I've been gradually increasing my cooking skills and lately I've been doing some broiled fish. But I recall hearing somewhere that you should use the broiler with the oven door open. 

On one hand, it seemed like keeping the door open would make the oven cooler. Is that okay? There's still the overhead heat source close to the food, and the broiler still has a grill-like effect that way.

It also seemed to me that keeping the door open a little bit would allow moisture to escape. Up until now I've been broiling with the door closed and sometimes when I take food out after broiling, it's sitting in a pool of liquid. I felt as if keeping the door open would allow moisture to escape. 

So I consulted the internet and read what others have said about keeping the door open when broiling. And I'm convinced that broiling should be done with the door open. 

On Chowhound, user jfood explains that keeping the door open is the right way and that it has to do with preventing the heating element from turning off when broiling:

Broiling keeps the upper element "on" in an electric oven. If you keep the door closed then the temperature keeps rising. There is a fail-safe "off" at a certain temperature that will turn the element off at that temperature. Not good if you are in the middle of broiling. By keeping the door open the internal oven temperature never hits the "off" number and the element stays on for the entire cooking process.

Also, supporting my ideas about allowing moisture to escape, user Quine says:

Agreed, and I also thought it had to do with moisture. As in Gas broilers, burn off the moisture and electrics do not. And in broiling you want hot high and dry searing, so the open door helps the heated moist air cycle out.

That's what I was thinking. It seems like it would be less likely for the broiler to burn off the moisture if the air in the oven is saturated with moisture. So keeping the door open, it seems, would allow air into the oven that is dryer, having a lower concentration of moisture, air which can take on more moisture from the oven.

As touched upon before, it's the electric ovens that are said to need the oven door open when broiling says Marge Perry on MyRecipes.com. Again it is said that closing the door can result in the heating element turning off. 

Importantly, gas broilers will maintain a steady temperature with the oven door open or closed. An electric ovens, on the other hand, needs the cooler air in the kitchen to keep it from shutting down when it gets too hot. If you close the door when broiling in an electric oven, the temperature will cycle, making an uneven cooking process.

This again supports what I think. I think the door needs to stay open, but my initial assumption was that it is only because of the moisture, now I'm reading more about how it has to do with the heating element turning off.

And another vote for keeping the oven door open. Heather Solos of Home Ec 101 says the door should be kept open for broiling. 

Heather points out that most ovens have a door stop that keeps the door open a few inches, helping to serve the purpose of broiling better. 

Also, it's mentioned that this is for electric ovens and that gas ovens are not meant to operate this way while broiling.

Heather's main reasoning for keeping the door opened is based on the idea that it:

• Keeps the heating element from turning off
• Allows steam to escape

It's pretty clear that keeping the door open a little bit when broiling is a good idea. Most people seem to think so, and their reasoning makes a lot of sense.

I tried broiling some fish last night with the door opened and it turned out wonderful. The outside of it had more of a grilled texture as it was not soggy as it is when I have broiled with the oven door closed. 

I will never broil with the door closed again. I have learned my lesson.