Seasoning a New Smoker

Key Concepts

• Why seasoning matters: new pits have manufacturing oils, coatings, and residues that need to burn off
• Building seasoning: repeated heat and oil cycles create a protective layer similar to cast iron
• First fire: run empty at a high temp before any food touches the cooking grates
• Coating the grates: a thin layer of high-smoke-point oil applied before the seasoning burn
• Ongoing seasoning: every cook adds to the seasoning layer over time

Put It Into Practice

1. Before the first use, wipe all interior surfaces (walls, grates, lid) with a rag lightly coated in vegetable oil or lard. Do not use olive oil — it has a low smoke point.
2. Open all vents fully and build a full fire. For a kettle or kamado, fill the charcoal basket. For an offset, build a full firebox fire.
3. Run the pit at 275–300°F for 2-3 hours. This burns off factory coatings and bakes the oil into the metal.
4. You will see white or yellow smoke during the first part of the burn. This is normal — it is the factory residues burning off. Wait for the smoke to thin and clear before considering the pit ready.
5. Let the pit cool fully. Wipe the grates again with a light coat of oil before your first cook.
6. After every cook, while the pit is still warm (not hot), brush the grates and wipe with a thin oil coat. This builds seasoning with every use.