Broiler

I'm not sure why I didn't make more use of the broiler before. I suspect it was because I had gas stoves and using the broiler entailed (a) a broiler pan that was a pain to clean and (b) lots of stooping, with really hot food... always a recipe for disaster, not dinner. These days I have an electric stove and find it to be a very helpful item.

Roasting vegetables? Give them a little caramelization under the broiler. Depending on how long they need to cook, you may want to start them on bake (or microwave) first. For instance, asparagus or zucchini slices go just fine under the broiler when brushed with oil and a little salt, but quarters of fennel or rounds of potato or yam may require baking first. Toasting unusually sized pieces of bread? For instance, I like hand-sliced rounds of Neapolitan-style semolina bread, which are much too large for a toaster. Use the broiler!

Of course there are a few caveats: You have to watch your stuff or it will burn very quickly. An electric broiler will really heat up your stovetop so make sure you don't have anything on it that you regret getting hot.