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What is a Broiling Pan?

J. Beam
J. Beam

One of the features of nearly all conventional ovens is the broil feature. Oven broiling is the process of cooking foods, most commonly meats, with direct heat that comes from above. This is best achieved with the use of a broiling pan, or broiler pan, special pans that often come standard with any new oven. It is designed to optimize the preparation of food by oven broiling.

A broiling pan can be of various sizes and comes in two parts. The top part is slotted or perforated to allow fat and grease to drip off the food during cooking, rather than allowing the food to cook in the grease like in a traditional roasting pan. Sometimes called the rack, this top portion rests on top of a drip pan that catches the droppings. To avoid difficult cleaning, both parts can be lined with aluminum foil. Cooks should poke small holes in the top part of the foil to allow the drippings to run off below.

Broiling pan.
Broiling pan.

Oven broiling is often preferred as a method of cooking because it is considered a relatively healthy way to prepare meats as part of a low-fat diet. Depending on the cook's preferences, there are many different designs of pans that can be used. Some of the drawbacks to using a broiling pan include baked on grease that can be difficult to clean and excessive smoking from the heated grease. Some people recommend placing a small amount of water in the bottom drip pan prior to broiling to reduce smoking, and some pans are designed to minimize nuisances. Cooks can experiment with different versions to find one that suits their cooking needs.

Lining a broiling pan with aluminum foil can make cleanup easier.
Lining a broiling pan with aluminum foil can make cleanup easier.

Meats of all kinds, from turkey to lamb to beef, can be prepared by oven broiling, which is often preferred to grilling. Experimenting with different preparation methods and cooking methods, as well as recipes, will help cooks maximize their experience with oven broiling.

Discussion Comments

anon935079

It can also cause a fire, which has happened to me three times, and the third time was the scariest: I had to throw water on the fire. When you throw water on fire, it jumps up about two or three feet! Scary! I'll never use aluminum foil in the broiler again.

clippers

Broiling pans are such a pain in the neck to clean. I avoid using one for this fact alone. Have they created any new designs that are easier to clean, or does anyone have any tips for easily cleaning the classic kind?

summing

Any working mother will tell you that a broiling pan is her best friend. I had a husband and three boys and was also responsible for most of the cooking. I had to find fast and simple ways to feed a lot of hungry men on a nightly basis.

A broiling pan is an easy way to cook up 6 pork chops or a couple of chicken breasts without having to fuss with them as much as you would have to cooking them on the stove.

sunshined

I also use aluminum foil, but have found that putting a little bit of water at the bottom of the pan works just as well. This really helps prevent a lot of the smoke which can really make it hard to get rid of baked on liquid that has dried. Such a simple thing that can really make your clean up so much faster.

julies

I was looking for a healthier way to cook my meat instead of grilling. While I love the taste and convenience of grilled meat, I don't think it is all that healthy for you.

Broiling my meat in the oven has turned out to be a good solution. The meat doesn't have that smoked taste, but it is very moist and juicy. Another thing I like about broiling is that I can do it no matter what the weather is outside.

I just make sure and line my pan with foil and also spray it with cooking spray so the clean up is much quicker. If I had to scrub the broiler pan every time, I know I wouldn't use it as much.

John57

There are other ways to use a broiling pan than just for cooking meat. I like to use mine for bread as this makes a very quick way to get some great crunchy bread.

You have to watch it pretty close though or it can burn, but within a few minutes of putting the pan in the oven, the bread is done and the cheese is melted perfectly.

Using a broiling pan for something like this is no more mess than anything else. You can still line the pan with aluminum foil if you really want to make it simple.

golf07

Those are great tips for cleaning a broiling pan. I think I have had a broiling pan with every oven I have ever owned, and they never get used any more. They just take up space at the bottom of the oven.

After a couple times of using them, the mess wasn't worth it. I have found other ways to fix meat that taste just as well and the clean up is much easier.

WaterHopper

@dega2010: Another tip in cleaning a broiler pan is to take some aluminum foil and ball it up and use it to scrub with. It actually works better than a regular scouring pad.

I have also mixed some powdered bleach with some powdered detergent and poured it on top of my broiler pan while it is still warm. Take a paper towel and wet it with hot water and place it over the mixture. Let it sit for about 1 ½ hours and then scrub it.

dega2010

@eastwest: I agree with you about cleaning a broiler pan. I love cooking with one but the cleanup is horrible! My mom showed me a good way to clean mine and it actually works really well.

As soon as you take the broiler pan out of the oven and remove the food, add one cup of apple cider vinegar mixed with 2 Tbsp. of sugar. Let that sit for about an hour and then scrub it. It sounds crazy but works great.

eastwest

Broiling pans should be covered with aluminum foil because they are such a pain to clean! They are really so awful to clean.

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    • Broiling pan.
      By: rimglow
      Broiling pan.
    • Lining a broiling pan with aluminum foil can make cleanup easier.
      Lining a broiling pan with aluminum foil can make cleanup easier.
    • A pizza broiling in an oven.
      By: Serenethos
      A pizza broiling in an oven.
    • A roasting pan allows the food to cook in its own grease, while a broiling pan keeps the food elevated so that the grease can drip off.
      By: Popova Olga
      A roasting pan allows the food to cook in its own grease, while a broiling pan keeps the food elevated so that the grease can drip off.