Latest news with #kitchenStorage
CNET
12-05-2025
- General
- CNET
You've Been Using Your Oven's Bottom Drawer All Wrong
That drawer under your oven probably seems like the perfect spot to stash baking sheets or pans. There's so much extra space there, why wouldn't you put all the pots and pans you don't have room for in your cabinets there? Here's the thing: That drawer may not actually be for storage after all. You may be surprised to hear that, in some oven models, it's actually meant to keep food warm before serving. Others use it as a secondary broiler. And yes, some really are just for holding your cookware. You'd need to consult your manual to be sure, and you should go ahead and admit that you haven't. Otherwise, you probably wouldn't be reading this right now. Don't worry, though. We aren't about to give you a reading assignment because we're breaking it all down in easy to understand terms right now. Here's how to find out what your bottom oven drawer is actually for, and how to use it the right way. Read more: Clever Cleaning Hacks for the Hardest-to-Reach Crevices in Your Kitchen How to clean your oven with baking soda and vinegar How to clean your oven with baking soda and vinegar Click to unmute Video Player is loading. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Next playlist item Unmute Current Time 0:05 / Duration 1:29 Loaded : 46.35% 0:05 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 1:24 Share Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. How to clean your oven with baking soda and vinegar 3 functions of your oven's bottom drawer Warming drawer A warming drawer is easy to identify. Take a look at the buttons on your oven. If one of them is labeled "Warming Drawer" then that's exactly what you have. Anytime you need to warm a pie or a loaf of bread -- or you just want to keep dishes warm while the rest of the meal finishes cooking -- pop it into the warming drawer and push the warming button. Broiler Broiler drawers are typically found on gas ovens and are very narrow. Chris Monroe/CNET If you have an oven heated with natural gas, the drawer is typically a broiler. To be sure, pull open the door. If it looks more like a retractable pan than a drawer, then it's a broiler. Think of the broiler as an extra cooking area. It's best for toasting or browning foods like casseroles or breads. Any item placed in the broiler will burn quickly, though, so check on it every couple of minutes. Storage drawer A storage drawer is usually much deeper than a warming drawer or broiler. Chris Monroe/CNET If there isn't a warming button and the area looks like a deep, empty drawer, then you probably have a storage drawer. As per a recent Reddit discussion, many people are unsure about what to keep in this space. This is a good place to store cast iron pots and pans, because the warmth from your oven will help keep them rust free. Just be sure not to store plastic items in this drawer, because they may become warped due to residual heat. Likewise, some older ovens have little insulation and may heat your metal cookware when the oven is on. As a precaution, always use oven mitts to remove cookware during or after your oven has been in use.
CNET
12-05-2025
- General
- CNET
Surprising Ways to Use Your Oven's Hidden Space Below
The extra space under the oven is one of those quietly understood, socially accepted rules for storing big pots and pans that don't have a space in other cabinets. But what is the true purpose of that space below your oven? Did the designer really consider our storage needs, or was the creation for something greater? If you're left curious about what that drawer under your oven is really used for, read on to learn more about the type of drawer you may have in your kitchen. It may be the secret cooking option you can use for your next meal. Read More: Clever Cleaning Hacks for the Hardest-to-Reach Crevices in Your Kitchen How to clean your oven with baking soda and vinegar How to clean your oven with baking soda and vinegar Click to unmute Video Player is loading. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Next playlist item Unmute Current Time 0:31 / Duration 1:29 Loaded : 99.24% 0:31 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:58 Share Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. How to clean your oven with baking soda and vinegar 3 functions of your oven's bottom drawer Warming drawer A warming drawer is easy to identify. Take a look at the buttons on your oven. If one of them is labeled "Warming Drawer" then that's exactly what you have. Anytime you need to warm a pie or a loaf of bread -- or you just want to keep dishes warm while the rest of the meal finishes cooking -- pop it into the warming drawer and push the warming button. Broiler Broiler drawers are typically found on gas ovens and are very narrow. Chris Monroe/CNET If you have an oven heated with natural gas, the drawer is typically a broiler. To be sure, pull open the door. If it looks more like a retractable pan than a drawer, then it's a broiler. Think of the broiler as an extra cooking area. It's best for toasting or browning foods like casseroles or breads. Any item placed in the broiler will burn quickly, though, so check on it every couple of minutes. Storage drawer A storage drawer is usually much deeper than a warming drawer or broiler. Chris Monroe/CNET If there isn't a warming button and the area looks like a deep, empty drawer, then you probably have a storage drawer. As per a recent Reddit discussion, many people are unsure about what to keep in this space. This is a good place to store cast iron pots and pans, because the warmth from your oven will help keep them rust free. Just be sure not to store plastic items in this drawer, because they may become warped due to residual heat. Likewise, some older ovens have little insulation and may heat your metal cookware when the oven is on. As a precaution, always use oven mitts to remove cookware during or after your oven has been in use.
