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That hard-to-reach drawer under your oven can actually come in handy when you run out of cabinet space. For maximum efficiency, many cooks use the bottom drawer for stacking flat bakeware or cookware. But most kitchen items do not belong there. Because it can get very warm under an oven, you should never store anything flammable or heat-sensitive in an oven drawer.
Here are some common kitchen items that you should never store in your oven's bottom drawer—no matter how convenient it seems.
Oven Mitts And Pot Holders
Naturally, we want to keep oven mitts and pot holders near the oven so we can safely grab things while cooking and baking. But most linens are flammable, including oven mitts. Silicone mitts can withstand the heat better, but you may find them too hot to handle if you put them in the oven drawer.
Oven Cleaner And Chemicals
It might sound like a good idea to keep your oven cleaner with your oven, but this is dangerous. Aerosol cans and many cleaning chemicals, including oven cleaner, are highly flammable. Just don't do it.
Plastic Lids And Containers
Some cookie sheets and baking pans come with a convenient, plastic lid for transporting to parties and potlucks. Those lids should not be put in the oven drawer, and plastic containers shouldn't be, either. Plastic is derived from petroleum and can warp, melt, release chemicals, or catch fire when exposed to heat.
Cooking Utensils
Many cooking utensils are made of wood (flammable) or plastic (both flammable and meltable). Wood can also warp, crack, or discolor with sustained heat exposure. And while most silicone kitchen gear withstands high heat, some cooking utensils are of lower quality and may degrade when exposed to high temperatures.
Cutting Boards
An oven drawer is ideal for storing flat cookware and bakeware, but cutting boards don't belong in that category. Plastic and wood cutting boards won't take well to the constant heat, and glass would be hazardous to wrangle in and out of the drawer.
Cooking Oils
Oil is too flammable to store under an oven. On top of that, the heat will negatively impact the quality and flavor of oil. If you want easy access to your olive oil for roasted vegetables, store bottles in a nearby cabinet instead.
Herbs And Spices
Don't store spices in the oven drawer, even the ones that you use every day. The heat and moisture of the oven degrade the flavor of herbs and spices and cause them to clump. Designate a spice drawer or find a cupboard to arrange your spices in.
For Some Ovens, Anything At All
Cookie sheets, muffin tins, cast iron, and pizza pans are usually safe to store in an oven drawer. But with warming drawers, we don't recommend storing anything in your drawer whatsoever. Why? Because you have to remember to remove all the pans from the bottom drawer before you turn on the heat. Unless you're the type who never forgets anything—a rare talent—you should store your bakeware somewhere besides an oven drawer.
Read the original article on Southern Living
