Keeping plates warm

[TinklyLittleLaugh]

Every bloody Christmas my FiL makes some passive aggressive remark along the lines of, "Great dinner, shame the plate was cold".

I have double oven but it's full of food on Christmas Day and I'm a bit wary of cracking my plates too.

So how do you warm yours? before I batter FiL round the head with the turkey carcass

[SevenOfNineTrue]

I put mine in hot soapy water and dry off just before use.

[PuppyMonkey]

Couple of minutes in the still warm oven just before we serve up.

[ThornyBird]

I don't.

[80sWaistcoat]

As puppy or put them in the microwave or put in sink full of hot water. Depending on which of those things has space..

[ThornyBird]

Argh hit post too soon.

My Grandma used to put her (clean) plates through the dishwasher to warm them .

My Dad used to complain that his plate was too hot if my Mum warmed them in the too oven bit

[TinklyLittleLaugh]

I don't think I'd have room in the oven. Microwave or sink would work though. How long in the microwave roughly?

And what is this obsession older people have with everything being absolutely piping hot?

[Whatsername24]

I don't. The intention is always there, just because my parents come for Christmas Dinner and always like warm plates, but there's never room in the oven for them.

The dishwasher idea could actually work for me though.

[Whatsername24]

Tinkly I've used the microwave before but you have to put a cup or bowl of water on top of the plates. Not sure how long you need to do it for, I just heated them on full for a couple of minutes and then touched them to see how warm they were and to see if they needed longer.

How about this?
www.amazon.co.uk/HotIdeas-Hot-Ideas-Electric-Warmer/dp/B001VH0XM6/ref=pd_sim_sbs_79_3?ie=UTF8&dpID=51o8M1bb%2B8L&dpSrc=sims&preST=AC_UL160_SR160%2C160&refRID=0N7G5AHYVSNHWT4103SZ&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

[Artandco]

The oven. If your about to eat the food won't be in the oven surely? Take all food out oven. Plates in oven turned off. All food on table in serving dishes ( takes a couple of minutes), then plates out as your sit down

[misscph1973]

I hate that! My DH and MIL are the same, they are obsessed with warm plates. It's not a restaurant, FGS!

I think perhaps you ought to ask your FIL about an hour before you serve if he would please be in charge of making sure the plates are warm (maybe he could stick them in the airing cupboard?). Just ask him nicely. Perhaps even make a list of small jobs that will make your life easier and allocate one to every guest.

Because you will resent warming the plates and your FIL will just tell you that you warmed them too much or too little.

[Northumberlandlass]

We use dishwasher on a Sunday to warm plates

[TinklyLittleLaugh]

Well that's my Christmas present sorted What, although I am quite surprised FiL hasn't bought me one already.

I think I will go with the microwave and bowl of hot water.

Though now I will need to think about place mats won't I?........

[TinklyLittleLaugh]

Ok Art but don't you need to warm your serving dishes somewhere?

I will confess to being a plater upper on Christmas Day, because there are eight of us and the four kids/teens and FiL will just faff around and I'd rather have it all done and everybody eating quickly before their cold plate makes their food cold

[TinklyLittleLaugh]

Strikeout fail.

[Artandco]

The serving dishes for most is what they were cooked in inside the oven. Any extra again I would just take oven food out ( they will have been in ages so you want them to sit on side 5 mins with foil over so on isn't scalding hot), just pop any remaining dishes and plates in oven

Tbh the food is probably cold from plating up rather than cold plates also. Food sitting inside tree dish it was roasted in and in a pile will stay warm longer. Just put all dishes in middle of table and you help yourself throughout the meal so nobody is waiting for anyone
( this is admittedly how ds2 managed to eat about 12 pigs in blankets last year- age 3)

[PuppyMonkey]

Of course you'd have room in your empty double oven for your plates.

[eddiemairswife]

I hate hot food on cold plates. Congealed gravy! And, yes, I'm older.

[TinklyLittleLaugh]

Hmm, most of the stuff in my oven is in tins not nice dishes. To go down that route I'd have to buy some dishes. To be honest, food never sits on the side, (except for the resting turkey) it goes straight from oven onto the plates. DH, BiL and me all whizz it on and it doesn't take a minute.

I don't think my dining table is big enough for loads of dishes and I can't imagine everyone passing around hot tins.

But lots of strategies to think about, thanks everyone.

[Whatsername24]

Tinkly I plate everything up too, so plates are on the counter and the food is in the oven keeping warm until I need it. Just a single oven here so definitely no room for anything else.

[peggyundercrackers]

I hate food on cold plates, warm them in the oven for 2 mins or put them in the microwave (no you don't need a bowl of water in with them, they will warm fine without water) or as someone else said stick them in the sink with warm water.

[janethegirl2]

Boil kettle, pour water over any plates which need to be warm, leave a couple of minutes, pour off water then dry.
You could just do one plate this way if you want.

[VenusRising]

Blow torch hers! White hot, so the food sizzles!!

Seriously, you can make a little heater for her plate, if you're not inclined to heat them all.

Get a clean napkin, put it on her plate, place some dry rice on top and microwave it. The water in the rice will heat her plate.

I also think you could have the plates in the oven once you take the bird out to rest. Put serving dishes in oven first, so they are warm. Place all veg on serving dishes, then put the plates in when turkey is out, carve and serve onto warm dishes as puppy said.

I hate cold plates as everything gets disgusting and cold when everyone is serving themselves and each other and waiting to begin. It's just too sad to see your lunch congeal in front of your eyes as someone faffs with the bread sauce or mustard of somesuch thing.

Once my food gets cold and congealed I want it gone from in front of me. Makes me feel quite sick to see it there. And I'm not that old!

[TeenyfTroon]

I hate cold plates. I put a puddle of water on each plate and stack them in the microwave. Heat for as many minutes as there are plates +1 and tip the water off, preferably not all over your hands. God knows why I do the +1! Wouldn't risk it without the water.
Very occasionally an old plate goes ping.

[TheLesserSpottedBee]

We microwave plates every night for dinner. We have done this with plates from Debenhams, M&S, Portmerrion and now 80p plates from Ikea

4 plates, 900 watts 3 minutes. Job done. Same for pasta bowls.

[TheLesserSpottedBee]

Meant to say, we have never added a cup of water to the top of the plates.