In the United Kingdom, Commonwealth countries, and Ireland, grilling generally refers to cooking food directly under a source of direct, dry heat. The "grill" is usually a separate part of an oven where the food is inserted just under the element. This practice is referred to as "broiling" in North America. It is this type of grilling that is referred to on this page.

n the United States, the use of the word grill refers to cooking food directly over a source of dry heat, typically with the food sitting on a metal grate that leaves "grill marks." Grilling is usually done outdoors on charcoal grills or gas grills; a recent trend is the concept of infrared grilling. Grilling may also be performed using stove-top "grill pans" which have raised metal ridges for the food to sit on, or using an indoor electric grill. As this type of cooking is typically referred to as 'barbecuing' in the UK and the commonwealth, please go to the barbecue recipes page.

Grilling/Broiling ultimately evolved from the 'salamander iron'; this is either a flat, circular iron or a horned iron or a grid-based iron that's heated in a fire and used to colour food by touching to the top surface of food. Salamander were in use to colour food from the late Elizabethan period to late Victorian times. Before the advent of oven grills (broilers), salamanders were the tool of choice for colouring the top of a dish. Its name in turn was taken from the legendary salamander, a mythical amphibian that was believed to be immune to fire. This was the 18th and 19th century means of rapid toasting and caramelizing surfaces in dishes such as Crème Brulée.

There were several types of salamander and though the round type was by far the most common there were also bar types and grill types for marking the top of food with a hatch or grill pattern (the marking that gives 'grilling' its name).

The advent of electricity and, in particular heating elements, allowed for the development of modern ovens including an overhead grill/broiler. This has led to the development of the modern salamander, used by modern professional kitchens. A salamander (also salamander oven or salamander broiler) is a culinary grill characterized by very high temperature overhead electric or gas heating elements. It is used primarily in professional kitchens for overhead grilling. It is also used for toasting, browning of gratin dishes, melting cheeses onto sandwiches, and caramelizing desserts such as crème brûlée.

Salamanders are generally similar to an oven without a front door; the heating element is at the top. They are also more compact: typically only half the height and depth of a conventional oven. For convenience, they are often wall mounted at eye level, enabling easy access and close control of the cooking process. Many salamanders can be fitted with a cast-iron "branding" plate which is used to make grill marks on the surface of meat. Some grills can also be fitted with a rotisserie accessory for roasting meats.

Overhead heat has the advantage of allowing foods containing fats, such as steaks, chops and other cuts of meat, to be grilled without the risk of flare-ups caused by the rendered fat dripping onto the heat source. The salamander's facility for extremely high temperature also takes less cooking time than other grilling techniques, reducing preparation time, which is a benefit in professional kitchens during a busy meal service.

The domestic grill built into an electric or gas oven is the household equivalent of the salamander oven, used for toasting, grilling meats and caramelising the tops of dishes. The grill is also excellent for preparing dishes like the mixed grill along with traditional recipes like Welsh Rarebit and cheese on toast.