Range & Wall Oven - Oven Door Position During Broil

For many, many years it was a standard practice to leave the oven door slightly ajar when broiling. However, this has changed over time and most newer ovens require the oven door to remain closed when broiling. We are providing information about open and closed door broiling below.
 

Broiling With Door Open

  • Some Free-Standing Electric Ranges broil with the door open. However, most of our currently produced Electric Ranges broil with the door closed.
  • You can consult the Owner's Manual for your specific model to check on the correct door position during broil.
For Electric Ranges which have the Broil with Door Open feature, the oven doors have an automatic catch/stop "Broil Position" that allows the door to stand slightly ajar when broiling. For Electric Ranges which have the Broil with Door Open feature, you can opt to broil with the door open or closed. Whether you decide to broil with the door open or closed depends on what you are cooking and what results you want to achieve.
 
The normal practice is to leave the oven door slightly ajar. This allows heat to escape and forces the broil element to stay on rather than cycling off and on. Open door broiling is good for when you are broiling for short periods of time, like cooking thinner meats, top browning or searing meat.
 
Closed door broiling works best when using Lo Broil and cooking thicker cuts of meat for longer periods of time, like chicken breasts.
 

Broiling With Door Closed

  • Double-Oven Ranges:
    • Broil in the Upper Oven and Lower Oven with the door closed.
    • Please note, on some older models, you broil in the Upper Oven with the door closed and broil in the Lower Oven with the door open.
  • 20 and 24 inch Compact Ranges
  • Gas and Dual-Fuel Ranges
  • Slide-in and Drop-In Ranges (Gas or Electric)
  • Wall Ovens - please review our Wall Oven - Oven Door Position During Broil article.
These Ranges are designed specifically for closed door broiling and produce optimal broiling results.
 
When broiling in Gas Ranges, you should keep the door closed for safety reasons. You should also use closed door broiling when cooking in a Range with knobs or controls above the door. This keeps the knobs from getting too hot or from getting damaged by extended periods of high heat.
 

View a Short Video on How to Avoid Damaged Knobs During Broil

Video - Avoid Damaged Knobs on Gas Ranges
 

 
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