Q: I love to entertain but when I prepare several dishes it’s a challenge to serve them warm since they finish cooking at different times. Would a warming drawer be the answer to my problem?

A: Warming drawers can help keep multiple dishes warm until serving time. These handy appliances are recessed into cabinetry, often under a wall oven or within an island. They’re designed to keep food moist and at temperatures of 90–250 degrees until it reaches the table.

They are not designed to reheat or cook food. The low settings are ideal for plate warming and bread proofing, while the high settings keep soups and sauces piping hot. Some models come with racks for stacking dishes and timers that keep food warm before automatically shutting off. With prices ranging from $500–$1,000, warming drawers are still a luxury for many cooks, but their convenience has made them hot appliances for busy home chefs.

Q: I would like to install a corner sink in our kitchen, but I rarely see layouts with the sink in that position. Is it a bad idea?

A: A corner sink can be an efficient use of space in a small kitchen. But instead of plunking a sink in the corner of two cabinetry runs, install a special diagonal corner-sink cabinet. This will allow you to use the sink without always bumping your knees or toes.

“A corner sink is generally a one-person area,” says Connie M. Hampton, certified kitchen designer (CKD) and member of the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA). “You just have to get used to the space and adjust.”

Many sinks will work in a corner configuration, even a standard double bowl. Elkay Manufacturing offers a stainless-steel corner sink with two basins on the diagonal rather than side by side. The faucet mounts on the countertop between the basins.

Q: Farmhouse sinks seem to be a trend, as I see a lot of them in your magazine. What are the pros and cons of owning one?

A: Farmhouse (also called apron-front) sinks are surging in popularity thanks to their wide basins, exposed aprons, and old-fashioned flavor. Manufacturers offer them in a variety of materials, including stainless steel, solid-surfacing, stone, cast iron, fireclay, and vitreous china.

Keep in mind that farmhouse sinks can be pricey, and choosing one limits your countertop choices: These sinks require either a tile-in or undermount installation, both of which leave at least some of the sink’s rim visible and neither of which works with certain materials, such as laminate. And most farmhouse sinks are single-basin designs, which can be inconvenient when washing dishes or performing other kitchen tasks, though a few double-basin models are now on the market.

Q: I’ve heard that convection ovens are the best way to cook. How do they work and what options are available?

A: Once considered a specialty method, convection cooking has gained mainstream appeal because it can speed cooking times and enhance the quality of some foods. Compared with standard radiant-heat ovens, convection models cook up to 25 percent faster.

What’s the secret? A standard gas or electric oven generates heat with radiant coils, which warm the static air inside the oven cavity. The heat has to spread through the cold air in the oven, reach and penetrate the food, and heat it through to the center.

A convection oven also uses radiant heat, but the hot air is circulated by a fan to create an equal temperature throughout the oven and cook food more evenly. Especially useful for baking, convection heat evenly browns food on multiple racks while keeping the inside of the baked goods light.

For those looking to cook fast and get the most nutritional value from their food, a convection steam oven may be the answer. Steam heat helps your food retain color and texture and seals vitamins and minerals inside. Most convection steam ovens use a steam-injection system to provide moisture throughout the oven cavity. This allows you to cook various types of foods on different racks. Even baked goods, which require hot, dry air to brown, can benefit from doses of steam at certain intervals to keep them moist inside.

Q: I’ve noticed a trend in kitchen cabinetry of placing fabric panels with chicken wire in the doors. How can I create this fun look?

A: Outfitting cabinet doors with fabric panels is a creative way to add old-fashioned charm to cabinets. You may be able to remove the panels in existing frame-and-panel cabinet doors with a router, but that can be difficult to do without damaging the door. Your best bet might be to replace your doors with a set designed to accept glass inserts.

Carol Morisseau, a certified master kitchen and bath designer (CMKBD) and member of the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) suggests you cut chicken wire to fit about ½ inch beyond the opening in the door and secure it with fine screen molding along all the edges. Choose fabric that is fade-resistant and can be laundered. To mount the fabric behind the door, Margie Little, CMKBD and NKBA member, suggests sewing rod pockets on the top and bottom edges of a fabric panel and gather it onto rods. For easy removal, hang the rods on cup hooks on the back of the door.