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Home » Kitchen Tips

Broil Vs Bake: What’s The Difference?

by Brittany Kline December 13, 2022
written by Brittany Kline December 13, 2022
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Are you curious about the difference between broiling and baking? If your answer is yes, then you’re in luck!

As a mother of two who loves to cook too, I’ve spent many hours in my kitchen exploring different cooking methods.

In this blog post, I’ll share what I learned about broil vs bake – breaking down their differing uses and tips so that cooking meals for your family can be as easy and delicious as possible! So let’s dive right in!

Table of Contents

  • What Is Broiling?
    • How Does Broiling Work?
    • What Foods Can Be Cooked Using Broiling?
    • How Long Does It Take To Broil Something?
  • What Is Baking?
    • How Does Baking Work?
    • What Foods Can Be Baked?
    • How Long Does It Take To Bake Something?
  • Baking and Broiling: What’s The Difference?
  • Broil Vs Bake, Which Is Better?
  • Convection Bake Vs Convection Roast?
  • So, To Bake Or To Broil?

What Is Broiling?

What Is Broiling

The broiling cooking method uses dry heat to cook food. The broiler is located on the roof of the oven and produces very high heat. The overhead heat source cooks the food with direct heat.

It is best used for thin cuts of meat, such as steaks or chicken breasts, as well as fish. It’s also a great way to get a crispy outer crust on your food without having to use a lot of oil.

How Does Broiling Work?

When you put food in your oven and turn it on, the coils in your oven begin to heat up and give off heat. The broiler coils are located at the top of your oven and are usually located right above or below the heating element.

When you want to use this method to cook food, you place it on a broiling pan (which has high edges so that fat drips away from the food) and then place it right above or below the broiler coils so that the food cooks by giving off direct heat.

This helps you understand what broiling is in a more open-minded manner.

What Foods Can Be Cooked Using Broiling?

What Food Can Be Cooked Using Broiling

You may be wondering what foods can be cooked using broiling. Well, just about any kind of meat can be cooked using this method! Using this method, you can cook food like steaks, pork chops, chicken breasts, and even fish fillets.

You can also cook vegetables and other foods that you would usually cook in the oven using a broiling pan. When it comes to cooking a steak or a chop, the broiler is usually the best way to go. It’ll give your meat a nice, charred, and crispy crust while sealing in all of the juices inside of it.

How Long Does It Take To Broil Something?

The amount of time it takes for something to broil will depend on what you’re cooking and how hot your broil setting is. The more heat that’s coming from your broiler, the faster your food will cook.

Most steaks will take about 10 minutes to broil, but some steaks (such as a porterhouse) may take up to 15 minutes or more, depending on how thick they are and how hot your broiler is set.

If you’re cooking something like chicken breasts or fish fillets, they’ll usually take between 5-10 minutes to cook through, depending on their thickness and size.

What Is Baking?

What Is Baking?

Baking is a type of cooking method that involves dry heat from the top and bottom. It’s very similar to roasting, but instead of placing the food you’re cooking directly in a hot oven, you set the food in a pan or dish and then put it in the oven.

Hot air from the heating elements circulates around the food cooking it. This cooking method usually uses lower temperatures.

How Does Baking Work?

When you put food in your convection oven and turn it on, the coils in your oven begin to heat up and give off dry heat. When you want to use this baking method to cook something, you set your oven to bake at specific lower temperatures and then place the food you’re cooking into a baking dish or pan.

You then place the plate with your food inside it into your heated oven. All of its sides are exposed to heating elements and circulated with hot air.

What Foods Can Be Baked?

Man Baking Bread In The Oven

What foods can be baked? Well, just about anything! You can bake loaves of bread (like banana bread or chocolate chip cookies), cakes (like cheesecake or carrot cake), pies (like apple pie or pumpkin pie), and even pizzas!

You can also bake potatoes using this cooking method (just wrap them up tightly in foil before putting them inside the oven). But, when should you use this cooking process?

You can use this cooking process to cook just about anything when it comes to baking. You can bake bread dough, cakes, pies, pizzas, and other baked goods. When baking bread or cakes, it’s best to preheat your oven so that the coils are already hot when you put the food you’re cooking inside it.

If you don’t preheat your oven (or if your oven doesn’t have a preheating option), it may take a little longer for your food to cook thoroughly.

How Long Does It Take To Bake Something?

The amount of time that something takes to bake will depend on how hot you set your oven and what kind of dish you’re using. If you’re using an aluminum pan or dish, it will be easier for heat to transfer from the coils in your oven through the pan’s material and into whatever is inside it.

This means that something like a pie or pizza will cook faster than if you were using a glass dish or a ceramic pan because heat will be able to transfer from all sides of the aluminum pan into whatever is inside it instead of just one side.

Baking and Broiling: What’s The Difference?

Broil Vs Bake Which Is Better?

The main difference between baking and broiling cooking methods is that broiling uses direct heat while baking uses indirect heat. With broiling, the heat source is directly above the food, while with baking, the heat source is below or around the cooking food.

This makes broiling cooking methods a better option for foods that need to be cooked quickly, such as steaks or boneless chicken breasts, while baking is better for foods that need to simmer, such as cakes or casseroles.

Another difference between baking and broiling is the higher temperatures. Broiling is typically done at higher temperatures than baking, making it a better option for searing meats or crisping up vegetables.

Broil Vs Bake, Which Is Better?

So which one is better? It really depends on what you’re cooking. If you need something that needs to cook foods quickly, broiling is the way. If you need something to be cooked slowly, use the bake setting in the oven.

Convection Bake Vs Convection Roast?

The difference between convection bake and convection roast is that with convection bake, the goal is to cook the food evenly throughout, whereas, with convection roast, the goal is to create a caramelized outer layer keeping the inside juicy. 

These two cooking methods both involve circulating hot air around the food, but with convection bake, you generally want to keep the temperature lower so that you don’t risk overcooking or burning the outside of whatever you’re baking.

Convection roast, on the other hand, uses higher temperatures and may even require switching back and forth between cooking methods partway through in order to get that perfect balance of crispy exterior and moist interior. 

So, To Bake Or To Broil?

So, there you have it. The next time you’re wondering whether to broil or bake your meal, you can rest assured that you now know the difference.

The broiling method is great for those who want a nice crust on their food, while the baking method is perfect for those who prefer a softer texture. Experiment with both cooking methods and see which one gives your favorite dishes the best results.

Thanks so much for reading, and I hope this article helped clear up any confusion about the two terms. What do you think? Are you ready to try baking or broiling some of your favorite low-carb recipes?

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Brittany Kline

Hi I am Brittany, a busy money-saving mom, budget fanatic, and personal finance expert. Over the past 10 years, I have learned to LOVE being in the kitchen. My mission is now to get more families to cook quick, healthy, cheap family friendly meals so they can enjoy more quality family time together. I have been featured in Forbes, USA Today, Huffington Post, Business Insider, Marie Claire, Readers Digest, Romper, and many more!

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