Why Do New Ovens Smell?

Ever wondered ‘why do new oven smell?’, what is that all about? When you first buy a new oven, you may find that there’s an odd scent to your appliance. Keep reading, and we’ll explore this phenomenon with you in a bit more detail!

Ultimately, there are multiple reasons why your new oven may smell a little odd. If you are using your new oven for the first time, it’s actually perfectly normal to notice a strange whiff or two. It’s normally likely to be binding agent or oil coating from the interior cavity. This may apply to your racks, too – so really, there’s not much need to worry if it’s a completely new oven.

However, we do understand that any kind of weird smell from new products can be a bit disconcerting. What’s more, if the smell inside your oven persists, it may well be time to take a step or two to investigate the issue.

What’s Causing Your Oven To Smell?

Let’s get this out of the way first – if you smell gas coming from your oven, don’t panic – but do take some action.

A gas smell should never be taken lightly and it is best to have your oven checked as soon as possible. In the first instance, it’s important to make sure your gas oven is professionally installed. As with everything running on gas in the house, you should have a safety certificate and full assurance from a certified installer and engineer.

However, should the oven smell be more plasticky, then you have less of a need to worry! This is that fabled ‘new oven smell’ we’ve been talking about.

One of the reasons that your oven may be smelling a bit could be due to the insulation that is surrounding the interior. That bit of insulation is being exposed to intense heat for the first time, and it, therefore, will take time to adjust. The smell should not last for long, maybe a few more cooking runs – it will go away, and it definitely isn’t anything to worry about.

Have You Removed All The Oven Packaging?

Another reason why your oven might be smelling a bit, especially plasticky or chemically, is because you may not have removed all of the interior packaging. Zip ties, for example, may have been used to keep it safe during delivery. These can be quite difficult to see depending on where you install your oven in your kitchen.

Therefore, do try to check all over your oven before using it, in case any lingering ties or packaging elements are still inside. Not only will they cause an unpleasant odour in your kitchen, they could also cause smoke to billow out – and, of course, burning plastic can be toxic.

Could It Be Your Oven’s Interior Coating?

Some manufacturers do warn against an odd odour during the first usages of their ovens due to protective oil coatings or chemicals (used during the manufacturing process) burning off due to intense heat. Again, this is most likely the first time that your oven will have been heated up, so the appliance itself will have to adapt to the heat and that can indeed cause some odd smells.

Most new oven smells do not last very long, you may find that yours only kicks out a whiff for its first heating. It is best to ‘test drive’ the oven to make sure it functions properly and for any possible smells, which you can do without any food in the cavity.

Food cooked in a new oven (with that new oven smell) will not necessarily be inedible, but the chemical odours could affect the taste of your dishes.

It truly is nothing to worry about, and soon enough, your brand new oven will be working soundly with no extra smells to compromise your meals! You’re not the first to worry about new oven smell, so don’t feel embarrassed about asking these questions.

How Long Does It Take For a New Oven To Stop Smelling?

It won’t take long at all for oven smells to dissipate – they tend to fizzle out shortly after you use an oven for the first time.

Depending on the manufacturer of your oven, you may have some info within your instruction manual or on the manufacturer’s website informing you as to how long the new oven smell should last.

If you don’t have a guide to hand, you should expect the smell to leave your home within three to four usages, max. In fact, many ovens will stop smelling after the first or second use.

Most oven brands recommend that you set the oven to a relatively high temperature for about 30 minutes, then letting it cool down before you start using it properly. You should notice a distinct change in the smell during your second use of the appliance.

Should that not yet be the case, then simply repeat the process until the oven smells fade away for good.

If the smell seems to be lingering far past a few tries, then contact the manufacturer for any specific information that they can give you about your oven model. It may require an engineer coming to look at the oven itself, but this is usually the worst case scenario.

The important thing for you to remember is that, despite the smell coming from your new oven being somewhat alarming, as it is most likely part of your adjustment process to using a new appliance. Using any new oven for the first time is a bit of a learning curve!

It is perfectly normal for your oven to be spreading some odd smells throughout the kitchen during its first or first few usages, and it will go away sooner than you might think.

How Do You Get The Smell Out of A New Oven?

More often than not, the best way to get rid of the smell from a wall oven or otherwise is just to be patient!

All new ovens have a distinct scent, which sadly isn’t as pleasing as, say, that ‘new car’ smell that we all enjoy. In fact, it can smell quite chemically and is definitely not an odour that you want clinging to your dinner.

But – is there a way to actually get the new oven smell out quicker? Can you speed the time up by taking on a bit of oven cleaning, for example?

