Full grill
The whole grill element in the oven roof heats, so food is cooked by strong heat from directly above.
What it is for
Grilling food spread over the whole tray — steaks, sausages, bacon, vegetables — toasting bread, and browning the top of lasagne or a gratin (Samsung). AEG says to use the top shelf level. Bosch notes its variable grill can be used with the door closed, keeping the smell in the oven.
Makes differ, check your oven’s manual: the same drawing can mean different things on different brands, and only your model’s manual says exactly which elements run and how hot.
- What it looks like
- A zigzag (or a row of small triangles) across the whole width of the top of the square. Neff draws two rows of zigzags.
- Names makers use
- Full surface grill (Neff, Hotpoint); Grill, large area (Siemens); Full width variable grill (Bosch); Grill / Full Grill (AEG); Large Grill (Samsung)
Where makes differ
Count the zigzags and look at their length. On Neff ovens two rows mean full grill and one row means the part grill; on Bosch and Siemens ovens one zigzag across the whole width is the full grill and a short one in the middle is the centre grill. So a single long zigzag means full grill on a Bosch or Siemens but part grill on a Neff. Smeg adds that some ovens draw the grill as a dotted curved line.
Often confused with
Only the centre part of the grill element heats.
Other symbols with the same shapes
Sources
No single published standard defines oven function icons, so this meaning is taken from 5 makers’ own guides, each fetched and checked on the date shown:
- Neff: NEFF UK — Oven symbols explained: your complete guide — “Full surface grill symbol”: two rows of jagged lines; for large amounts of food covering the whole grill area. Checked 2026-09-23.
- Siemens: Siemens Home UK — Oven symbols guide — “Grill, large area” pictogram (zigzag across the top): the whole area of the grill element becomes hot; steaks, sausages, bread. Checked 2026-09-23.
- Bosch: Bosch UK — Oven symbols guide — “Full width variable grill” symbol icon: grill large quantities with precise temperature control, door closed. Checked 2026-09-23.
- Samsung: Samsung Australia support — Cooking modes on your Samsung oven — “Large Grill” mode button icon (zigzag at the top): the large-area grill emits heat; browning meat, lasagne or gratin. Checked 2026-09-23.
- AEG: AEG UK support — Symbols and functions on your AEG oven or cooker — “Grill (Full Grill)” icon (triangles along the top): grill or brown vegetables and meat, toast bread; use the top level. Checked 2026-09-23.
Written in our own words; quotations are the makers’ wording.