You know that mysterious drawer below your oven? The one at present filled with rogue baking sheets, mismatched lids, and the sandwich press you swore you’d use? Seems like the right hideaway for kitchen chaos, proper? But maintain onto your spatulas — as a result of that drawer won’t be the storage savior you assume it’s.
In many ovens, that drawer is designed to maintain meals heat. In others, it moonlights as a mini broiler. And sure, some are simply good previous storage. Basically, it is the oven’s model of a shock ending.
Now, in the event you’re scratching your head considering, “Wait, what?” don’t fret — you are not alone. Most of us have by no means opened the oven guide except it was to fan a smoke alarm.
But worry not! We’re not about to assign homework. No dense instruction manuals right here. We’re breaking it down for you in plain, scrumptious phrases. Here’s decode your oven drawer’s secret id, and use it with out by chance slow-roasting your muffin tins.
Read extra: Clever Cleaning Hacks for the Hardest-to-Reach Crevices in Your Kitchen
3 capabilities of your oven’s backside drawer
1. Warming drawer
A warming drawer is straightforward to determine. Take a take a look at the buttons in your oven. If one among them is labeled “Warming Drawer” then that is precisely what you might have. Anytime you could heat a pie or a loaf of bread — otherwise you simply need to hold dishes heat whereas the remainder of the meal finishes cooking — pop it into the warming drawer and push the warming button.
2. Broiler
Broiler drawers are usually discovered on fuel ovens and are very slim.
If you might have an oven heated with pure fuel, the drawer is usually a broiler. To ensure, pull open the door. If it seems to be extra like a retractable pan than a drawer, then it is a broiler.
Think of the broiler as an additional cooking space. It’s greatest for toasting or browning meals like casseroles or breads. Any merchandise positioned within the broiler will burn shortly, although, so verify on it each couple of minutes.
3. Storage drawer
A storage drawer is normally a lot deeper than a warming drawer or broiler.
If there is not a warming button and the realm seems to be like a deep, empty drawer, then you definitely most likely have a storage drawer. As per a current Reddit dialogue, many individuals are uncertain about what to maintain on this area. This is an efficient place to retailer forged iron pots and pans, as a result of the heat out of your oven will assist hold them rust free. Just ensure to not retailer plastic gadgets on this drawer, as a result of they could grow to be warped as a result of residual warmth.
Likewise, some older ovens have little insulation and should warmth your steel cookware when the oven is on. As a precaution, all the time use oven mitts to take away cookware throughout or after your oven has been in use.
