broil, roast

[shabani]

Hi everyone,
I can't seem to figure out the difference between "roast" and "broil". The dictionaries give two similar definitions.

Can anyone explain please?
Thanks

[emsr2d2]

Hi everyone,
I can't seem to figure out the difference between "roast" and "broil". The dictionaries give two similar definitions.

Can anyone explain please?
Thanks

Roast = BrE
Broil = AmE

[Barb_D]

The are not the same thing here.

In the US, a "broiler" is under your oven. It's a way to expose your meat to direct flame without having to outside to grill. The heat comes from the top, instead of from the bottom, as it does on a grill. You have to flip your meat so it cooks evenly. A broiler pan has two parts -- the surface you put your meat on, and a pan underneath to catch the grease.

When you roast something, you put it in the oven - dry heat, no flame.

[emsr2d2]

Ohhh, I've been labouring under a misapprehension. In that case broil = grill.

[SoothingDave]

This is a toaster oven broiler. You can put a steak in there and broil it with heat from the electric elements on top. (You'd flip the steak about halfway through.)

What would you call this in BrE?

[emsr2d2]

This is a toaster oven broiler. You can put a steak in there and broil it with heat from the electric elements on top. (You'd flip the steak about halfway through.)

What would you call this in BrE?

We don't tend to have a standalone piece of equipment that looks like that. What we have is a main oven in which various parts heat up to cook with the door closed. However, if we want to grill something, we leave the door open and switch it on so that only the element (electric or gas) in the roof/ceiling of the oven heats up. We then do the same as you, put the food under it, cook one side, flip it over and then cook the other.

It's called "a grill"! Very inventive, eh?

[5jj]

My mother has one of those. She calls it her grill-oven. I don't know what she bought it as.

[emsr2d2]

My mother has one of those. She calls it her grill-oven. I don't know what she bought it as.

Really? I've never seen one on sale. I've seen those ones that are a combination microwave/oven/grill but they all look much more like a microwave than anything else.

[bhaisahab]

My mother has one of those. She calls it her grill-oven. I don't know what she bought it as.

I have one as well, it's called a "Mini-Oven", (that's what it said on the box). I find it very useful when I need to oven cook two things at different temperatures.

[emsr2d2]

Now I'm feeling left out! If only I had a bigger kitchen.