Scary moments - what temperature for broiling?
I have a significant problem - our broiler is flat out dangerous. The oven/broiler came with our house. Every single thing we've put under it has been burnt (it says it's 550, but I think it could be far hotter). A few minutes ago I put lobster mac and cheese under it for less than 90 seconds to brown up the top.
It started a fire, ruining the dish, filling the house with smoke, and causing us to dump some water we luckily had nearby on the dish to put out the foot high flames (cracking the glass dish, awesome!). If that hadn't worked, I would have had the fire extinguisher.
We're ok, but I will NEVER touch that damn broiler again.
So, that leaves me just using our oven, once I can get the smoke smell out. Should I just crank it as high as the oven can go (500 degrees)? Is it supposed to be lower? I know the addage is that a broiler is "an upside down grill" but grilling can be anywhere from 350 to 600 degrees depending on the grill, so that's a pretty bad comparison.
Any help would be appreciated. I'm kind of frazzled at the moment.
Best Answer
Assuming you cannot fix the oven (which would be my first recommendation as much for safety as anything else), then for browning things on the top I'd suggest using a cook's torch, which is the same thing as a plumbing torch except it's flashier.
Of course you'll want to make burgers, steaks, fish, etc as well. Baking these will not get you nice toasted brown bits no matter how hot you set your oven, so frying is your next best option although in some cases you could use the torch there as well.
You could your too-hot broiler question on the diy forum to get ideas on fixing it.
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What temperature do I set my broiler on?
Broiling. Broiling uses direct oven heat to quickly cook solid foods, such as meat, fish, fruits, and vegetables, at temperatures around 550\u2109 (289\u2103). Foods must be placed close to the broiler for the heat to successfully reach and cook them. Depending on your oven, this may be either the top or bottom rack.What is the broil setting for?
A broiler is an element in your oven \u2013 usually located near the top \u2013 that provides high, direct heat much like a grill. Broiling places food close to your oven's heating element so that it can quickly cook, brown, char or caramelize. This can give food more complex flavors or help you achieve certain textures.What temp is high broil in oven?
Know Your Temperatures: On high broil, food cooks at 550\xb0 on the top rack. The temperature drops about 50\xb0 to 75\xb0 on each rack level, down to 325\xb0 at the bottom position in our Test Kitchen ovens.Should I broil on high or low?
If your broiler offers a low and high setting, always use high. If the broiler rack is adjustable, position it about four inches from the heat source. And don't forget to preheat\u2014allow a full five minutes for the heating element to reach its proper temperature.How to use the broiler
More answers regarding scary moments - what temperature for broiling?
Answer 2
You could try leaving the oven door open just a crack to help circulate the heat a little better
Answer 3
From what you say, it sounds way too hot. I don't know about temperatures, and it seems odd to try to measure, since the element will be "very hot" and the actual temperature you get will depend on distance. But in my experience, most broilers especially at a healthy distance of 3 inches from element to food will take a minute to really brown the top of an already cooked dish, and after that it'd more likely char than ignite. And things like broiling peppers (with plenty of turning) can take 5-10 minutes.
I think some of the suggestions in the comment are your best bet. First just try cooking something and watching carefully, to see how long it takes to brown. Maybe you had a fluke - some unexpected spatter. (I know you said no, but mac and cheese can have plenty of goopy stuff that'd be just right for a big bubble or glob to pop up and catch.) Maybe it's not actually as bad as it sounds. But if it is you might be able up fix it somehow.
Failing that, I think GdD might be right about the torch. You could try cranking it all the way up - 550F on the top rack will definitely brown things - but it won't be quite the same, and you'll probably cook the bottom too much on some dishes.
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