunately, it should not take a lot for you to get the food off of the stove. All you need is a soft cloth and some light detergent. This should be enough to remove the food from the burner. Then, allow the burner to dry before you turn it on again. You should find that the smoke goes away. 

Step #3 Your Stove Could Have a Faulty Burner

Fortunately, these first two reasons indicate that there is nothing wrong with the stove. Unfortunately, there are reasons why your burner might be smoking that could indicate a serious problem with the stove itself. If you find that only one burner is smoking, but not the others, it could be a sign that there is something wrong with that specific burner. 

So, how do you know if you have a faulty burner? If you have cleaned the burner thoroughly, there’s nothing wrong with the other burners, and you know your stove is not brand new, then this is a sign that something is wrong with the burner. There are a number of reasons why the burner might have an issue. 

For example, the burner may have simply broken down because it is old. Or, the burner might have broken down because there is a serious maintenance issue. Your burner might also have issues because of moisture getting inside it. Regardless, you may need to have the burner repaired. Or, you might need to replace the burner entirely. 

It is best not to do this on your own. Instead, you need to reach out to a professional who can help you. A professional be able to evaluate the burner to figure out if there is a way to repair it. If not, the contractor may ask you to replace the burner instead. You will need to see if it is worth it to replace the burner or get a new range entirely. 

Step #4 Your Stove Could Have a Problem with the Heating Elements

Finally, it is also possible that your stove might have an issue with the heating element. If you find that all the burners are emitting smoke, and that they are clean (and not new), then it is unlikely that all the burners have gone faulty at the same time. This is probably a problem with the heating elements. 

Heating elements usually begin to emit smoke before they fail completely, so this is not something you should ignore. To take a closer look at the heating elements, you need to shut off the power to the stove. Make sure you unplug it from the wall completely to protect yourself. 

Then, pull the stove back from the wall slightly. Take a closer look at the heating elements on the back. If you are unsure of what they are supposed to look like, take a look at some pictures of your specific stove online before you dig deeper. 

Make sure they look like they are in good shape. You are looking for signs of any cracks, dents, or corrosion. If you see this present, it is time to call a professional to take a closer look at them for you.

If the heating elements look like they are okay, you should plug the stove back in and turn it on again. Then, take a closer look at the heating elements. If they look like they are glowing, they are probably still in good shape. If they are not glowing, they might need to be replaced. Again, you should call a professional who can help you with this. 

These are a few of the most common reasons why your electric stove might be smoking. Fortunately, some of these issues are relatively easy to fix. Remember that if you are ever concerned about working on your stove, you could reach out to a professional who can help you. That way, you know you are getting an expert opinion. 

What Is the Best Way To Clean a Stove?

If you are looking to prevent your electric stove from smoking, the best way to do so is to keep it as clean as possible. Ideally, you should clean your stove after you use it every time. You should wait for the stove to cool for a few minutes before you try to clean it. That way, you don’t run the risk of burning yourself. 

You don’t need anything fancy to clean your stove. All you need is a soft microfiber cloth that will prevent you from scratching your stove along with a mild detergent. If you had a particularly tough stain that you cannot remove, then you may want to unplug the stove so you can clean it more vigorously.

From time to time, you may also need to remove the grates on your stove to clean them (if your stove has them). That way, you can prevent food from getting inside your stove. This is another important step for making sure you take care of your range. As long as you clean your stove regularly, you should be able to prevent it from smoking. 

Fix an Electric Stove That Is Smoking

These are just a few of the best ways you can deal with an electric stove that is smoking. In a lot of cases, this is relatively easy to fix. If your stove is brand-new, you should let it burn for a few minutes to get rid of the protective coatings that are on top. If your stove is not brand new, you should make sure there is no food stuck to the stove.

Finally, if there is something wrong with the inner workings of your stove, you might have a faulty burner. Or, you might have a few faulty heating elements. In this case, it is a good idea to reach out to a professional who can conduct a complete analysis of your stove. That way, you can figure out whether it is worth it to repair your stove or to get a new one entirely.