You know the drawer in the bottom of your oven? The one with all of your baking sheets? It turns out that this particular drawer isn’t meant for storage, but for keeping hot food hot while you wrap up cooking dinner.


Maybe you knew this already, but it’s new information to me, and it’s blowing my mind. Keep in mind that the drawer is only meant to keep already cooked food warm, not cook cold food. According to Real Simple, you may see a little sticker with a safety message:

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.


Of course, no one is saying you can’t keep storing pans in there, but it’s nice to know you have a warming drawer at your disposal.

Update: As some of you have pointed out, this doesn’t apply to all ovens, so be sure to check your manual to be sure, or Google the model number to find the manual online and check.

Turns Out, That Drawer Underneath Your Stove Isn’t For Storage | Real Simple

Thumbnail photo by Grant C .