Warming drawer - Pros & Cons?
- Thread starter Rita Y
- Start date
Marlene Steinberg
TVWBB Member
Indoors or outdoors, they are all electric.
You put a tiny cup of water in them to keep things moist.
Great outdoors for heating up towels for when you get out of your pool!
Indoors I'd prefer to have cupboard space.
Outdoors? A foil lined cooler works fine.
Some people put food on plates in the drawers but that takes up too much space.
They can hold a good amount if used efficiently.
You put a tiny cup of water in them to keep things moist.
Great outdoors for heating up towels for when you get out of your pool!
Indoors I'd prefer to have cupboard space.
Outdoors? A foil lined cooler works fine.
Some people put food on plates in the drawers but that takes up too much space.
They can hold a good amount if used efficiently.
Rita,
I have a regular oven and a convection oven, and frequently use one of those to keep foods warm (anywhere from 150 degrees to 225 degrees, depending on the food to be kept warm).
On rare occassion, I will wrap final product in foil and put it in an insulated cooler.
Ray
I have a regular oven and a convection oven, and frequently use one of those to keep foods warm (anywhere from 150 degrees to 225 degrees, depending on the food to be kept warm).
On rare occassion, I will wrap final product in foil and put it in an insulated cooler.
Ray
Thanks, Marlene and Ray. Often my ovens are/were in use and the retained heat is too high to put dinner plates in there. I don't like to put hot food on cold plates and it seems like a waste of power to have to heat a big oven for just a few dinner plates.
It seems funny that people who don't have a warming drawer would like to have one and those who do have one don't think it's worth using up space.
Keep your thoughts coming, folks!
Rita
It seems funny that people who don't have a warming drawer would like to have one and those who do have one don't think it's worth using up space.
Keep your thoughts coming, folks!
Rita
Actually, Tim, I have had one of those for at least 30 years and it works pretty well, but I didn’t want it taking up counter space. Now, if I could install an outlet in a drawer, I could put the plate warmer in it and…Voilá! A warming drawer!
I’m still trying to figure out an unobtrusive way to use that plug-in warmer.
Ray, great idea! The hot towel should work very well for a little while, but there’s no place to put a cooler in my galley kitchen (floor?) for everyday use without tripping over it. Counter space is at a premium. I need something I can use every day and there is no space to store a cooler except in our workshop/storage area downstairs.
Larry, I’ve tried using my dishwasher (no plate cycle, tho) but by the time I wanted to serve the meal on hot plates, the dishwasher would be half-full of used utensils, measuring cups, prep plates, etc. in it.
I'm still wondering about the comments from people who actually have a real warming drawer installed in their kitchen and if it's worth the expense.
Picky, picky!
Rita
Ray, great idea! The hot towel should work very well for a little while, but there’s no place to put a cooler in my galley kitchen (floor?) for everyday use without tripping over it. Counter space is at a premium. I need something I can use every day and there is no space to store a cooler except in our workshop/storage area downstairs.
Larry, I’ve tried using my dishwasher (no plate cycle, tho) but by the time I wanted to serve the meal on hot plates, the dishwasher would be half-full of used utensils, measuring cups, prep plates, etc. in it.
I'm still wondering about the comments from people who actually have a real warming drawer installed in their kitchen and if it's worth the expense.
Picky, picky!
Rita
j biesinger
TVWBB Platinum Member
I didn't know that they can be installed independent of an oven.
My sister-in-law has one in her oven and seems to think its a total waste. I can ask her about it if you're interested to know more about hers.
My sister-in-law has one in her oven and seems to think its a total waste. I can ask her about it if you're interested to know more about hers.
J, thanks for thinking of me. Yes, they can be separate drawers, often installed under a stack of wall ovens or as a separate drawer in a kitchen. As nice as they are, these warming drawers are more pricey and take up more space than I thought.
I do have one of those accordian-type heating pads that holds and heats several plates that does a pretty good job and I'm going to try to make do and fit that into my scheme of things.
