Fitting drawer front to warming drawer?

Discussion in 'Kitchen Fitters' Talk' started by DavidMSmith, Jan 9, 2019.

  1. DavidMSmith

    DavidMSmith Member

    We are about to embark on a DIY kitchen re-fit. New cupboards, appliances etc.
    The only decent thing worth retaining is a Neff deep warming drawer 590mm wide x 290mm high. It has a thin stainless steel decor panel finish that is laminated onto a plastic sandwich making for an overall door thickness of 15mm. This assembly is screwed onto the front metal upstand of the warming drawer.
    The decor panel and handle won't match the new built-in single oven, so the obvious solution is a new warming drawer matching the new oven costing £400+ - why is it that appliance manufacturers charge so much for these add-ons compared with the all-singing, all dancing multifunction oven costing £800?Presumably because they can get away with it!
    So why not replace the existing decor panel door front on the warming drawer with a pan drawer front the same nominal size? Fit handle to match the new ones on all the cupboards and we've got something that harmonises with the rest of the kitchen doors and drawers? Has anyone tried this or seen it done?
    There are 2 issues that may be a show-stopper. (1) the drawer thickness of the new kitchen units is 18mm and the existing decor panel on the warming drawer is 15mm. Solution - carefully form a rebate with a router 3mm deep in the oven housing side carcass to take the warming drawer. Seal it to prevent moisture ingress, install warming drawer and drawer front - flush finish! (2) Heat - the existing plastic laminated drawer front is up to the job, but would a high gloss slab drawer front survive? It would be protected by the metal upstand across all of the area that it's exposed to heat. I could add a thin layer of an insulating material between the metal and the drawer front, and/or I could use spacers to ensure the drawer front doesn't make any direct contact with the metal upstand. Any increase in thickness would need to be taken into account in the depth of the rebate as in (1) above.
    We don't use the warming drawer for extended periods of time at its highest setting for slow cooking etc, just for plate warming, bread dough proving etc so low duration, low temperature only.
    I'm retired so the cost of my time isn't an issue, and I'm keen on not chucking out perfectly good electrical stuff if it can be re-used (and on saving £400+).
    Any thoughts?
     
  2. kitfit1

    kitfit1 Screwfix Select

    No need at all for "any thoughts" on this one.................................go for it. Warming draws are expensive to start with and just replacing the front is very easy, not rocket science as long as the front is the same size. Don't even think about "the heat", it's a warming draw not an oven............there won't be any heat damage to any draw front you fix to it.
     
  3. DavidMSmith

    DavidMSmith Member

    Hi Kitfit,

    Many thanks for your very supportive reply to my query - much appreciated! Think I'll have a go
     

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