A broiler is a section of your oven – usually located near the top – that provides high, direct heat much like a grill. Broiling places food close to your oven's heating element so that it can quickly cook, brown, char or caramelize. This can give food more complex flavors or help you achieve certain textures.

Does broiling make things crispy?

When you broil, you're using very powerful radiant heat from your oven's top heating element. The good news is crispy, browned, caramelized food is a lot better than a sunburn, so keep broiling! ...

Is broiling better than baking?

In some cases, they can be used interchangeably, but not in all. Broiling is best used for thinner foods that can cook quickly, but baking is better suited for foods with an unstable structure like muffins and bread.