The FIRST thing to do before you cook on your new Kamado is to CURE it, which just means having a small clean fire inside to get it warmed up and any manufacturing odors removed.
This is how we suggest you do it – woodwool lighters and clean dry kindling wood
Try to keep at a cooking temp for around 30mins, varying the vents to cool/heat it up & down, it also learns you how the temperature controls work, closing cools or damps down the heat opening feeds the fire with oxygen so increases the heat. Also fully closing top and bottom vents will starve it of the oxygen it needs so will stop the burn & close the cook down ideal when you have finished.
