One of the features of any conventional oven is the broil feature. Oven broiling is the process of cooking foods, most commonly meats, with direct heat that comes from above. Oven broiling is best achieved with the use of a broiling pan, or broiler pan, and typically these special pans come standard with any new oven. A broiling pan 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 of the broiling pan 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. The top portion of the broiling pan, sometimes called the rack, rests on top of a drip pan that catches the droppings. To avoid difficult cleaning, both parts of the broiling pan can be lined with aluminum foil. Be sure to poke small holes in the top part of the broiling pan to allow the drippings to run off below.

Oven broiling is often a preferred method of cooking, as it is deemed a healthy and reasonable preparation of meats as part of a low-fat diet. Depending on your own cooking preferences, there are many different designs of broiling pans. 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 broiling pans are designed to minimize nuisances, but experimenting with different types of broiling pans is the best way to find one that suits your cooking needs.

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 you maximize your experience with oven broiling.