For all the reasons to buy a warming drawer I'm not sure I see a connection with family size or children. We have three kids and, if anything, my desire for a warming drawer has completely fallen off the radar.

I would think better reasons would be doing lots and lots of entertaining where keeping plates warm or dinner rolls or other things is important to someone. I find my warm/hot food seems to benefit from quicker service.

Interested to know what others who have warming drawers think.

-Stooxie

I was also hoping to get a warming drawer but recently nixed the idea. The main reason I wanted one was for plate warming. I am going from one oven to 2 so I decided that I could just use the extra oven on a warm setting for plates. I tried this and it works well. I'm sure that someone will point out that this is not very efficient price wise but the cost of a warming drawer is not cheap. Besides that left some extra money to put towards a really nice rangetop and extra kitchen storage. I am anxious to hear what others have to say about this.

Makes a lot of sense to me!

-Stooxie

We will have a warming drawer. My husband is an ob and routinely gets called away before dinner is served or calls to tell me he will be home late. I know it will come in handy for those occasions. We also only have one oven and a speed oven, so I am sure I will be glad to have it on holidays. Weekend mornings it will get lots of use also - making eggs or bacon or pancakes and then being able to hold them until everyone is ready to eat!

I use our Microwave which has a "Radiant Heating Element" as our warming system.
Works perfectly.

I made a last minute decision to include one in our new kitchen. One night I was making dinner realizing how cold the food would be before DH got home to eat it because he never gets home from work before 7:30. I thought of all the nights he eats cold food or nukes the daylights out of it in the MW. That sealed the deal for me. I had considered one early on in my planning because of all the entertaining we do, but DH thought it overkill for the couple dozen days a year we'd use it. Knowing that I'd use it on a daily basis for DH's dinner was a big "duh" moment.

I hunted deals and found a panel ready KA WD on ebay. My cab maker's price for a panel still made the oven a great deal.

Thanksgiving was only the 4th meal I cooked in my new kitchen, and it was great to have the WD. Even with finally having two ovens, I had too many items to be cooked at varying temps so I cooked one dish early and popped it in the WD. Heaven! I sometimes forget I have it so could actually use it more than I do, but I've kept biscuits and soup warm in it. I plan to warm plates and possibly proof dough, although my Wolf ovens can also proof so I'm not sure which will work more easily.

FWIW, I placed mine in the no-no spot under a double oven stack because that was the only spot I had left when I decided to get a WD. Yes, I would prefer it up higher for ergonomics, but it hasn't stopped me from using it. So glad I spent the extra few hundred $.

I had one in my outdoor kitchen. It was great for pool parties with keeping food in. I also used it for proofing when baking. When I get a new home, I will probably just get an oven that also can proof instead of spending the $$ on a warming drawer.

You all make some good points about the value of a warming drawer. I checked the temp range on my new ovens and they do not go as low as my present one so I am rethinking my decision and may opt for a warming drawer afterall. That's what I love about this forum- lots of good info to consider all options!

I wanted one, but didn't "need" one. I had the space for one but preferred more storage. I budgeted for one, but it was the first thing cut when my wife blew the budget on backsplash tiles. So we ended up compromising a bit with an Advantium. In addition to all the other cooking features, it does a good job of proofing dough and warming. It has two modes for warming, moist and crisp. I haven't tried the crisp mode yet, but the moist mode works well. I held fish (mahi mahi) for an hour and it was still moist. While warming is not necessary, it is a really nice to have function.

The problem with warming in an Advantium is the microwaves. They're fine for short term getting all your dishes out at the same time, but Jscout's hour is the outside of the range (remarkable results, however!! Very good to know). I don't know about fish, which is touchy anyway, but you can hold most things for several hours in a warming drawer, and people (e.g. Sabbath observant Jews) have held foods that are suited to it for days.

jscout... Cool! I did not know the Advantium can do warming too. Thanks for bringing that up, in case I can't have a warming drawer (due to budget or other things). ;)

Believe me, I was shocked too. Yes, fish! My wife ran late and my preschooler needed to eat. She was only about 40 minutes late, but by the time she changed and got around to eating, it was pushing an hour.

