Why Did My Oven Start Smoking Unexpectedly?

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    Mystery Smoke
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around an unexpected smoking incident in an oven, with participants sharing personal experiences, potential causes, and humorous anecdotes related to cooking mishaps. The scope includes practical concerns about oven maintenance, safety, and the consequences of spills during cooking.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes that the smoke may have been caused by previous spills in the oven that had not reached their smoking point until now.
  • Another suggests that the automatic oven cleaning function might have failed, humorously implying a need for a reset.
  • Concerns are raised about the effectiveness of stove exhaust fans, with one participant expressing frustration that smoke is blown back into the kitchen instead of venting outside.
  • Several participants share experiences of smoke resulting from spills, particularly when cooking at high temperatures after previous low-temperature cooking.
  • There are humorous remarks about the dangers of storing items in the oven, including a story about illegal fireworks and a handbag, highlighting the risks associated with such practices.
  • One participant mentions having removed the battery from their fire alarm due to frequent false alarms while cooking.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants share similar experiences regarding oven smoke and spills, but there is no consensus on the exact causes or solutions. The discussion includes both serious concerns and humorous anecdotes, indicating a mix of agreement on experiences but disagreement on specific practices and their implications.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference various personal cooking habits and safety measures, but there are no established solutions or definitive explanations for the smoking incident. The discussion reflects individual experiences that may not be universally applicable.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in cooking safety, oven maintenance, and humorous cooking anecdotes may find this discussion relevant.

wolram
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I was going to have baked potatoes for lunch so i put them in the oven on high, half an hour later the houses filled with smoke, it is still lingering now, what ever had spilled over in the oven previously must have burnt and burnt and burnt, strange as the last thing i baked did not cause any smoke.
 
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Obviously the automatic oven cleaning function failed - you might have to reset it by buying her flowers.
 
wolram said:
I was going to have baked potatoes for lunch so i put them in the oven on high, half an hour later the houses filled with smoke, it is still lingering now, what ever had spilled over in the oven previously must have burnt and burnt and burnt, strange as the last thing i baked did not cause any smoke.
Probably what ever spilled last time hadn't reached the smoking point yet. You don't have a fire alarm? Mine goes off with the slightest smoke, I always have to run and open all of the windows. I can't believe that the stove exhaust fan just sucks up the smoke and blows it into my face, it should vent outside. :rolleyes:

mgb_phys said:
Obviously the automatic oven cleaning function failed - you might have to reset it by buying her flowers.
Oh, baaaaad.
 
mgb_phys said:
Obviously the automatic oven cleaning function failed - you might have to reset it by buying her flowers.

Around here during the last few decades we have lost the automatic oven cleaning function. The last I heard it was "Quid pro quo". Bloody romans.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Evo said:
Probably what ever spilled last time hadn't reached the smoking point yet. You don't have a fire alarm? Mine goes off with the slightest smoke, I always have to run and open all of the windows. I can't believe that the stove exhaust fan just sucks up the smoke and blows it into my face, it should vent outside. :rolleyes:

Oh, baaaaad.

I have a fire alarm but i took the battery out ,as the alarm went off every time i cooked any thing, i mean any thing, even frying bacon.
 
That has happened here, too Woolie. (The smoking oven thing) When we make baked beans, the oven temp is set very low, and if I spill some bean juice during the day when checking the beans or topping of the liquid so they won't dry out, I've got to clean up the juice after the oven cools. If I forget, the next time I use high heat to sear some meat, etc, SMOKE! I love the smell of baked beans, but not the smell of scorched bean juice.
 
At least it wasn't a smoking pan! WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY would someone EVER store pans or other things in the oven? I now have to check every time I preheat. My spouse is known to place things in there in a pinch.

At least this thread made me check... as I preheat the oven to stick in a quiche. Yum! (The kids will hate it :-p)
 
physics girl phd said:
At least it wasn't a smoking pan! WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY would someone EVER store pans or other things in the oven? I now have to check every time I preheat. My spouse is known to place things in there in a pinch.

At least this thread made me check... as I preheat the oven to stick in a quiche. Yum! (The kids will hate it :-p)
I rarely use the oven and don't have a lot of storage space, so I store a couple of the large roasting pans in the oven.

A few years ago, on the news, someone had part of their house blown off when they hid illegal fireworks in the oven, forgot about it, then someone turned the oven on...
 
:-p Quiche? Did somebody say Quiche? Yay.

Good idea, I'll make one Sunday. Seems that I need to check for fireworks first.
 
  • #10
I was a teen when we first moved to the Metro Detroit area. My Mom had the idea we might get robbed and thought she would keep her handbag in the oven. Bad idea.
 
  • #11
hypatia said:
I was a teen when we first moved to the Metro Detroit area. My Mom had the idea we might get robbed and thought she would keep her handbag in the oven. Bad idea.


I think the value of the food i have destroyed in the oven, and the cost of oven cleaner outweighs my stash.

As for fireworks, i usually keep my explosions for outside or work, (touching wood).
 
  • #12
physics girl phd said:
At least this thread made me check... as I preheat the oven to stick in a quiche. Yum! (The kids will hate it :-p)

Poor kids, i used to feed mine to the dog, i could never get him to clean up the crumbs though.
 

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