Is It Safe to Cook in a Brand New Oven on First Run

Getting an oven is no easy task. You have to think about the features you want, how it will perform, and also, your budget.

But after you get the oven, the joy is never-ending. The recipes you always wanted to try to keep on gathering in your head all day. And this happens to every one of us.

The first thing you might want to do is slow roast a set of ribs, maybe even some muffins or cupcakes, or some cookies. The urge to use your oven is high here.

But before you do all that, is it safe to cook in a brand new oven, that is the question. We are going to explain the things you should be doing right after you have brought your new oven home.

Is It Safe to Cook in a Brand New Oven

Although it is a human urge to use the new oven the first thing you have arrived home, you have to hold on to yourself for a bit. You have to treat it like a new grill you bought for your summertime. 

What you do with your grill, is the same thing you have to do with your oven. And that is doing a burnout in the oven. Here are the things you should do after you have brought home your new oven.

What You Should Do After Buying a New Oven

The first thing after getting your oven is going through the instruction manual. This might seem all tedious and you might know it all, but every oven is built differently and requires a different approach. So going through the manual is a must.

Start by taking off all the plastic wraps outside and inside of the oven. Some might think that keeping the wrap is a good thing as it gives an extra layer of protection. Which is very much wrong. 

The plastic wraps will burn and create a hazardous fume. And also it gets stuck on the oven with time damaging the exterior of the oven.

Some parts inside the oven are tied with zip ties, which need to be removed carefully. Missing one of them might end you with a plastic burning smell for a very long time. 

After you have removed all the protections and plastics, it is time to give it a gentle wash. Gentle as in a warm soapy wash on the interior of the oven. 

Ovens come with different protective oils inside of them. The coating keeps the equipment safe for a very long time. But before using the oven, you need to remove all of those. And nothing is better than a warm soapy wash.

Next is the fun part, you get to turn your oven on to do a burnout. Close your oven door and set it to 450° or 550°. And run it for about 30 minutes to an hour. 

After it is done, check for any oily or plastic smell. If there is no smell of burning oil or plastic, it is ready to be used.

Sometimes the smell doesn’t go away in one go. You have to go through the burnout cycle a few times in that case. Which is totally fine.

And when all the smell is all gone, do another soapy wash and your oven would be ready to use.

Can You Cook in a New Oven Right Away

If you do not do a warm cleaning and burn out of the oven after you got it home, chances are your foods will smell and taste a bit funky and of machine oil. 

This is why you have to do the soapy wash and burn out beforehand to make sure nothing messes with your food. So don’t go start cooking in your new oven right away out of the box, unless you want your food to taste funky and metallic machines.

Note: While doing the burn-out of your oven, turn the oven’s ventilation fans on. And also open all the windows of your kitchen to release all the burning oil smell in your house. Otherwise, it will linger throughout your house and kitchen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are fumes from new oven dangerous?

No. The fumes from a new oven are essential oils to protect the equipment inside it. These are totally harmless. But if there are plastic wraps or ties left inside, those fumes can be a little dangerous. So make sure you have removed all of them beforehand.

Do you need to clean the oven before first use?

Yes. You should always clean a new oven before its first use. Because the machine oil that is keeping the oven equipment in good condition should be removed. You can use a warm water soap mixture to rub it down first and then do a burnout by turning on the oven. After all the oils are burned out, you can start using your oven.

Is it okay to cook in a new oven right away?

No. You have to do a burn-out of your oven to get rid of the oil and machine smell of your oven. This is the first time you have to do it before you cook any food in it. Also, go for warm water and soap wash before you do the burnout. This will help with the burning of the oils easier.

Conclusion

Ovens are a wonder for any kitchen. They give you time to prep your side dishes while it cooks your main slowly. And you can do whatever you want in it. But maintaining them is the key. Always do a monthly cleaning of your oven to ensure the best cooking results. As grease and dirt build-up in the vents and the oven interiors, they make it hard for the oven to cook your food. And sometimes they can even cause a fire. So do cleaning after you got your oven and once a month to keep them in firm shape.