Though electric grills and griddles operate with a flame-free heat source, they aren’t totally flame-free in practice. The simple fact is fat burns — drippings that hit the radiant heating element will temporarily develop into a flame that sizzles out after a second or two and leaves a trail of smoke. We say that food exposed to these brief embers has been flame-kissed, which is actually quite desirable because it imparts smoky flavor with little risk. Contrast this with flare-ups: those pesky, sometimes uncontrollable flames that occur when pools of fat or oil ignite.