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Turns out we've been using that little drawer under the oven all wrong

Turns out that under over drawer has an entirely different use [Photo: Getty]
Turns out that under over drawer has an entirely different use [Photo: Getty]

NEWSFLASH! You know that little drawer under your oven? The one you use to store your baking trays and stuff? Well it turns out we’ve actually been using it all wrong and it has an altogether more useful purpose.

According to Leisure and Travel, the drawer is actually a warming compartment, designed to keep food warm while you get on with making something else. Oh!

Maybe the kitchen gadget whizzes amongst us knew this already, but for us this is BIG, BIG news. Life-changing even. Ok, maybe life-changing is taking it a little far, but we’re pretty blown away by this new little gem of information.

The idea is that you can put a dish in the drawer to keep warm while you get on with making other parts of your dinner. Heat from the oven above will stop it going cold. Simple, but oh so smart.

Apparently most ovens come with instructions explaining the actual purpose of the drawer, which can either be found on the inside of the drawer or in the oven’s manual.

The safety instructions may say something like this: “The warming drawer is designed to keep hot foods 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 [4C and 60C].”

Cooking the perfect roast just got a whole lot easier [Photo: Getty]
Cooking the perfect roast just got a whole lot easier [Photo: Getty]

Of course, you may just want to go back to using the drawer as baking storage, in which case, as you were. But, even if you don’t intend to use it as a warmer, its nice to know you have one there, should you ever change your mind.

Do keep in mind that not all oven drawers are warmers, so make sure you check your manual to find out if yours has one, or Google the model number to find the manual online and check.

If only we’d found this out before preparing our Christmas lunch. Sprouts are a hard sell at the best of times, but cold sprouts? Even tougher. Still there’s always next year.

What do you use the drawer for? Let us know @YahooStyleUK

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