I think they keep it fresh, sort of, like an old fashioned breadbox. If you keep bread in the package, it won't make a bit of difference.

I just put my bread in a drawer as well...no special insert or cover...and it keeps just fine. Actually, it keeps longer than it used to in the pantry, where I kept it in our old kitchen. It's in a bottom drawer...I don't know if that makes a difference (heat rises?)

In days of yore, I think the purpose of the bread drawer, usually tin-lined & with a sliding cover, was two-fold. One was to keep rodents out of the drawer and the other reason was to keep the bread fresher. Before plastic bags, store bought bread was wrapped in a waxed paper wrapper, so it probably tended to go stale faster. So, I'd skip on the cover because it's just another obstacle to getting to the bread.

One of the KDs said it was a holdover from the olden days just like ci lantro said above. She said if you want a bread drawer just pick a normal drawer and save money instead of buying the "bread drawer" from the cabinet manufacturer. That's what's I'm doing.

Let's just say if you have a breadbox and use it for naked bread, you'll want the cover. Like if you go to the bakery and pick up bread that's sticking out of a paper bag--you can rewrap it, or stick it in a breadbox. Or eat it while it's fresh.

But if you've gotten this far without wanting a breadbox for any reason other than to corral bread, no cover needed.

Oh yeah. The lid helps keep the bread from escaping.

I joke!

If you buy bread and rolls at the supermarket, and an occasional nice loaf at the bakery, like most people, a regular drawer is fine, I think.

I keep mine in a small regular drawer. If it's too big, stuff's hanging around too long.

If you're very into bread, or super fussy, or you live on the water or someplace where humidity, mousies or other creatures are a problem (like a cabin), then you'll want something like a lined drawer that's chew-resistant and you can take out and clean, or a heavy ceramic bread crock that helps balance humidity. But you'd know if you fit into any of those categories.

Good luck!

My take on bread drawer covers is that they work similarly to breathable bags-i.e. paper bags or the stiff plastic bags covered with perforations. They allow some ventilation so that the bread stays crusty but limits the ventilation so that bread will go stale more slowly than it would out on the counter. Bread stored in regular plastic bags can be kept anywhere---the moisture trapped by the plastic takes away any crustiness whether the bread is stored in bread box, on counter or in fridge.

We have a bread drawer cover (it's plastic with 2 ventilation finger holes). I don't think the cover is doing any more than the closed drawer is already--decreasing air flow but allowing some ventilation. Since we have inset cabinets we have a bit of an airgap around the drawer allowing for some air circulation. I wonder if overlay drawers allow enough air circulation either with or without drawer covers. Maybe the volume of the drawer is large enough so that any trapped moisture won't make the bread soft.

I have an old fashioned metal lined bread draw. It's a pain as the lid only slides open half way causing people to crush the bread when taking it in and out. Because of this sliding lid not moving, older bread gets pushed to the back. I now have a trained moldy bread nose. My impression after 28 years it makes know difference in freshness. What I would have liked is two bread draws. Now that would have been really useful over the years. It's quiet a large draw but for bagels, english muffins etc forget it. My kids pb and j's always had some sort of kink in them!