Are You Using Your Oven’s Drawer The Wrong Way?

Even the most advanced bakers use the bottom oven drawer to store pots, pans, metal baking sheets and other random kitchen equipment. But did you know the drawer may not actually be intended for storage?

Although not all ovens are the same, the bottom drawers on some ovens are “warming drawers,” which can be used to keep food warm. 

These drawers typically have humidity controls to prevent the food from drying out. You can use them to keep food you’ve just made warm, or use them to warm up bread, according to Shared.com.

But not all oven drawers can be used for warming. Snopes reports that a viral December 2016 meme describing how to use the oven drawers wrongfully claimed that all bottom oven drawers could be used as food warmers.

The meme shows a picture of a white oven with its bottom draw open, stuffed with baking sheets and a muffin pan. The meme was titled: “When you realize this drawer has a real purpose.”

Below the photo is a warning highlighted in red:

The warming drawer is designed to keep hot foots at serving temperature. Always start with hot food. Cold or room-temperature foods cannot be heated, warmed, or cooked in the warming drawer. Bacteria will grow very rapidly in food that is between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

The meme was later debunked by skeptics who proved that not all ovens had the heating function. While some ovens do have a warming compartment below the oven, some have a broiler section and others are only for storage.

According to Snopes, out of all the oven models available at Home Depot, 87 had a built-in storage drawer, while only 19 had a warming drawer.  

Boston-based Yale Appliance clarified in a blog post that these drawers are frequently, but not always, built-in to freestanding ovens:

A warming drawer is also great for entertaining with multiple courses. My friends are always surprised that we can chat for 30 minutes in between courses and the main entree is always warm yet not overcooked.

Over the last few years, warming drawers have become accessible to everyone as prices have become more affordable than they have been in the past. Many freestanding and slide-in ranges sold today feature a warming drawer instead of a storage drawer underneath the oven. Warming drawers can also be sold separately and can be built into your cabinetry.

The best way to determine whether your oven has a warming drawer is to check the manual.

Sources: Snopes, Shared.com / Photo credit: Shared.com