Keitel......As breezy stated leave to door open about 4" that will keep the broiler running.

As for the hot burner knobs we just pull out the drip tray a little to shield the knobs. Unlike some other ranges the knobs are cast metal so they will get hot but will not melt.

Keitel, while looking with the lights off, my broiler lights with a blue that washes over and then after a few minutes, it's a fine cross hatch pattern of blue over red. almost looks purple.

First a correction. I said regarding the controls getting hot that it was the same with our BS, I meant Wolf which is what we had in our other home.

Next, great tip trevor. Simple things that help like pulling out the drip tray as a shield. I'll try that, I am sure it helps.

Thanks for all the info. I was wondering about that breezy, but I was pretty sure you meant Wolf. I tried the door trick last night after Trevor's suggestion and if I kept it going long enough it got brighter and brighter. The more heat the better, as far as I'm concerned.

Yep! That was our previous experience with the Wolf. Once you get the broiler going, it produces so much heat, it shuts down the burner if you do not keep the door open a bit. I learned this MANY years ago watching my Mom and it holds true today. I use a hot mat doubled and stuck in the side of the oven door to crack the door.

We do steaks occasionally this way and it is just as good as Ruths Chris (if you are familiar with that). A 1 1/2 inch NY strip steak is 5 minutes first side and 4 the next for med rare which is really hot!

I've never heard of this--are you saying that even with the Wolf, I need to crack the door when using the broiler? Is that a common thing?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the broiler is on a thermostat, (just like the oven, only no temperature adjustment). So when the thermostat get hot, it cycles the broiler off and then a few minutes later it comes back on.

This is to keep the broiler from getting the oven hotter and hotter and hotter. In any case, by leaving the oven door open a crack, it allows the heat from the oven to escape, and thus, the broiler stays on longer.

Really this is something my mother knew, it's certainly not a new phenomenon. Some new ovens have a shut off in the door to prevent you from doing this...also known as "closed door broiling" - the broiler will shut off if you open the door. (I know American has a door shut off)

Now, whether there's something wrong with Keitel's broiler, I don't know. If there is, it's either not getting enough gas, or the thermostat is set too low- or it's just fine.

No, no, my broiler's fine. Heaven knows, I don't want to start another mystery novel. I preheated last night for a while with the door open and it got good and red and hot. I used the drip tray as a heat shield as Trevor suggested and it worked beautifully. It really is cool to look in there and watch the fat and grease off a salmon fillet just being incinerated when it reaches the broiler. Thanks for all the help everyone.

I thought I had heard that the door must be kept closed for broiling with the Wolf....

So you saying to make the Bluestar RNB broiler work you have to leave the door cracked so it will broil properly? I live where it Hot most of the year. I going to have to buy a deeper hood to keep up with the high BTU output of this range (my old stove bad enought heat wise ) . So Now after replacing the vent system I have to dump heat out the oven door missing the vent to make the broiler broil on high ?

No, not really. All broilers, all brands. cycle on and off with the oven door closed. You shouldn't have to leave the door open to broil.

No, you don't need to leave the door open to make the broiler work. If you want the broiler to get hotter and stay hotter longer than the manufacturer (i.e. Bluestar, Wolf, etc.) thinks is a good idea, then prop open the door. Otherwise, keep the door closed and enjoy the results of a wonderful infrared broiler without having to worry for a second about escaping heat or smoke.

I spoke to a rep from the company and I asked him if this is like the commercial ranges in the resturants I worked in, then the door has to be left open, right? He said that the reason that the door has to be left open is because the smoke has nowhere to go in a commercial oven. The blue star has a place at the back left side where the smoke can escape. It does not have to be left open.

It does, on the other hand, have to be warmed up. I don't remember how long for the broiler but, for the oven, it's an entire 1/2 hour, no less.

The broiler takes only a few minutes. It's not trying to heat the entire oven, but works by infrared.