How to Season a Smoker: A Guide for Every Smoker Type

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Before you put food in a new smoker, there’s usually a little preparation to take care of, and depending on the cooker you bought, the instructions might call it seasoning, pre-seasoning, curing or an initial burn-in.

Those terms sometimes get used interchangeably, which can make the process more confusing than it needs to be. One manufacturer tells you to apply cooking oil, another walks you through a programmed startup cycle, and someone online says you should fill it with charcoal and let it run all afternoon.

The right approach depends on how your smoker is built, especially whether you’re dealing with bare steel, porcelain-coated metal, an insulated electric cabinet or a ceramic cooker.

In this guide, I’ll explain what seasoning accomplishes, how to prepare a new smoker and what changes when you’re working with different types of cookers. If you’re still choosing your smoker, start with my Ultimate Guide to Smokers.

What Does It Mean to Season a Smoker?

When people talk about seasoning a smoker, they’re usually referring to one or both of two processes.

The first is running the smoker without food according to the manufacturer’s instructions, which heats the cooker and helps remove manufacturing oils or residues that the specified procedure is designed to address. On a pellet grill, this first startup may also include priming the auger so pellets can reach the firepot.

The second is applying a very thin layer of cooking oil to suitable metal surfaces and heating it to develop a protective coating. This is particularly useful on bare steel and cast iron, which need protection from moisture and rust.

Some smokers need both processes, while others only require the initial heating procedure. Ceramic walls and porcelain-coated surfaces don’t need an oil coating for rust protection the way exposed steel does.

Start With the Instructions for Your Smoker

Before you reach for the cooking oil, find the first-use instructions for your specific model.

You’re looking for the required temperature, how long the smoker should run, whether oil is needed, which parts should be installed and whether the water pan should be empty or filled. Startup and shutdown instructions matter as well, especially on pellet grills.

There isn’t one temperature and time that works for every smoker, and turning a cooker to its highest setting isn’t a substitute for following its seasoning procedure.

If you bought a used smoker and don’t have the manual, look up the model number on the manufacturer’s website before deciding how to prepare it.

How to Prepare a New Smoker for Seasoning

Remove Packaging and Check the Assembly

Look inside the cooking chamber, underneath removable trays and around the fuel system for packing material, tape, protective film and loose hardware.

Make sure the cooking grates, heat shields, drip trays and other parts are installed as directed. Some pellet grills require temporary removal of internal components during the initial setup, but those parts generally need to go back into their proper positions before the seasoning burn.

Set the smoker outdoors on a stable surface with the clearances required by the manufacturer, then make sure you have enough fuel to finish the process.

Clean the Parts That Require Washing

Wash removable cooking grates and other washable food-contact parts as directed, then rinse and dry them thoroughly.

Don’t assume the entire cooker should be hosed out or scrubbed with soapy water. Electrical components, insulation, pellet systems and porous ceramic surfaces require different treatment from removable metal racks.

If the instructions call for wiping out the cooking chamber, do that with the recommended materials and let everything dry before continuing.

Apply Oil Where It Belongs

If your smoker calls for oil seasoning, apply a thin coat of plain cooking oil to the surfaces identified in the manual.

Canola oil or a plain vegetable oil is a practical choice when the manufacturer doesn’t specify a particular product. You don’t need an expensive oil to get the smoker ready.

Spread the oil with a cloth or paper towel, then wipe away the excess so the surface has a light film rather than visible drips or puddles. A heavy coating can leave sticky areas instead of the finish you’re trying to create.

Keep oil off heating elements, burners, igniters, temperature sensors, wiring and other components that aren’t meant to be coated. Apply it while the smoker is cool, and never spray aerosol cooking oil toward a flame or hot heating element.

Run the Seasoning Cycle Without Food

Start the smoker using its prescribed procedure, bring it to the required temperature and let it run for the specified time.

Keep the vents, lid or door positioned as directed, and stay nearby to make sure the cooker is operating normally. Some smoke or an unusual odor may occur during an approved first-use burn, but visible packing material, melting parts or an equipment fault needs attention rather than more cooking time.

Once the cycle is complete, follow the shutdown instructions and allow the smoker to cool before inspecting it.

How to Season a Pellet Grill

For pellet grills, seasoning usually centers on completing the correct initial startup and burn-in procedure.

Fill the hopper with dry cooking pellets, follow the instructions for priming the auger if required, and make sure the internal components are in their proper positions before the heating cycle begins.

Don’t add a handful of pellets directly to the firepot unless the instructions specifically tell you to, since the startup sequence depends on having the correct amount of fuel.

The temperature and duration vary by model. Traeger, for example, provides different seasoning procedures for different controller and grill families, so even two pellet grills from the same manufacturer may need different steps.

Don’t assume the barrel, drip tray and every other internal surface need to be sprayed with oil. Follow the directions for your grill and any separate care instructions for its cooking grates.

When the burn-in is finished, let the grill complete its shutdown cycle instead of unplugging it while the fire is still burning.

Once it’s ready for food, my Pellet Grill Beginner’s Guide will walk you through the cooking process.

