One of the popular ways to improve thermal efficiency of porous media burners is by enabling smart materials in reaction zone. In this experimental work, a predefined bilayer porous media micro burner was made to achieve both surface and submerged flame for a foam type (Alumina) of reaction layer and compared with conventional style of using discrete type. Moreover, preheat layer was also made up of foam (porcelain), which helped in attaining stable flame. This work mainly aimed to show burner behavior from rich to lean region at critical equivalence ratios. During surface mode combustion highest temperature was recorded for foam type was at equivalence ratio of 1.1, while discrete type was 1.3. Similarly, submerged mode combustion reordered maximum temperature for both foam and discrete type was around 0.6. Finally, thermal efficiencies where calculated at suitable equivalence ratios and emitted emission from the burner tip was also taken into considerations. © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.