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Warming Drawer Buying Guide

Comparing colours, designs, brands, and more, this warming drawer buying guide makes it easy to understand all the available options. Warming drawers are the best friend of home bakers and dinner party hosts, because they keep dishes warm before serving, save leftovers for latecomers, or prove dough when baking. This cooking buying guide covers all the benefits of heated compartments and includes popular features to look out for. You can find also planning considerations, which explain important elements to remember to ensure a model that suits your needs and layout.

What colours are available?

Stainless steel

Create a cohesive look with a stainless-steel model, which has a versatile tone that will easily match other equipment in a cooking space.

See stainless steel warming drawers
Black

Channel the trend for dark accents by choosing a black design – a bold shade that can contrast with neutral hues or enhance a dramatic aesthetic.

See black warming drawers

Features to look out for

Keep warm

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Keep warm

Use the keep warm setting to heat up dishes ready for serving, so dinner is piping hot when it reaches the table. This function is also handy for saving food for late arrivals, or ensuring every part of a menu stays at the right temperature when cooking multiple courses.
Dough proving

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Dough proving

Prepare delicious homemade loaves, rolls, and pizza bases with the dough proving setting, which helps keen bakers achieve a successful rise every time. It also frees up valuable space on the counter, as bread is stowed away in the drawer until it is ready to go into the oven.

Defrost

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Defrost

Speed up frozen food prep using the defrost setting, which is designed to ensure ingredients come up to room temperature safely and consistently. Having a reliable method of defrosting also minimises food waste by making it easier to enjoy leftovers.
Plate warming

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Plate warming

Ensure food is served at the optimum temperature by pre-heating tableware with the plate warming setting. Useful when hosting a crowd, this function prevents dinner going cold before guests can tuck in. It can also be used to warm serving dishes when putting on a hot buffet, or to heat up mugs for an extra-cosy, coffee break.

Try these planning tips

Installation

Achieve a sleek look with an integrated design that fits neatly into a unit. Position at waist-level to ensure the drawer is easy to access when cooking.

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Installation

Built-in designs maintain a minimalist appearance by slotting discreetly into a layout. In a compact room, this helps the cooking area seem more spacious. Integral options also add to a premium aesthetic and are a good choice in an open-plan space that doubles-up as a living area.

Explore built in warming drawers
Location

Place a warming unit in a tower cupboard and beneath an oven to reduce the distance and time spent handling hot dishes.

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Location

Warmer drawers are often located below the main cooker so food can be transferred there to stay hot before serving. They also fit beneath coffee machines - great for keeping coffees and cocoas piping hot. The slimline design of the drawer means it takes up little space in a tower, which also places it within easy reach of a busy baker or chef, with no need to bend down when lifting heavy tableware.

Place settings

Go for a model that fits the number of place settings needed for family meals or parties. This means every plate can be warmed before dinner is served.

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Place settings

Warming equipment will have varying capacities which relate to the maximum number of plates that can fit inside. A deep drawer will allow more tableware to be heated – excellent for those with a big table to fill. The right design will depend on the size of the household and how often dinner parties are held.
Temperature range

Tackle different cooking tasks, like defrosting leftovers or storing food by picking a style with a broad temperature range.

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Temperature range

Different warmer drawers offer a choice of temperature ranges, however many roughly cover between 30 to 80 degrees. The precision design means that heat will be consistent and reliable, so food will always be warmed evenly or defrosted thoroughly, ensuring delicious results.