What Your Oven's Bottom Drawer Is Really For

One of life's greatest mysteries, at least in the kitchen, is figuring out what you're supposed to do with the bottom drawer of an oven. Most people throw their cookie sheets in there and call it a day. But is that the true purpose of the oven's bottom drawer? Maybe not.

The truth is that this drawer can serve different purposes. Depending on your oven model, the bottom drawer may be a warmer, a broiler, or simply act as extra storage. To find out which purpose yours serves, first look at your oven's buttons. If you have one that says "warming drawer," it's a clear sign your bottom drawer is for keeping cooked dishes warm. If you have a gas oven, your drawer may serve as a broiler. To investigate, open the drawer and take out any stored cookware. If you notice a retractable sheet inside, then you very likely have a broiler. You can also turn on your oven's broiler, then take a minute and note where the heat comes from. If the drawer gets hot, that's another good sign it's an extra broiler!

If the answer is still not clear, then you can almost certainly consult your oven's manual. This handy reference will likely tell you whether you have a warming drawer, broiler, or simply a storage drawer. By process of elimination, if it's not a warmer or a broiler, then this part of your own has got to be a storage drawer.

If you have a warming drawer, take advantage of it when cooking meals for large groups or when making lots of dishes with different cook times. It's the perfect tool for holiday dishes like Guy Fieri's fave green bean casserole that need to stay warm while you're busy cooking other parts of the meal. Getting the timing wrong is one of the potential mistakes you can make while hosting Thanksgiving dinner, so this drawer could really come in handy.

If you have a broiler, use it like you would with a standard in-oven version to apply intense heat for short periods of time. A broiler provides direct, high heat and acts almost like a grill, but at a much faster rate. Broilers are great for quickly adding char to vegetables, browning the tops of casseroles, or perhaps even cooking hamburgers when you don't have a grill. Be watchful when broiling food, however, as the high heat can burn things easily.

If your drawer is for storage, then you can go the classic route and use it to keep pots, pans, baking sheets, and muffin tins out of the way. Make sure you don't store plastic or paper items in it, however, as the oven can still warm things indirectly. Always assume that anything you store in the bottom drawer can get hot, and use oven mitts when removing items from the drawer after the oven has been on.