If you buy a self cleaning oven, you might assume a cleaning cycle takes care of the odours. Sadly, though, this particular problem will likely require more elbow grease than that – if it doesn’t go away, of course. In fact, it is highly recommended that you do not use the self cleaning cycle before cleaning your oven yourself, if you want to get rid of bad smells.

The best technique is to ‘burn in’ your oven if smells persist. No, don’t set fire to anything! Simply put it on at a relatively high temperature (between 200 degrees and 250 degrees Celsius should do the trick) and let it run for about 30 minutes.

Then, let the oven cool down before repeating the process, should you think it to be necessary.

Many manufacturers also recommend cleaning the inside of the new oven with a damp cloth before starting the running and cooling process. If you do find yourself needing to repeat the heating process more than once, then do remember to repeat the oven cleaning too, before turning it on again. Do make sure to wait for the oven to cool down before wiping.

That new oven smell really shouldn’t linger for too long, and soon enough you will be able to use your oven as you like.

Another quick tip would be to open any nearby windows during this process. Even if your oven doesn’t smell anymore, that kind of oily or plastic smell can linger for quite a while in your home – and no one wants that! If you do have the option to open any windows available, it is highly recommended that you do.

Do You Need To Run A New Oven Before Using?

It’s probably a good idea to run or burn in your oven for the first time before you use it for real. This applies to even the simplest of stoves or fancier models with a self cleaning feature.

If you have just got your new oven installed, it can feel a little odd using it for the first time. This is especially the case when you are using a brand new model of oven range. Is it safe? Can I use it immediately? Should I wait a bit, like with a fridge? It can feel a bit daft wondering these things, but it is perfectly normal and responsible to be careful with something like a big appliance.

Ovens are appliances that many of us use every day and evidently, we rely on them quite a lot. Just as is the case with all electrical appliances, you should always be cautious with your oven and treat it with respect in order to ensure its longevity and maximum safety for you and those who live with you. There are actually plenty of tips on how you can ensure your oven is always running safely, but one of the most popular is burning in.

Now, you may have heard that a new oven needs to be run before using it properly for the first time. This is one of those tips that’s more than just an urban legend! You may only need to run it once, but you may find that you need to run it for about half an hour, let it cool, then repeat the process before you can cook any meals in it. This advice can differ from company to company, but the general rule of thumb is a burn in will protect your cooking. Pluggedin have a nice short video explaining the process to get rid of nasty new cooker smells.

Why Is An Oven ‘Burn In’ So Important?

The idea is that, since some new ovens are coated with protective oil, a burn in helps to prepare it. Similarly, the insulation surrounding the inside of the oven may not be used to intense heat.

Again, the odour isn’t dangerous, so you don’t have to worry about any toxins in the air. However, again, do make sure you open nearby windows and doors during the process.

Even though the new oven’s smell isn’t dangerous, it still isn’t very pleasing. The odour will smell strongly of chemicals and it will definitely not be very appetising!

A burn in is one of the best tips to follow as you might find bad smells stick to your food – that’s not going to taste great!

Why Does My Oven Smell Like Burning Plastic?

There are a few reasons why your oven or racks may smell like plastic, however, it all depends on when the smell first emits. Does it happen shortly after you use the oven for the first time? Is it only coming from your racks, or when you use certain settings?

It’s nasty, but a burning plastic smell coming from your new oven is perfectly normal. Nearly every oven has this scent when they are first used and it will not last.

The smell usually emanates from the insulation, meaning the protective lining surrounding the oven cavity. After one or two burn in runs, the smell should dissipate.

As mentioned, this type of smell could also come from leftover packaging, residue or otherwise left within your oven. Always check instructions supplied with any oven products you set up, but before you even start a burn in, take a look inside the oven and make sure you fully clear out packaging and ties.

It’s amazing how many times slight bits of packaging get past our eyes, so make a point to check once, twice and more if necessary. We can’t stress how important this step is!

Of course, if you find the smell is happening long after you first use your new oven, no matter the features you turn on and off, then it’s time to get in touch with specialist services. Just as you’d contact gas services if you smell anything escaping, you should contact manufacturer services if the odours persist long after cleaning and tidying up.

Conclusion

Honestly – we’ve all been there. Unfortunately, the coating surrounding the oven cavity in most models is going to smell a bit artificial the first time you run it. That applies to gas ovens, self cleaning systems, and almost all electric ovens. We’ve not found a single oven yet that doesn’t stink the moment we’ve powered them up!

Luckily, it’s a temporary whiff. If you are worrying about your house stinking of artificial plastic long after the first burn in, definitely contact your manufacturer – or your installer. Most times out of ten, they will know what to do for the best.