I think there's some sensor that detects humidity, because it auto-senses MW popcorn and knows when to stop. The last time I popped a bag, it left exactly 10 kernels unpopped!

I do! I've been using my kitchen for a month and the WD is used tons. Always pop the dinner bread in, great for rising dough, completed vegies go right in, great for bacon and waffles, priceless on tgiving, keeps cutlets/fish warm while I finish the sauce, and lets the late working husband eat warm food. Plllog or Rhome encouraged me to place it well, and I think that helps much. It's just under counter to the right of my cooktop. I have two ovens also, but am SO glad to have my drawer. imho, if you have the room and can get a deal, go for it!

ca_mom... If you can, do you mind posting the pic of your WD? I'm trying to figure out how I can put ours (if we decide to get one) close to the cooktop. I'm trying to figure out how I can blend it in.

Also, I assume I don't need to be picky on the brand, etc? Can I get any brand?

breezy... Thanks for the idea. I've been checking ebay for a deal because I don't really want to spend much on a WD. I'm also thinking about panel ready so I can easily integrate it in the kitchen. But right now, I'm worried about buying anything on ebay. I have never bought anything on ebay before, so I don't know the ins and outs of selecting anything on ebay. :( Any advice is appreciated.

I have never missed one--the only time I've used my large toaster oven on "warm" is when doing a stack of pancakes. But you don't need a big old warming drawer to keep pancakes warm.

Some people just don't have a need. Some people find their lives easier with them.

Warming drawers are very simple. A no-name off-brand cheap-o might not have a reliable temperature setting or good seal and insulation, but any name brand should be fine. Some are electronically controlled. That gives you a more precise temperature setting, and features like four hour auto-shut-off (a reason why people find rotting pizza a week later--if your warming drawer turns itself off do to lack of attention that doesn't mean it empties itself). With auto-shut-off you can also get "Sabbath Mode" which means you can disable the auto-shut-off. There's also the vent lever to let out or retain steam. Some have an exterior "on" light. A few have exterior controls. Some have temperature numbers on the dial, others just say lo, med, hi. Some have continuous selectors so you can get in between temperatures, others just have specific notches or clicks.

Other than those usage features, the main difference is temperature range. Some go down to 80, others only go down to 140. Some go up to 250, others only to 190. Make sure to check the documentation to get the temperatures you want.

Here you go. Ignore lack of backsplash please. Doesn't really blend in...kind of a hunk of stainless actually, but I still love it. There's an island between my family room and that wall, so there's not a direct sight line.


I wasn't dead set on getting one, but it came as a "package" with my Craigslist Miele double oven. (Yes, I'm a risk taker...but so far everything is fine. Cost me what a Frigidaire would have.) So I normally wouldn't have shelled out the bucks for a Miele. I'm thinking they're pretty simple appliances, though I would make sure there's a timer so it doesn't get left on for eternity. I turn the dial to an hour, and never think about it again. And, my ebay Gaggenau cooktop is great too. Legit dealer and full 5-year warranty. So don't be afraid of bargains...just check them out with the manufacturer so you have no surprises later.

I got a Miele because it was one of the few that could be integrated fully in my inset cabinets and it didn't have sides, which I thought was useful as it, too, is going in the "no no" spot under the ovens :). I thought I would be less likely to burn myself.

Unlike other appliances, there is not a huge cost differential between standard grade and Miele . . . of course, a craigslist find would have been great too :)

We're remodelling soon and will be going from a double oven & microwave, to a microwave & single oven stack.

On Thanksgiving this year, we had to hold the (small) turkey for about an hour until the rest of the meal was ready. Our ancient small bottom oven kept the turkey in a low braise until we were ready.

I don't think the warming drawer will hold the small turkey, but I can heat and hold other food with it.

Originally, we weren't going to get a WD because of the ourageous price; then I found a Sharp WD in stainless for under $400 with shipping. There are a few other online sources that offer similar prices, but only on the stainless version.

