I'm going with the Miele. Not installed yet, so can't comment on function or anything else, just that we chose the one that takes a custom panel. The drawers are inset and the warming drawer will be flush with the face frame of the cabinet.

Link below is to the drawer on AJ Madison's site.

Here is a link that might be useful: Miele warming drawer

All of the integrated models take a panel and can be flush with adjacent cabinetry doors and drawers. How you get there is the hard part. This is where there is NO SUBISTITUTE for planning and a good installer. the design must take into account the drawers depth width and height. The panel thickness must be accounted for too. How deep are your cabinets? Is there room for all this??? Many/most require cabinet carcass modification to work. Dacor's requires the least or none.

This is not for the DIY'er or the neophyte designer or joe appliance salesman. If you hear "it'll work no problem" run quickly, unless that person is showing you their last install and you like it.

I have seen two integrated warming drawers with custom panels. One stuck out 1/4" or so and was obviously a warming drawer from across the room. It was a Wolf drawer. I don't think it was the appliance's fault - I truly suspect error on the part of the installer, like previous posters have stated. I saw the Dacor drawer installed perfectly. It blended in seamlessly and a casual observer would probably open it trying to put away a pan only to find - voila - a warming drawer! I am personally going with Dacor because of the timer that will keep me from forgetting it's on and having it run for a few days before I remember!!

At several different appliance stores I asked the proprietors which brand of warming drawer could be integrated the most easily. All said the Dacor did the best on that front. One proprietor also said that Dacor invented the warming drawer and it has been around since the 60's! I have not been able to verify that fact but it sounds good. My only disappointment in the Dacor was that it did not come in a 30 inch with the integrated cabientry panel. The largest is 27 inches. Mine is not yet installed.

Good luck.

Teresa

Teresa

I bailed on the integrated front at the last minute. My WD (Wolf) is directly under the matching wall oven and the pair look nice together. I was also a bit uncomfortable putting a wood front on a WD wondering how well it would hold up. When I mentioned my concern to the dealer, she said she would not do it either and encouraged me at that point to get the stainless front.

We have a 27" GE profile in a 30" drawer stack.

We bought it for $200 on eBay and removed the ugly scratched white glass- our cabinetmaker simply made a 30" drawer front to put on the front.

This was not rocket science and it works perfectly. The moist/crisp setting is inoperable now, but if I'm keeping something crisp, I simply crack the drawer a bit.

Caveat- we did have to cut into the drywall for the install. In my NEXT kitchen (don't tell DH I'm thinking...) I will pull out the cabinets a couple of inches all around- would've made all our appliance installs a lot easier.

pecan's experience illustrates exactly what I'm talking about. Cutting sheetrock on an exterior wall is a disaster. Also think how easy it's going to be to align drawer fronts when you find out you need an extra 1/2"- 3 1/2" just to get the appliance box to fit.

BTW - wolf's is the biggest offender on the market IMO because it is the deepest.

What about the Kitchen Aid warming drawer (link below)? It seems to deliver all the goods plus functions as a slow cooker for a lot less than the Wolf.

I don't like the location of the Wolf warming drawer's controls. They seem vulnerable to spills. The Dacor we used in our last house lacked crisp/moist controls and gave the installer fits (which, I accept, probably says more about the installer).

Our designer wants us to put the warming drawer in a stack below a pair of ovens (or an oven and a microwave). I prefer to have the warming drawer higher than that and also want it in a location where it can be accessed at the same time someone is tending to the oven(s).

Whatever we choose, our new warming drawer will almost certainly go in the island (where there will be plenty of depth), either on the far side from the ovens and cooktop or opposite the space between them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kitchen Aid 30 Inch Custom Panel Warming Drawer

All above advice still applies, this one is not really differnt from anyone else's.

Exactly. So why pay $1,500+ unnecessarily?

Are you simply looking for validation of your choice????

I just saw my integrated warming drawer today--a Dacor. One cannot tell that it is a warming drawer. For future reference though, it is in an island and the GC said that when it was first installed, it stuck out slightly. As a result, the carpenter cut out the back of the island wall so the unit could be recessed slighly further back. I would recommend a 2-4 inch hollow core in an island after seeing how valuable it has been for us-especially with cords for cabinet lights, warming drawer and the pull out mixer.

Regarding crisp or moist, the fully integrated Dacor only provides moist.

Teresa

I'm simply interested in offering assistance after discovering what I thought appeared to be a good warming drawer (and a good value). I wouldn't mind hearing from someone who has had experience with it before finalizing my selection, though.

I know this is an old post but I can't find anything else on this subject here. I have the GE Monogram 27" integrated warming drawer and am trying to deal with the problem of the drawer face sticking too far out in relation to the rest of the drawers. I can recess the front panel on the cabinet to bring the drawer back enough but then I'd have to cut out the back of the cabinet as well. This will put the back of my warming drawer about 1/4" away from the the drywall. Has anyone else done this or see a problem with doing this? I left the unit on for a few hours to see just how hot the exterior got when on high. It got too hot to touch but didn't seem like it'd be a fire hazard. There's nothing in the installation instructions regarding proximity to drywall. And I have the standard 1/2" thick drywall, not the fire rated 5/8" thick, if that matters.

Thanks