Whether it is the perfectly melted cheddar cheese on a hamburger or the browned cheese topping on a bowl of french onion soup, a specialized piece of kitchen equipment called a salamander broiler is probably responsible for it. Professional chefs use a salamander broiler for a number of reasons, from broiling fish to melting cheese to caramelizing sugar. Sometimes, a commercial kitchen will use a long salamander broiler as a 'pass through' between the kitchen and servers. This means the chef will prepare the dish on his side of the salamander broiler and place it inside. A trained server or assistant cook will remove it from the other side when it is ready to present to customers.

A typical salamander broiler is positioned above the oven, within reach of the cook as he prepares the dish. For preparation of meat and fish dishes, a shallow metal plate is often used in the salamander broiler, then placed in a wooden or other heat-resistant holder for serving. Certain cookware such as soup bowls can usually withstand the heat from the salamander's upper burners, so they may go directly from kitchen to table. This is one reason why servers warn customers of a very hot plate - it may have come directly from a salamander broiler.

In cooking circles, the salamander broiler is considered overfired. This means the heat source, which may be gas burners or infrared electric elements, comes from above. A kitchen grill, on the other hand, is considered underfired, because it receives heat from below.

There are often larger overfired broilers in a commercial kitchen, but many cooks prefer the controlled action of a smaller salamander broiler. Large broilers can produce much larger quantities of food, but appearance and presentation are often improved by using the salamander broiler. Occasionally, a kitchen production line will also have an even more specialized piece of equipment called a cheese melter. The salamander broiler is considered more of a multi-purpose workhorse than a cheese melter.

Although most broilers are still sold for commercial use, several ovens with a salamander broiler attachment are available for homeowners with a penchant for gourmet cooking. The traditional broiler for a gas stove is located below the oven chamber, while the elements for an electric broiler are attached to the top of the oven chamber. Neither is especially useful for quick cheese melting or last-minute browning of a single dish. This is why many home cooks prefer the energy savings and ease of use provided by a salamander broiler.