Yes, that’s exactly it. So, if not for cooking stuff like bacon, what might Americans use it for?
It works for bacon, aside from occasional flames from grease spatters igniting.
I would say most American ranges (cookers) have them (we call them broilers, as noted upthread) but for some reason most people I know, including myself, do not use them much or at all. I see very few recipes that call for their use.
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Usually for crisping things up more that have been roasting. Broiled salmon or other fish is also popular if one is too lazy to fire up the (actual) grill, and doesn’t want to stink up the house. Fast & efficient.
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Broilers are often used to add some caramelization to something that has been cooked in the oven and then sauced, like a rack of ribs, or pieces of chicken where you want to crisp up the skin, fish filets, kebabs where you want to char the meat and veggies. Easy to use for lean, quick-cooking cuts of meat. I think fewer Americans use it because they’ll have outdoor grills, or you don’t have the proper venting…I don’t - my complex unfortunately did those “back in to the kitchen” vents, which are pretty much useless!
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For me, it depends on whether I’m working with gas or electric (I have had both). I would not use my current gas broiler for bacon because it’s an open flame - major flare up potential with all the grease. That said, I do use it to get braised pork belly crispy, brown the tops of casseroles, quickly melt and brown cheese, and to make toast (I eat bread so rarely that it doesn’t make sense for me to own a dedicated toaster). With an electric broiler I might use it for bacon, but TBH it has never occurred to me to do so - the stovetop is just faster and gives me more control (plus I can add water, which I find improves the texture).
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Mostly charring, crisping, and browning.
I guess you missed this.
I did. Apologies.
I think I probably saw “toaster oven” and switched off as it’s not a very common appliance in the UK. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one in a friend or family kitchen.
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i live alone and have a tiny kitchen. my toaster oven is big enough to hold a 10-inch cast iron skillet and i use it all the time. rarely turn on the big one, though i did last week when i caramelized 9 of onions.
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I think they used to be used a lot more in the past for actual cooking than today - I’m thinking of a steak, for example. I think most folks, if they have the opportunity and equipment - will broil meat on an outdoor grill of some kind, instead of using the oven broiler. If forced to remain indoors, they will probably use a combo of the oven and skillet finishing rather than the broiler.I agree (from my college days) that gas stove broilers with flames are kind of scary to use. The broiler in my electric oven I use to brown and crisp an already cooked dish. I may have broiled a crab cake from time to time, but that’s just for effect and warming - the crab meat is already cooked. I remember as a kid steaks done with an electric oven’s broiler. Tricky to get good results. There are also all manner of tabletop grills and broilers which people can use (I don’t have one).
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Toaster ovens started off really tiny, but useful. They’ve grown into a whole family of countertop ovens. I love mine; I rarely use my stove oven, which is too big for most of my cooking tasks. I use it to store little-used oven cookware, natch.
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I find the broiler in my electric oven requires very close monitoring to not overcook or burn things, but I use it from time to time.
The broiler feature on my so called Breville air fryer is a bit easier to get right. Is this Breville what some folks mean by a toaster oven?
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I have that Breville. It’s what toaster ovens have grown into, with the help of steroids, I think. A countertop oven. Breville makes a “mini smart oven”-16x13x8 - which is close to the size of an original toaster oven.
parson’s nose!
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I did not know this was a thing!
My aunt once threw a passive-aggressive tantrum because my husband and I microwaved bacon that was to be chopped for a dish. She insisted on pan fried. In hindsight she was right that stovetop is superior to microwave. I agree with @biondanonima that microwaved bacon is unpleasantly chewy and dry.
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Especially if you buy thick bacon. I get my applewood bacon from the meat counter and it is about 1/4" thick. Microwave, toaster oven, and broiler are not good options unless you want it burnt on the edges and raw on the inside.
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i’d buy a ticket to see “a passive-aggressive tantrum.”
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Lots of dirty looks, huffing, and pot slamming. No tickets necessary just spend a holiday with my family.
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Ohhhh yesss. Very recognizable in these parts too.
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