Your salamander is smoking again. Grease in the pan is usually why.

Fat and cheese drip from the plates into the spill pan and onto the rack. When the pan fills or the rack is caked, that grease burns under the heat.

Smoke means two problems. Food picks up a burnt taste, and built-up grease can catch fire. A clean spill pan is the simplest fire prevention on the line.

1. Turn it off and let it cool all the way. A salamander runs hot enough to burn badly, long after it's turned off.
2. Empty the spill pan. Dispose of the grease properly, then wash the pan in warm, soapy water.
3. Remove the racks, grates and any other removable parts. Check the manual for what comes out.
4. Soak the parts in hot, soapy water. For heavy buildup, soak them overnight.
5. Scrape stuck food off the parts with a brush or scraper.
6. Wipe the inside and outside with warm water and mild soap.
7. Rinse and dry everything before it goes back together.

• No steel wool. It leaves tiny bits of metal behind that can end up in food.
• No harsh oven cleaners unless the manual allows them. Residue can burn onto the next plate.
• No water on hot parts. Cold water on a hot rack or element can warp or crack it.
• No foil lining the pan or rack unless the maker says it's fine. It can block heat and cause hot spots.

A line that runs melts and glazes all night should clean the spill pan daily and the whole unit at least weekly. A slower line can stretch it, but check the pan every shift.

Put it on the closing checklist with a name next to it. Salamanders get skipped because they sit up high, out of sight.

On models with an adjustable rack, check that it slides up and down smoothly. A rack that sticks gets forced, and that wears out the mechanism. Clean grease off the slides and keep them free.

• It takes longer to get hot than it used to.
• One side browns faster than the other.
• A gas burner won't light or goes out.
• An electric element glows in some spots and not others.
• It trips the breaker or shows an error.