This question comes from Ura in Cochrane, Alberta.
Whether you are looking at the flame of a gas burner or an oil burner, a soft, yellow/orange flame that is dancing slowly all around is a poor flame. There is a lot of material not being burned, but wasted up the chimney. Sharp blue flames are the key to a gas burner, and sharp blue/white flames for the oil burner.
This can be adjusted by simply turning the little air opening in front of each burner.