Alternatives to Broil?

Question

I have taken up cooking while stuck in quarantine and wanted to know if there's an alternative to broiling. I have seen plenty of recipes which recommend broiling but I don't have a broiler. Any alternatives to it? For instance, I found a good pasta recipe that suggests broiling after cooking to melt the cheese. How can I get it done without broiler. Link to the recipe- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cETpXxcAiM

A broiler is the US name for a Grill, which is the common term in the rest of the world. If you have an oven you've almost certainly got one. — GdD, May 02 '20 at 20:48
The Searzall! -> https://www.amazon.com/SEARZALL-Stainless-Steel-Culinary-Restaurants/dp/B00L2P0KNO — moscafj, May 03 '20 at 01:17
F&P make an oven without a Broil function? Do you have a model #? — talon8, May 21 '20 at 15:46
I couldn't find the model number. I did not buy it as I am living in a rented house but it's the one that goes into the wall. I am not sure what those are called — Anmol Mehrotra, May 22 '20 at 18:29

score 3 · Accepted Answer · edited May 21 '20 at 15:21

3

Adjacent to Johanna's comment on the question:

If you have an oven at all, it likely has some sort of broil or grill function - per the accepted answer to this question, it might be a broiler drawer, rather than a function of the main body of the oven.

Assuming that you do have an oven, I would figure out which of those tools it uses, and then grab a cookie sheet and aluminum foil to simulate broiling, as in this article.

If you have neither an oven, nor a cookie sheet, nor aluminum foil, I'm out of helpful advice, and that torch idea starts to sound a little more appealing.

edited May 21 '20 at 15:21

Erica

8,362
9
60
89

answered May 02 '20 at 18:12

EvangeliusAg

158
1
10

You don't need the foil and cookie sheet to broil a pasta dish and melt the cheese. – Kat May 03 '20 at 16:14
I checked my oven and unfortunately, it does not have a broiler drawer. It's a fisher and paykel oven. – Anmol Mehrotra May 03 '20 at 17:54

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered May 02 '20 at 17:57

2

You can use a torch.

Is it safe to use a propane torch bought at a Hardware store?

https://www.scienceofcooking.com/blow-torch-cooking.htm

https://modernistcuisine.com/2011/02/torch-tastes/

answered May 02 '20 at 17:57

Max

20,422
1
34
52

1

A torch is not going to work for most things you'd use a broiler for. Its temperature is too high and its heat output is too low. Useful for caramelizing, useless for cooking. It *certainly* won't work well for the situation the OP asked about. – Sneftel May 02 '20 at 22:02

score 1 · Answer 3 · answered May 21 '20 at 20:44

(note that in the US, 'broil' means to apply top-heat. In Australia and some other places, this is called 'grill')

So long as you have an oven with a heating element on the top, you can simply adjust the top shelf so the item to be broiled is an inch or two away from the heating element, and use that.

You will want to adjust the oven temperature as high as it will go, and leave the oven door open slightly. (or the heating element will shut off because it's gotten too hot).

If you think the bottom of whatever is being broiled is cooking too much, you can place a sheet pan (preferably shiny or light-colored, like alumnimum) on a lower shelf to shield the item from radiant heat.

Alternatives to Broil?

3 Answers3