Higher temp for thicker fattier food (steak) lower temp for thinner non fatty food flounder, salmon would be thicker not as fatty go between 500 to 550

Have to politely disagree with guadalupe. It's really all about how much browning/caramelization you want and how quickly you want it. If food browns too quickly, you risk burning the outside before the inside gets done. If it browns too slowly, then the food will be cooked on the inside without nice browning on the outside and cooking it longer will get the desired browning, but the food will become overcooked.

A lot of times I like to broil on high or medium high, watch it like a hawk, and when the food is a nice light or medium brown, I'll switch to lower temp bake (300-350) so it browns only slightly more and can cook through without burning.

I would broil most fish on high (medium if it's a thick piece) so that it browns without overcooking (fish overcooks so quickly-lean fish especially) . I would broil a thick steak on medium and then turn the oven down when it was nicely browned if it still needed additional cooking. I might broil some roasted potatoes on low (at the very end) to get some additional but even browning.

Distance from broiler element makes a big difference in speed of cooking and browning. Higher up cooks faster but sometimes not as even as a little lower down. Watch out for foods with a lot of sugar in them (like a sweet terriyaki or ribs coated with a sweet barbecue sauce) or a anything with chunks of garlic. These can brown and burn more rapidly so sometimes a little lower heat and slightly lower down are a better bet. Beef, lamb and pork will do well on any setting, but If chicken cooks at too high a temp, the outside can get very tough even when the inside is perfectly done.

Every oven cooks a little differently - you're just going to have to experiment a little and get to know your particular oven. HTH.

Thanks folks for your response. I know this sounds dumb but Chefkev or anyone else, what temperatures do you consider medium broil vs. what temps high broil? I think I understand the concept, just not clear about what temps correlate to what level of heat. Also mentioned is distance from burner. If meat is on top rack at a lower temp how do you think it would compare to being down a rung lower on a higher temp. Trying to understand this all and appreciate all of your help.

I have gas and usually judge it by sight. Is your Miele oven gas or electric? Does the broiler element heat evenly across the top of the oven or is it hotter in the center? What are the three factory presets? My ballpark broiling points would be either:
1. 425 low, 500 medium and 575 high or
2. 450 low, 500 medium and 550 high
With reference to oven rack heights, it depends on the rack settings - how many inches difference between the top and the next highest rack; it differs from oven to oven. Also, how tall is the food you are cooking? The most accurate way to judge is distance of the top of the food to the broiler element.
In my oven I generally think of shifting from the top to the next highest rack as shifting down half way, like from high down to med-high. Recommend you pick something inexpensive like roasted/broiled potatoes and/or a cheap beef or pork roast (without company coming over) and put the broiler through its paces at different temps and heights. Once you see how it's working you can adjust the presets as needed. Best wishes.

Happy to be of service, I've sure gotten some great assistance here and in the kitchens forum. Make sure when starting out that you watch the broiler very closely on all settings. In my oven I never leave a medium or high broil unattended. Also recommend you set a timer for any unattended lower temp broiling - 5 minutes can sometimes mean the difference between perfect and inedible.

I wanted an accurate answer to this question so I called General Electrics appliance hotline, and their representative told me it was dependent upon the model of your oven. Ours is a new model, but pretty basic with no bells or whistles. I was informed that the high boiler setting for our oven reaches a temperature of 550 degrees, and the low boiler temperature comes to 450 degrees.