Under your oven, you may have a drawer that you find very practical for storing dishes or other utensils. And yet, this drawer can have a very different use, very little known. What is it really for?
You may have noticed that large drawer located under your oven. You thought it was there to store your gratin dishes and potholders? In some cases, this drawer is indeed a storage drawer. It is also very practical because there is often a lack of space in the kitchen to store large dishes that go in the oven. But this drawer, on certain models of oven, can also often have another really practical unsuspected function, which is not that of storage! It’s a real extension of your oven that could allow you to cook like a pro.
But what is the real role of this drawer under the oven?
It has a tealight function. Rather than leave your dish in the oven to keep it warm and take the risk of overcooking it and drying it out, put it in this drawer as soon as it’s finished cooking, while waiting to eat. How do you do it? It is very simple. Once your dish is cooked, turn off the oven. Take out your dish and slide it into the drawer located under the oven. Close the drawer. Your meal will be kept at temperature without continuing to cook until you start eating. You will finally be able to enjoy your hot dishes! The advantages of this drawer are numerous:
- It keeps dishes warm;
- It prevents the food from drying out;
- It controls the moisture that circulates;
- It keeps the flavor of the dish;
- It saves you electricity.
Please note that not all oven models have this drawer
How do you know if your oven is equipped with this warming drawer? Good news if you have a gas cooker or a cooker, you are equipped with an oven with a warming drawer. On the other hand, if you have a built-in oven or a steam oven, you either have no drawer at all, or just a storage drawer. To find out if your oven is equipped with one, a good way is to look at the color. Often, the warming drawer will be the same color as the appliance. So be careful not to confuse a warming drawer and a storage drawer!