The local appliance store I asked about this said Sharp is a reliable brand and he was so impressed with the price, he was going to call a couple of his customers to tell them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sharp Warming Drawer

I don't have a warming drawer, but I did get a double oven that has a keep warm setting and I actually use it more than I ever thought I would. I use it for almost everything that Plllog listed. If I didn't have the extra oven, I think I'd miss it as much for the warming feature as I would for the extra baking I do in it.

We put our Dacor warming drawer in our master bath and use it to heat our towels and jammies. It is wonderful. We live the mountains of southwest Colorado and it makes everything warm in those cold winter months.

I forgot to mention (meant to, but actually forgot to do so) about the open sides. Miele and Gaggenau have that feature, but I think they're the only ones. I really wanted open sides but Gaggenau doesn't take a panel and Miele doesn't have my preferred temperatures, so I cheaped out and got the Monogram which has standard sides. It comes with covered service bins (they're supposed to be added price but they've been giving them away). It also comes with a rack that fits in one side half of the oven so you can put dishes or shallow pans underneath and on top. It's easy to remove or invert for larger, deeper items.

This points to another thing to consider--additional furnishings and freebies.

All in all, however, it's mostly the temperature range that sets one apart from the other, and electronic vs. basic controls. Warming drawers are very simple, and I'm sure Gardyloo's Sharp does just as good a job of it as my Monogram or any other.

Re the under double ovens position--the warnings against it are only of the will you really use it variety. Many people would rather use the second oven, as Cj47 does, than bend to use the warming drawer at ground level. If that doesn't bother you, go for it! Many people here rave about the convenience of having it right by the stove, the way Ca_mom does. This is especially convenient if you're going to use it for the pancakes, crepes, fried foods, or whatever needs to be made in small batches, or if you're in one of those cold kitchens where the pots go in the drawer as soon as they're done and the dishing up is from there.

Another consideration for placement is point of use. Some people put a warming drawer in a butler's pantry or other wise handy to the eating area, to hold the serving dishes from the table rather than the pots from the stove. It all depends on how you expect to use it.

As to your question about buying on ebay, when I started planning my kitchen I never would have considered that option. I've bought many things over the years on ebay without issue, but somehow appliances seemed scary. After reading about everyone's great appliance deals here from ebay for over a year I began to consider it. Deeageaux pushed me over the edge to actually do it when I was looking for a decent deal on a built-in fridge. (I would have preferred to find a deal on one locally. I made calls to appliance stores within a 75 mile radius for days trying to find one, but had no luck finding the door swing direction I needed on a reliable brand.)

I bought my built-in KA fridge, Sharp MW drawer, and the KA WD from ebay. I studied the reviews of any dealer I was considering, and I ran an Internet search just on GW for any mention of the seller. All had the regular manufacturer's warranty, except the MW as it was refurbished with a stated limited warranty.

My WD arrived at my house with damage to the box and an unsettling rattling noise inside. I refused the package and contacted the eBay seller. He emailed back the same day with an apology and sent a new one out the next day! Great service. I have had no other problems with any of my appliances, all of which have been in service for a month. I'm thinking that's a good sign.

Oh, I also looked online at Sears Outlet both for appliances at my local outlet and outlets around the country. Sears Outlet will ship, although you can't inspect the appliance IRL if you do that. CL doesn't usually have much good stuff in my smaller area, and I didn't want to deal with having to transport a large appliance from the nearest big city myself.

If you have the time to hunt for deals, you can save a lot of money!

I have read Plllog's wonderfully thorough and much-appreciated posts on WDs (thanks Plllog!) before so knew about what I was looking for when I went to buy one. I was open to almost any brand, provided it would look appropriate under my Wolf ovens. Since the ovens have the clean, straight-lined handles I love, the WD handle had to be very similar or be panel-able so I could put one of my 8" pulls on it. I knew the KA had the slow cooking capability so was happy to jump on it when I saw it for sale.

I'm rambling now. I'm tired. :) HTH!