PURPOSE: To perform preheating and melting of scrap with high efficiency through the increase of the recovery efficiency of heat possessed by high temperature exhaust gas by a method wherein small pieces of scrap easy to be preheated are charged with high filling density to perform preheating.

CONSTITUTION: A preheat container 2 filled with scrap 25 in a longitudinal direction is provided and heat-exchanger 13 to perform heat-exchange between the heat of high temperature exhaust gas from a scrap melting furnace 1 and air for preheating scrap is provided. Hot blast of air for preheating scrap the temperature of which is increased by means of the heat-exchanger is fed to the scrap preheat container 2 and the scrap 25 in the scrap preheat container 2 is preheated.