What a Miele Gourmet drawer does
Miele calls it the Gourmet warming drawer. It has four modes. One warms cups. One warms plates. One keeps cooked food warm. The last cooks meat slowly at low heat.
Miele also says the drawer can proof dough, dry herbs and melt chocolate. A fan moves the warm air around. In the keep warm mode, that fan runs on and off in intervals. A mat on the floor keeps dishes from sliding. Our Miele appliance repair page shows where the drawer fits in the line.
Cold drawer: element or control
When a Miele warming drawer stays cold, we test two things first. The heating element and the control. The element can burn open. The control can fail to send it power. A meter tells us which in a few minutes.
The drawer also has a contact switch. It only heats when it is shut. If the switch is worn or the drawer sits a little proud, the panel lights up and no heat comes. Check that nothing at the back keeps it from closing.
Heats, but will not hold the temperature
This points to the sensor. The sensor reads the air in the drawer and tells the control when to cut in. A sensor that reads high ends the heat too soon. A sensor that reads low lets the drawer run hot.
It matters most in the low temperature cooking mode. That mode holds meat at a gentle heat for hours. Miele notes the time shown can change during this program. That is by design. But if a roast comes out raw or gray, the sensor or the fan is off.
Fan noise and uneven heat
The fan is what sets this drawer apart from a basic one. If it stops, the back gets hot and the front stays cool. Cups at the front come out cold. If its bearing wears, you hear a whir or a tick through the cabinet.
Do not mistake the normal on and off cycle for a fault. In keep warm mode, the fan is meant to pause.
Push2open drawers that stay shut
Most current Miele drawers have no handle. You press the front and it springs out. Miele calls that Push2open. The latch is a small spring unit.
When it wears out, the drawer will not pop, or will not stay closed. A drawer packed too full can also press on the latch. Take some weight out and try again. If that fails, we replace the latch and check the slides while the drawer is out.
The drawer has a timer and shuts off by itself when the set time ends. Owners sometimes think it broke mid-use. Set a longer time and see if it holds.
Keys that do not respond may be wet or greasy. Wipe the panel dry. If one key is dead after that, the control strip needs to be replaced.
A short list to try at home
- Close the drawer firmly and wait for the fan.
- Pick the plate mode and check for heat in fifteen minutes.
- Look at the timer setting.
- Reset the breaker one time.
- Pull the mat and clear any crumbs from the floor.
Price, visit and the case for repair
For a home visit, the diagnostic fee is $79. Approve the job and that fee is gone. The tech names a fixed price, with labor and parts as one sum, before he picks up a tool. He is insured and licensed, and his background check is clean.
The drawer slides out of the cabinet for service. Most repairs take one visit if the part is on hand. Miele parts often have to be ordered, so we may come back in a few days. We set that date on the spot. We take bookings online and by phone all seven days, and same-day visits are common. Each repair has a 30-day repair warranty.
Should you fix it? Yes, in almost every case. The drawer matches the Miele oven above it, and a new one is costly. An element, sensor, fan or latch is a small bill next to that.
A+ is family owned and independent of the brands it fixes. We repair Miele warming drawers in Washington D.C., and our D.C. appliance repair page has the details. Houston, Chicago, Northern Virginia and Los Angeles are served too. See warming drawer repair for other makes and Miele oven repair for the unit above. After the fix, we warm a stack of plates to prove the heat is even front to back.