[gbhunter]

I know this is a simple question, but what is the difference between bake and broil? Thanks

[Mezzaluna]

Baking is done in an oven with dry, indirect heat and is usually a relatively slow. Broiling is done under open flame, coals or heating element (in the case of electricity) and is a quick cooking method.

How are you hoping to use this information? Try this site for more definitions and basics.

[MarkV]

gbhunter:

Please don't worry if your questions are "simple" or not. We're all here to help. Ask anything you like.

Here's a link to my article on broiling.

http://www.ahherald.com/food/2004/ft_040930_broil.htm

Keep Cookin!

Mark

[Skeleton]

Here's a better one: What's the difference between bake and roast?

[Mezzaluna]

Roasting was used to describe meat and poultry; now I hear it used to describe vegetables, fish and other things. The idea is to have a crispy, browned exterior and a moist, tender interior. Baking is simply described as cooking in an oven with dry heat. You roast a leg of lamb, but not a cake!

Again, try the link I posted above.

[Greg]

Originally Posted by Skeleton

Here's a better one: What's the difference between bake and roast?

It would probably be more accurate to refer to broiling as upside-down roasting, to borrow from Mark's article. Traditionally, roasting is supposed to be done over an open flame on a spit, not in an oven. You won't find the type of equipment necessary in most kitchens these days, home or professional. One chef at J&W said that the modern differentiation is that foods that have gone through some processing (excluding simple trimming) before being put in an oven are referred to as baked. Examples would be ham, meatloaf, pies and cakes.

Side note: Does anybody else despise roll-out broilers like I do? Unfortunately, it's all we have at work; no grill.

gbhunter, this is what one of the beasties looks like; it's the piece of equipment on the far left with an oven both above and beneath. Click to enlarge.