Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not heat my dinner plate?

236 replies

Jaggy1 · 13/06/2025 20:27

Just a silly one really..

My MIL has been coming to us once a week for a little while now. Every single time we have dinner whether we serve up or she does, even if we get a takeaway she always asks if I want my plate heated? Either with boiling water or in the oven if it’s being used. I just think it’s strange as I’d never do that on a random Tuesday night dinner or anything but she does it all the time 🤣
Also weird that DH never asks or cares for his plate heated any other time but he’ll always have it when she’s here.

Is this a thing? Am I the strange one 🤣
YABU- you religiously heat your plate
YANBU- never heat your plate

OP posts:
BooneyBeautiful · 13/06/2025 23:14

My parents used to do it when we were having fish and chips from the chippy. I don't recall it being done at any other time.

MooreMooreMoore · 13/06/2025 23:12

Shhhhitsmagic · 13/06/2025 20:30

ALWAYS heat my plate! 😂
Nothing worse than cold gravy

This ^

mondaytosunday · 13/06/2025 23:12

My aunt used to heat the plates. It’s rather nice. She’d be over 100 now. Maybe it’s a generational thing.

betsy99 · 13/06/2025 23:11

Very much generational, both my parents and PIL heated plates. I heat for a roast (due to gravy and generally it takes longer to eat) or dinner parties but can't be bothered the rest of the time.

NannyMcSpareMe · 13/06/2025 23:10

The obsession with ridiculously hot food is definitely something from the older generations. may well be younger people who prefer it nowadays too but it’s probably just been ingrained. Sometimes wonder if it’s to do with food hygiene/ standards not being what they are now, so things being piping hot was just another defence against illness…lukewarm food maybe being a sign someone hadn’t cooked something properly/ had no idea what they were doing in the kitchen.

PIL’s drive me to distraction with it. They’ll pick up a Chinese takeaway and bung it straight in the microwave when they get it home (5 mins later) before they let you touch it. Soggy noodles and a burned tongue 🙄

cryptide · 13/06/2025 23:10

Anon501178 · 13/06/2025 23:07

Oh gosh my mum does this.....total faff IMO! Think it's quite an old fashioned thing (she's mid 70s)

Why is it a total faff? You only have to put the plates in the hot oven for a few minutes. If the oven isn't hot, you put them in the microwave for one minute.

Anon501178 · 13/06/2025 23:07

Oh gosh my mum does this.....total faff IMO! Think it's quite an old fashioned thing (she's mid 70s)

BlueyNeedsToFuckOff · 13/06/2025 23:06

Allseeingallknowing · 13/06/2025 22:19

If you put hot food on a cold plate it’s pretty obvious the food is going to cool down. A roast dinner on a cold plate? No thanks? It’s not a generation thing - it’s common sense!

Show quote history

That assumes everyone wants a roast dinner - no thank you!

Perhaps a lot of people have very large meals or eat very slowly?

JaninaDuszejko · 13/06/2025 23:05

If you treat a meal as a social occasion and talk to the other people at the table then heating the plates and serving dishes to keep the food warm for as long as possible is essential. Nothing worse than cold food. If you don't converse while eating then maybe it's not an issue 💁. Not a generational thing though, my entire family heat plates (except MIL who is 89).

CurlewKate · 13/06/2025 23:02

Nothing to deal with being “fancy”. Everything to do with having hot food. Maybe a bit generational because houses were colder before most people had central heating.

mindingmyown37 · 13/06/2025 22:56

Think it’s a generational thing, as a busy mum I rarely get to eat mine straight away anyway so makes no difference if I heat the plate. My grandparents use to heat plates. So I’ve tried it both ways and honestly I don’t see the difference

Catladywithoutacat · 13/06/2025 22:50

I only thought this was a thing in toby carvery 😂

meganorks · 13/06/2025 22:50

I general, my food is hotter than the fucking sun, so the last thing I want to do is heat the plate! I feel plate heating is an old thing from when people were mostly eating lots of things cooked separately (like on a roast). But most of my dinners aren't like that. And even with a roast, everything is boiling in my house

FirenzeFirenze · 13/06/2025 22:49

I’m a ‘bubbling like lava’ person and cannot stand lukewarm food or drinks, it takes all the enjoyment out of eating for me.

So I always heat the plates for hot food, like my Mum and Grandma before me. I’m a bit obsessed to be honest. I love being in restaurants when they serve the food on iron skillets and warn you about them being very hot. I also eat very slowly and always have, so a hot plate obviously means that the food is more likely to retain its heat until I’ve finished.

My daughter thinks I serve the food too hot and always waits for it to cool down, whereas if it’s not almost burning me I’m not happy. Each to their own!

MasterBeth · 13/06/2025 22:47

Never got the memo that food needs to be as hot as possible. Why?

treesocks23 · 13/06/2025 22:45

Not me but definitely my Dad! My Mum will do it but I think it's more for Dad. Always has to be piping hot. Soup expecting to be almost scalding and he questions when a cup of coffee or tea is left for longer than one minute - 'that will be stone cold...' lol

DontReplyIWillLie · 13/06/2025 22:45

DontTouchRoach · 13/06/2025 20:51

I don’t think it’s weird to heat or not to heat. It’s just a personal preference. For some reason DP and I warm plates for fish and chips but nothing else, no idea why!

I always heat my plate if possible, but you’re right that it’s an absolute must for fish and chips. I usually put the oven on very low and leave the plate in while I nip around the corner to fetch them.

cryptide · 13/06/2025 22:44

Borris · 13/06/2025 20:33

My parents do too. I can’t stand it. Nothing worse than being hungry and then the food is too hot to eat

Come off it. If it's too hot, you just take small bites to start off with. It's never long till it cools down enough. On the other hand, if you put hot food onto a cold plate it will be lukewarm very quickly.

gamerchick · 13/06/2025 22:31

Hadalifeonce · 13/06/2025 20:33

I always heat plates. Nothing worse than hot food put onto cold plates.

Just burning your hands and then your gob on too hot food.

Some people like it, some done OP. It's a thing though

WorkingNotTwerking · 13/06/2025 22:30

weareallcats · 13/06/2025 22:28

My parents and grandparents did, but I never bother. I put bowls of stuff in my warming drawer when I’ve got lots to get ready at the same time.

I do love cold buttered toast though. Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it!

Toast spread with butter, then left to cool; then spread with butter again so you get melted and cold butter together. Mmm it's good!

Disturbia81 · 13/06/2025 22:29

Never done it, never had the thought to do it, but like it in restaurants

Mum2jenny · 13/06/2025 22:29

CustardySergeant · 13/06/2025 22:27

I've never put hot food on a cold plate in my entire life.

How do you handle some hot items with salad on the same plate? Or do you never have salad with a hot item?

3678194b · 13/06/2025 22:29

Never heated plates and haven't really given it a thought. Must be a generational thing.

weareallcats · 13/06/2025 22:28

My parents and grandparents did, but I never bother. I put bowls of stuff in my warming drawer when I’ve got lots to get ready at the same time.

I do love cold buttered toast though. Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it!

CustardySergeant · 13/06/2025 22:27

I've never put hot food on a cold plate in my entire life.