Person selecting settings on KitchenAid® wall oven

HOW TO KEEP FOOD WARM IN THE OVEN BEFORE SERVING

You pour your passion, creativity and focus into every dish you create for family and friends, so don’t let your results dwindle as dishes wait to be served. Whether your oven features a keep warm setting, a separate warming drawer or simply the option to set it at low temperatures, most ovens can help you keep food warm by heating between 170°F and 200°F. Use this guide to learn more about the best oven temperature for keeping food warm and how to keep food warm in the oven without drying it out.

Person removing food on a cookie sheet from a KitchenAid® single wall oven

GUIDE TO KEEPING FOOD WARM IN THE OVEN BEFORE SERVING

Leveraging your oven’s “keep warm” settings can help you juggle multiple dishes while you prepare to entertain for brunch, holiday gatherings and family celebrations. See the five steps below to learn how to use your oven to keep food warm, as well as how to help preserve textures and flavors until dishes are ready to serve.

Close-up of a sliced meat dish next to a tossed salad

STEP 1: PREPARE FOOD TO SERVE

Make sure any food you plan to keep warm is fully cooked and ready to serve (aside from garnishes) before it goes in the oven, particularly when warming meats. Don’t undercook food with the expectation that your oven’s keep warm setting will finish the job, as this setting is strictly meant to keep food at serving temperature.

Burnt orange KitchenAid® commercial-style range and KitchenAid® single wall oven in gray cabinetry

STEP 2: SELECT AND CUSTOMIZE THE KEEP WARM SETTING

Ovens often include a “keep warm” setting designed to help maintain food at an optimal serving temperature. An oven’s temperature preset for its keep warm setting typically falls between 170°F and 200°F, but some ovens, like select KitchenAid® wall ovens and ranges, let you customize the temperature within a specified range for more control.


If your oven doesn’t include a “keep warm” preset, aim to manually set the temperature somewhere between 170°F and 200°F to help keep food in a safe range. Your oven’s owner’s manual may offer guidance on the ideal temperature to help keep certain types of dishes warm, but consider warming food made with meat, poultry or seafood on the higher end of that temperature spectrum. According to the USDA, hot foods must stay hot (above 140°F) until they’re ready to be stored or discarded to help prevent rapid bacterial growth.

Seasoned roll dough rising in a warming drawer

STEP 3: PREPARE FOOD FOR WARMING

Food that goes into the oven should always be in an oven-safe container, even when you plan to keep the temperature low. Make sure the food isn’t stored in or covered by any plastic materials, then cover it with an oven-safe lid. 


Food with a crispier exterior—like Asian spiced shrimp cake or crispy zucchini chips—maintains its texture best when placed on a cooling rack, in a single layer, on top of a cookie sheet. Covering your food with an oven-safe lid or aluminum foil can help prevent it from drying out while warming.

Rotisserie chicken on a cutting board next to a food thermometer and roasted potatoes

STEP 4: CHECK WITH A FOOD THERMOMETER

Use a food thermometer to periodically check on your food’s internal temperature. Hot foods that fall below 140°F can foster rapid bacterial growth, so it’s best to increase the keep warm temperature if you notice food’s internal temperature teetering on the edge of acceptable limits. For added convenience, try using a smart thermometer like the Yummly® Smart Bluetooth Meat Thermometer that lets you choose your preferred doneness, adjust cooking settings and track your cooking remotely with your smartphone or tablet using the free Yummly® app. 

Prepared entrees and appetizers on serving dishes inside a refrigerator

STEP 5: SERVE OR STORE AFTER ONE HOUR

Your food’s texture and flavors can start to shift if left in the oven too long, so it’s best to either serve, store or discard any remaining food after one hour.

Person sliding a casserole dish out from the bottom rack of a KitchenAid® double wall oven

HOW LONG CAN YOU KEEP FOOD WARM IN THE OVEN?

Though hot foods can be kept for long periods of time at or above 140°F, the texture and flavor profile of food will likely start to degrade after about an hour. Food in smaller quantities or dishes that are heat-prone shouldn’t be kept warm in the oven for more than 30 minutes.

HOW DO YOU KEEP FOOD WARM IN THE OVEN WITHOUT DRYING OUT?

Warming food in the proper dishware, using an ideal temperature setting and covering food the right way can help prevent drying during warming. Use a baking sheet, baking dish or oven-safe pot or saucepan to contain food, and add an oven-safe lid or covering to foods with high moisture content (like cremini and fontina quiche) to help prevent moisture from escaping.

Food that is likely to get soggy while warming—like Brussels sprouts fritters or eggnog waffles with cranberry compote—might benefit from a loose covering of foil rather than a container with a tight lid or tightly wrapped foil. Low moisture content foods and baked goods like challah bread or blueberry lattice pie should be warmed at lower temperatures, while meat, poultry, seafood and fried foods should be warmed at higher temperatures.

Roasted chicken thighs and vegetables in a casserole dish inside of a warming drawer Alt Text Needed

WHAT ARE ALTERNATE WAYS TO KEEP FOOD WARM BEFORE SERVING?

If you’re short on oven space, consider using a disposable chafing dish, steam table, warming tray or a slow cooker to help keep food ready to serve. Chafing dishes and steam tables use a heat source beneath trays filled with water to create steam that heats the serving dishes above. Warming trays provide a consistently heated surface to place food on, and slow cookers often include a “warm” setting that keeps food at just the right temperature.

If you frequently entertain, you might consider purchasing a warming drawer that can be built into your kitchen cabinets. Select KitchenAid® warming drawers let you adjust the moisture levels in the drawer to accommodate different types of food and help prevent drying. Plus, select KitchenAid® warming drawers include slow cook and bread proofing functions for even more versatility.

TIPS FOR KEEPING FOOD WARM

The right warming temperature and cookware can go a long way, but adding the tips below to your repertoire will help you maintain foods’ temperature and texture so mealtime can be fresh and flavorful. 

  • Stir dishes like pasta or soups as they warm to help evenly distribute heat.

  • Consider reheating food, rather than keeping it warm, if you expect to serve it more than 60 minutes after making. Store it in the refrigerator until then.

  • Set your oven to a higher warming temperature (closer to 200°F) if you plan to warm multiple dishes at once.

  • Keep an eye on dishes as they warm to check for dryness. Remove drying dishes immediately, refrigerate and reheat closer to serving.

  • Wait to slice foods like apple pie cream cheese bread or Asian turkey meatloaf until they’re ready to serve to help prevent drying.

EXPLORE KITCHENAID®OVENS AND WARMING DRAWERS

KitchenAid® ovens, ranges and warming drawers make it easier to create any dish that inspires you, whether you’re prepping for a festive gathering or intimate night in. Select KitchenAid® warming drawers offer the versatility of an oven, bread maker and slow cooker all in one streamlined space. Select KitchenAid® ovens include a temperature probe that helps you track the internal temperature of meats, poultry and casseroles so you can make sure food is up to par and ready to serve.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OVENS WITH KITCHENAID BRAND