A method for preheating iron agglomerate by a hot gas stream having the following steps: supplying the iron agglomerate in an iron agglomerate bed; heating the gas to the preheating temperature in a heat exchanger; and passing the hot gas through the iron agglomerate bed, the gas flow rate being such that the temperature drop of the hot gas occurs over a relatively thin layer in the iron agglomerate bed so that a temperature front moves through the bed in the course of heating.