Rita
I do have one of those accordian-type heating pads that holds and heats several plates that does a pretty good job and I'm going to try to make do and fit that into my scheme of things.
Rita
Edwin Vickers
TVWBB Fan
If you want to warm towels, Please, Please, Please, make sure the unit you buy has a concealed heating element. Some have exposed heating elements. Be safe.
Dan Wicker
TVWBB Fan
My Kenmore range has a warming drawer in place of the standard storage drawer. We use it on Thanksgiving and it works well. I've also used it as a very low heat source to help bring a brisket up to tenderness.
KevinJ
TVWBB Pro
Rita,
I might be a little late to this post but here is a thought. You mentioned that you already have the plate wrap and you would just like to be able to use it in a drawer. Just call an electrician and have them place a socket in a drawer, this would be much cheaper than having to go through the process of installing the full warming drawer. The electrician might give you a funny look when you tell him what you want but it will give you the warm plates and counter space you are looking for.
I might be a little late to this post but here is a thought. You mentioned that you already have the plate wrap and you would just like to be able to use it in a drawer. Just call an electrician and have them place a socket in a drawer, this would be much cheaper than having to go through the process of installing the full warming drawer. The electrician might give you a funny look when you tell him what you want but it will give you the warm plates and counter space you are looking for.
Kevin, thanks for replying. Actually, that's exactly what I was thinking of. At issue might be the effect of say, an hour's worth of low heat per day on the wood on the bottom of the drawer. I do set the plate wrap on a cookie cooling rack but wondered if I should also use some sort of liner in the bottom of the drawer.
I'm trying to avoid having to take it out of the drawer for every hot meal and taking up about 12" of counter space, which is always at a premium.
Rita
I'm trying to avoid having to take it out of the drawer for every hot meal and taking up about 12" of counter space, which is always at a premium.
Rita
Depends on who you cook for. My parents have one in their bathroom for towels and one in the kitchen for food. On Thanksgiving, when there is a smoked breast, rotisserie breast and fried turkey, along with a ham and about 10 different sides to keep warm so that they can all be served at the same time, both of the warming drawers get filled up. There's no way to get all of the sides finished off at the same time.
Hi Kevin,
The warming drawers that I looked at were all larger than I had space for, so I decided against one. But many times since, I have wished for one. I have one of THESE to warm plates, but it does take up a square foot of counter space when I do use it.
Up-thread, a cooler and heating pad setup was suggested. You could also use a lightbulb. I set up a proofing box for my sourdough starters and breads in cold weather using a cooler and extension cord with a lightbulb socket on the end. We put a rheostat in the line so I could adjust the heat level to keep the little guys comfy. I use one of my remote thermometers to monitor the temperature inside the cooler. It works very well for starters but haven't tried it for keeping food warm for serving. I'd probably need a larger wattage bulb.
Another thing that might keep food warm longer is the insulated pouch that will hold 4 shallow or two to three 3 deeper chafer pans. I've been pleasantly surprised at how long things stay hot in them and ready to serve - a good 2 hours, maybe a bit longer. These are available at restaurant supply stores.
At least these are some options, maybe too late for your dinner this weekend.
Rita
The warming drawers that I looked at were all larger than I had space for, so I decided against one. But many times since, I have wished for one. I have one of THESE to warm plates, but it does take up a square foot of counter space when I do use it.
Up-thread, a cooler and heating pad setup was suggested. You could also use a lightbulb. I set up a proofing box for my sourdough starters and breads in cold weather using a cooler and extension cord with a lightbulb socket on the end. We put a rheostat in the line so I could adjust the heat level to keep the little guys comfy. I use one of my remote thermometers to monitor the temperature inside the cooler. It works very well for starters but haven't tried it for keeping food warm for serving. I'd probably need a larger wattage bulb.
Another thing that might keep food warm longer is the insulated pouch that will hold 4 shallow or two to three 3 deeper chafer pans. I've been pleasantly surprised at how long things stay hot in them and ready to serve - a good 2 hours, maybe a bit longer. These are available at restaurant supply stores.
At least these are some options, maybe too late for your dinner this weekend.
Rita