How to Season an Electric Smoker

Electric smokers often have a specific pre-seasoning procedure that uses the heating element to warm the empty cabinet, sometimes with wood chips added near the end.

As one example, Masterbuilt’s instructions for its 710 WiFi digital electric smoker call for the water bowl to be installed without water, the smoker to run at 275°F (135°C) for three hours, and ½ cup of wood chips to be added during the final 45 minutes. Those instructions apply to that model rather than every electric smoker.

Check your manual before adding water, oil or wood chips, since the details can differ even when the cabinets look similar.

If oil is specified, apply it only to the indicated surfaces and keep it away from the heating element, electrical connections and temperature sensor. Don’t exceed the smoker’s rated temperature in an attempt to season it faster.

After the prescribed cycle, turn the smoker off and let it cool as directed.

How to Season an Offset Smoker

On an offset with exposed steel inside the cooking chamber, seasoning may include a thin coating of oil followed by a controlled fire.

After the required cleaning and drying, coat the appropriate interior surfaces and grates according to the manufacturer’s instructions, then build the fire on the fire grate in the firebox.

Bring the cooker up to its specified seasoning temperature gradually and maintain it for the required time, keeping enough airflow through the smoker for the fuel to burn properly.

The firebox is exposed to much more direct heat than the cooking chamber, so don’t expect an oil coating there to remain intact indefinitely. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for that area rather than assuming every part of the smoker needs the same treatment.

This first burn also gives you a chance to watch how the smoker responds to fuel additions and vent adjustments before there’s food involved.

How to Season a Charcoal Smoker or Kettle Grill

For charcoal cookers, the construction matters more than the fuel.

An uncoated steel smoker may need oil seasoning, while a porcelain-enameled kettle or bullet smoker doesn’t need its coated walls treated like bare steel. Its grates may have separate care requirements, depending on what they’re made from.

Complete any first-use heating procedure specified for the cooker, with the charcoal contained in the intended charcoal grate, bowl or basket.

Check the water-pan instructions separately rather than copying the procedure from another smoker. Some first-use routines call for water and others don’t.

I also have a Weber Smokey Mountain seasoning walkthrough, which describes a preliminary run before cooking on that style of smoker.

How to Season a Drum Smoker

Drum smokers can have different interior finishes, so determine whether yours has bare steel, a factory coating or another finish before applying oil.

If the manufacturer calls for seasoning, clean and dry the appropriate surfaces, apply the specified light oil coating and run the cooker with the charcoal basket and other components installed as directed.

Keep the air intakes clear, and use the prescribed fuel load and heating procedure rather than building the largest fire the drum will hold.

These instructions assume a drum smoker built from suitable materials for cooking. A seasoning fire doesn’t make an unknown used barrel or an unsuitable liner safe for food use.

How to Season a Propane Smoker

Before the first burn, assemble the smoker completely and perform the manufacturer’s required gas-leak check.

Follow the lighting instructions, then run the empty cabinet at the temperature and for the duration specified in the manual. Check whether the procedure calls for oil, wood chips and water before adding any of them.

If oil is required, keep it off the burner, gas fittings and ignition components, and don’t obstruct the burner openings or cabinet vents.

When the cycle is finished, shut off the burner and gas supply in the order specified by the manufacturer and allow the smoker to cool.

Do Ceramic Kamado Grills Need Seasoning?

Ceramic kamados need to be treated differently from bare steel smokers, and you shouldn’t coat their ceramic interiors with cooking oil.

Big Green Egg states that its cooker doesn’t require seasoning before the first cook, although its first-use guidance includes a temperature limit to allow the gasket adhesive to bond properly. Follow the instructions supplied with your cooker for that first session.

A cast-iron cooking grate or accessory may need its own seasoning and maintenance, but that is separate from treating the ceramic cooker itself.

Steel kamados are another variation, so check their instructions rather than assuming everything shaped like an egg has the same requirements.

Do You Need to Add Wood During Seasoning?

Use wood if the seasoning procedure calls for it, but don’t assume every smoker needs a heavy load of smoke before it can cook food.

On a pellet grill, pellets supply the heat as well as the smoke. On an electric or propane smoker, adding chips may be a separate step with a specific amount and timing.

The goal is to complete the required preparation, not to make the interior as black as possible before the first meal.

How Often Should You Season a Smoker?

The initial burn-in is generally a first-use procedure, while maintaining an oil-seasoned metal surface is an ongoing part of caring for the cooker.

You may need to restore seasoning on suitable bare metal after removing rust or cleaning it back to the surface. Replacement parts can also have their own preparation requirements.

Routine grate cleaning and ash removal don’t automatically mean you need to repeat the entire first-use process.

A darkened interior is normal after cooking, but loose flakes, pooled grease and old food aren’t useful seasoning. My Smoker Cleaning Guide explains how to keep the cooker clean between meals.

Final Thoughts

Getting a smoker ready for its first cook doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does help to know what the manufacturer means by seasoning before you start.

Remove the packaging, clean the appropriate parts, use oil only where it belongs and complete the heating and shutdown procedure for your particular cooker.

Once that’s finished, you can turn your attention to the part you bought the smoker for in the first place.