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According to many professional cooks, people not differentiating Baking from Broiling is considered as one of their pet peeves. Well, we couldn’t blame them as there are a lot of differences and dissimilarities between them, even though they both involve heating.
Both the processes may confuse you, especially if you own an oven with both functions available in it. This article is all about “Broil vs Bake” – their differences, similarities, benefits, and demerits. Come on, let’s start with a small definition of both!
Broil vs Bake
Broiling: Broiling is one of the cooking methods in which the food is cooked with direct to infrared radiation, giving the food a perfect grill. Usually, the upper compartment of the burner is meant for broiling.
Baking: Baking is one of the conventional methods of cooking in which the food is cooked up to the desired amount of hotness by placing it in a surrounding filled with hot air. It is usually used to prepare cakes, cookies, etc, and also used to cook veggies. The lower compartment is meant for baking.
Major differences between Broiling and Baking (Broil vs Bake):
Broiling | Baking |
Mainly involves the exposure of food to infrared waves at a higher temperature. | The least amount of or no exposure to infrared waves is seen |
The temperature at which broiling is done usually does not exceed 600℉. | The temperature at which the baking is done ranges from 100℉ to 600℉ |
Broiling is more time-friendly as compared to baking | It’s a time-consuming process |
It does not involve hot air | It does involve hot air exposure. |
The food cooked has a charred effect to it. | Baking is known for its feature of even cooking. |
Most importantly used to cook meats and veggies | Most importantly used to bake cakes, cookies, and pastries. |
This does not require excessive use of butter to cook food | Comparatively, requires a bit amount of greasy substances to cook than broiling |
Well, there are certain similarities between broiling and baking too. Some of the notable ones are mentioned below.
- Both use intense heat exposure
- Both require preheating, beforehand
- The temperature range is almost similar too
- Both can be used to cook veggies, meat pasta
- Both require less greasing than a stove
We have discussed the similarities and differences between Broil vs bake above. Now, let’s dive into their historical aspects.
Origin of Broiling
The method of broiling came into being around the 1930s. Broil, which means literally ‘to cook meat on fire” became famous after the discovery of the Rock Cornish breed of chicken. This technique gained popularity after people distinguished the unique quality of their food from the usual cooking. The ancient recipes in which this method is used widely include Broiled chicken, London broil, Fruit broiled, Kebabs, etc.
Origin of Baking
Baking came into the light after the Ancient Egyptians discovered it around the 26th century B.C. They were the ones who used yeast for baking. They used baking to prevent spoilage of the fermented product.
The invention of the microwave oven proved to be one of the greatest flexes for baking. In fact, there was also a festival celebrated annually to celebrate the birth of the oven goddess, Fornax
Types of Broiling methods you need to know
- Skittle Pan broiling: This type of broiling is done using a skittle pan, which is a comparatively shallow-based pan than a roasting pan. It can be used to cook thinly sliced meat and leafy veggies uncovered and pan broiling is known for its ability to retain all the juices of the meat whilst cooking. It is usually ten or less than 10 minutes to cook meat using skittle pan broiling.
- Oven Broiling: If your oven is dual functioning, then the upper compartment is meant for oven broiling. It’s mainly known for the caramelized after-effect it gives on the food.
Types of Baking methods
- Creaming method: This is most widely used for baking cakes, in which all the ingredients are blended well and then creamed, thus producing a soft and spongy effect on the cake.
- Whisking method: This method involves whisking the batter until it gives out a foamy effect. The result totally depends upon the beating of the eggs. It’s usually not preferred by all as it involves practice.
- Rubbing method: This method involves rubbing all the flour and other ingredients until the desired effect is attained. The by-product of this method, which resembles bread crumbs, is usually used as a topping.
- Melting method: This method is used to prepare moist cakes and so the butter is melted thoroughly and the batter is not mixed too much (as the cakes may end up being too dry). It is usually used to prepare gingerbread cookies and swiss rolls.
Benefits of Broiling / Baking
So far, you have seen the differences of broil vs bake, now let us see their benefits.
- They are the healthy alternatives of frying, grilling, and roasting as they require only a limited amount of oil, butter, etc.
- Way less time consuming than other methods of cooking
- Good for arteries
- Can get fully cooked dishes.
Famous dishes you have to try asap using Broiling
- Broiled Bass
- Garlic and Lemon flavored Broiled chicken wings
- Broiled salmon with asparagus
- Broiled tomatoes with olive oil and zucchini
- Broiled Ricotta
When it some to these cuisines, broiling wins the broil vs bake competition. But worry not, baking is preferred over broiling for a number of cuisines as well.
Cessation | Broil vs Bake:
Well, in the competition between broil vs bake, it is always tough to choose between the two as both are healthy and one of the easiest ways of cooking. Both of these methods of cooking have their own benefits and when you turn on your eagle eye, you would be able to see what kind of cooking method you need to use for what type of cuisine.
The broil vs bake debate could go on and on but to reach the conclusion, it’s up to you what you prefer for a certain type of food. What matters, in the end, is that you should be satisfied with the food you get after using either of these two methods of cooking. Hope you liked this article. Also, tell us your favorite broiled or baked dish in the comment section below.