Roasting and baking both surround food with dry oven heat. Broiling is different: it exposes the surface to intense radiant heat from above. Recipe language follows food tradition as much as physics, so the practical instructions matter more than the label.
Roast and bake overlap
English convention tends to “roast” meat and vegetables and “bake” bread, pastry and casseroles. Both may use the same oven setting. Roasting often seeks browned exposed surfaces, while baking often depends on a batter or dough setting throughout, but neither boundary is absolute.
Broiling is a surface treatment
The food sits close to the upper heating element. Because intensity changes sharply with distance, rack position and constant attention matter. Broiling can brown a gratin, blister peppers or finish a thin piece of food; it can burn the surface before a thick centre cooks.
Convection changes the rate
A fan moves hot air, improving heat transfer and often speeding browning. Some ovens adjust temperature automatically and some do not. Follow whether a recipe specifies conventional or fan-assisted heat rather than applying one universal conversion.
The oven dial is not the food temperature
Preheating establishes the cooking environment; doneness still belongs to the food. Colour, texture and an appropriate internal-temperature check are more useful than elapsed time alone.
