Discover the hidden purpose of the oven's bottom drawer

For many of us, the drawer under the oven is simply an additional place to store various kitchen accessories, such as pans, lids, moulds, or baking sheets. However, its true purpose is entirely different and related to food preparation.

Storing equipment in the drawer under the oven is one of our unwritten traditions, much like placing the trash can in the cabinet under the sink. Both phenomena are common in many Polish homes. While the cupboard under the sink was not designed to fulfill a specific function, the drawer under the oven was created for a particular purpose—the creators did not intend for it to be additional storage space.

In this case, necessity was probably the mother of invention. Kitchens in Polish apartment buildings—and not only there—were often designed based on the Frankfurt model, which assumed maximum use of available space. Because not everyone had many cabinets, things were stuffed anywhere, for example, into the drawer under the oven.

However, the designers intended this compartment to have a completely different use: food preparation.

Directly after baking, the food prepared in the oven should be placed in the drawer. This way, the dish retains its juiciness and temperature. The drawer has a very practical use, which is invaluable to anyone who has ever had to wait for someone with dinner or prepared part of a meal before the whole meal was ready.

The drawer under the oven can be handy during various home celebrations when we prepare dishes in advance. However, how we ultimately use this space will probably be decided by answering a simple question: Do we more often wait for guests with food, or are we short of space in the kitchen and need a pan within reach?