It can get very interesting when you realize that your oven has a function that you haven’t been taking advantage of. If you have just started using an oven, then you may wondering where is the broiler in the oven? Fortunately, oven broilers are quite easy to locate.
Oven broilers are located in different parts of the oven depending on the type of oven it is. For some ovens, broilers are located under the oven in a separates drawer, for others it is located on the ceiling of the oven. The location also depends upon whether the oven is electric or natural gas powered.
In this article, we will discuss where the broiler is located in the various oven types and what the broiler is used for.
However, let us first talk about what a broiler actually is.
Also Read: Best Toaster Ovens for Broiling
What is a Broiler?
A broiler is a feature that comes with most oven types, it is used as a concentrated heating method.
The major feature of broilers is that it heats the food directly with a naked flame. For most oven types, they are usually designed and positioned directly above the racks where the food will be placed.
When on, the broiler focuses the heat directly on the food. This method is quite different from baking. For baking, the heat is designed to permeate the whole oven and isn’t directly focused on the meal.
Where is the Broiler in an Electric Oven?
Both electric oven and gas ovens have different locations for their broilers.
For an electric oven, the broiler is positioned inside the oven. Once you open your electric oven, you can easily spot the location of the oven broiler without fuss.
The broiler in an electric oven is located on the top ceiling.
How to Use the Broiler in an Electric Oven?
Most oven broilers are not regulated and the few that are regulated only have high and low functions.
Step 1: Move the Oven Rack
For an electric oven, you have to move the oven rack a little lower to reduce the chances of your food burning. If the oven rack is left at the topmost part of your oven, your meat is more likely to burn very easily.
Step 2: Ensure that Your Food Spread Out
This is necessary if you want to broil food.
Broiling is quick and if you pack a dense or a loaded tray, then there are the chances that the surface of the food will start to burn before the heat can permeate to the food packed underneath
Therefore, it is important to increase the surface area as much as possible.
For meats that are too thick, you might end up burning the exterior while the interior is barely cooked. Hence you can have distinct and deep cuts in the meat.
You can also have thin strips of meat placed across the rack or meat for easy broiling.
If you want to broil something in a pan, perhaps pizza, ensure that the dough prepared is no too thick.
Similarly if you want to roast vegetables, take a pan and spread out the vegetables evenly without stacking them.
Step 3: Preheat
Before you place your food (could be veggies, beef, steak or chicken), preheat the oven.
Simply put on the broil knob for about 5-10 minutes.
Step 4: Broil
by now, the oven will be very hot, protect your hands and turn off the oven for a second while you put in the meat or pizza.
Most ovens come with broiling pan, but you can use any oven safe pan if it doesn’t have one. This will reduce the risk of electric shock. Protect your hands with an oven glove before putting anything in.
Step 5: Watch the Oven
Since this oven function is not often regulated in many oven, watch the oven constantly to ensure that what you are preparing is not burning.
Where is the Broiler in a Gas Oven?
For gas ovens, the broilers are usually located in the a drawer below the oven. In fact, if you are not properly informed, you might mistake it for a storage space.
For some brands the same burner is used bake and broil with different controls.
For some other brands, the baking burner is located inside the oven while the broiler is located in the lower drawer.
The point to note here is that different gas ovens have different configuration for the broiler.
How to Use Your Gas Oven Broiler?
If you use a gas oven, chances are that your oven broiler will be located in the lower compartment of your oven, no worries simply follow the steps below to use your oven broiler for the first time.
Step 1: Preheat
Preheat your oven broiler: if the oven broiler is located in the lower drawer, there might not be much you can do to reduce the heat levels except your oven has controls
Step 2: Thaw Your Food
Bring what you want to broil to room temperature.
Therefore, if you want to defrost something, do it before you place it inside the broiler.
Step 3: Use Broiling Pan
Use the broiling pan if your oven has one, if not, you can use foil sheets.
Step 4: Check Every Few Minutes
Check your meat at a few minutes intervals to keep from burning
What is Broiler Used For?
An oven broiler can be used for a variety of things
1. Achieving Crisp
Due to the focused nature of a broiler, it tends to provide crisp to meals. Examples of foods you can broil to achieve crisp are beef, chicken, lamb e.t.c
Putting the meat directly under the broiler focuses the heat on the meat to achieve a very crispy texture. If you do it right you will get a very soft interior and crisp exterior.
The only possible downside to using your broiler is that you have to constantly monitor whatever you put in, the concentrated heat ensures that your food doesn’t have to stay under the broiler for too long
2. It Can be Used to Toast
The broiling feature in an oven can be slightly compared to a toaster. Except that a toaster does not have naked flames. For simple snacks like peanut or coconuts, you can use an oven broiler for a minute or two.
3. Quick Heating
If you need to quickly cook or reheat something, then you can use the broiler.
Many prefer the broiling function for reheating their leftover, especially if it is a baked food like pizza, bagels etc.
Conclusion
A broiler can be used for various functions and once discovered, many people prefer to use it.
It can be used alongside other oven functions like baking or toasting and especially for adding a crisp and well-done touch to your food.
In this article, we talked extensively about where is the broiler in the oven. We looked at both electric and gas ovens.
Basically, both oven types are common in the kitchen but their broilers might not be located in the same spots. For electric ovens, the broilers are usually located inside the chamber on the top ceiling. For gas ovens, the broiler is located underneath in a separate drawer.
FAQs:
1. How do I know where the broiler is in my oven?
Your broiler will usually be inside your oven if your oven is electric. Take a high peak if there are heat coils on top and bottom of the oven.
2. Do all ovens have a broiler?
Every oven we have ever seen has a certain broiler, and it is usually the same that your oven gets heated to baked or roasted. The heating unit is located on the base of the oven. In other ovens, the heating machine is at the bottom of the oven, and the broiler is a separate compartment underneath the oven.
3. Is it safe to use aluminum foil in broiler?
Yes, it is safe to use aluminum foil in the broiler. However, you should always follow the manufacturer's instructions for using aluminum foil in the broiler.
4. What is difference between bake and broil?
When it comes to cooking food in the oven, there are two main methods: baking and broiling. Though both techniques use heat to cook food, they produce different results.
Baking is a slower process that cooks food evenly by circulating hot air around it. This is the ideal method for dishes like cakes, pies, and casseroles.
Broiling uses direct heat to cook food quickly. The intense heat from the top of the oven produces a crispy crust on foods like steaks, chops, and chicken breasts.
5. How do you broil in an electric oven?
You just have to put the broiler in your oven to grill, turn it on and heat it. In the meantime, pick the right bowl to broil and grill the kind of food you want.