Heating plates before serving up

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

Does anybody here do this? I very rarely do. Have recently spent some time staying with my 90=year-old mum, who always, always, always heats the plates for the main course, and generally also heats bowls for soup. I think this is odd. She thinks it's the rest of the world that's odd.

*When I say 'heats', she puts them in the oven for a few minutes with whatever's cooking, and on removal you would risk getting burnt if you touched the plates without an oven glove.

I do, either in the oven if I am using it, or I boil up the kettle to scald them.

Yes we do, for most hot meals. We use hot water though rather than the oven. We don't eat particularly fast, the plates/bowls are always cold from the drawer, and cold food isn't pleasant.

I always do this - food on cold plates is horrible. If salad is part f the meal, that is served in a separate, unheated bowl on the side.

Few years ago I went on a week long residential course, where each day two or three of the participants shared preparation of dinner for the whole group. On my night, while I was busy in the kitchen, the other two disappeared into the dining room and came back very pleased with themselves. Then they encouraged me to go and see how beautifully they had set the table - bits of foliage from the woods around the house, innumerable candles, artfully folded napkins across the plates …

I cannot explain what ancient ritualistic compulsion drove me to sweep all the plates off the table, past their shocked faces and into the warm ovens. But it was the middle of Winter - the Earth would have fallen out of the universe if I’d allowed hot food to be served on cold plates.

My fellow chefs were distinctly chilly with me for the rest of the week …

Only for a nice dinner like a roast - either in the oven, or run under the hot tap, depending on what's going on.

Otherwise I assume it'll be disappearing into the kids so fast that it doesn't matter what temperature the food is :)

Never
And there's a plate warming setting on my microwave

A few years ago I bought an electric plate warmer from the middle aisle of aldi or lidl
It's handy when I can be arsed to get it out and use it
Food totally stays hot for ages
DH eats like a snail so he loves it, mine doesn't have the chance to go cold 😂

Always!! And my teenage DC also follow this!!

Hot food and drinks have to be hot and cold, cold.

My only concession to tepid is res wine... 🍷

Oh gosh, yes! A dash of boiling water in the cup before pouring the tea or coffee.

(I may even own a very fancy French teapot with a removable thermal cover.)

Yes, always. Put them in the microwave in pairs for 1 minute.

I heat the plates for dp and I. I leave the plate for dc7 at room temperature and I put the baby's bowl in the fridge to cool the food as quickly as I can.

I actually dislike going for dinner anywhere with unheated plates. The food really does go cold a lot quicker and Siketikes even ends up being served tepid. I would send it back at a restaurant.

I do not how siketikes happened! That was sometimes.

Yes, every meal

Probably not if I’m passing bowls of porridge across the island in the morning to be consumed immediately by the ravenous hoardes my family.

If it’s a more complicated meal like a roast, where there’s a bit of faff carving, passing dishes about then I would. Not burning hot though, just warm.

Yes always for soup & mains. Puddings can go in cold bowls though.

I always do if I am cooking a Sunday Roast. I just pop them in the top oven (no need to turn it on)whilst the rest of the dinner is cooking in the main one.
No point turning top oven on as the heat from the bottom one is more than sufficient to warm the plates.

I don't but my parents do when they come for dinner. It drives me nuts.

Despite a big renovation our kitchen is still a freezing zone outside May - September.

So we bought heat pads which go into the microwave with the plates/bowles and serving dishes.

Makes eating so much nicer. I absolutely hate food cooling to lukewarm so it's vital for me.

My MIL does, always. I occasionally do, if I’m making a roast dinner, but usually forget!

Always. I also heat up coffee cups when making latte so it doesn't go cold too quickly.

I always, always, always heat plates for hot food. I can't bear eating hot food off a cold plate.

I always do it, DH doesn't, and it does annoy me somewhat.

Yep. I hate hot food on a cold plate 🤢. My dsis would always serve me a roast on a cold plate to wind me up and laugh as she watched me stick the whole lot in the microwave. I cannot bear hot food losing temperature.

Mum! I didn't know you were on MN!

Only in winter, when it's very cold. Hate having windows shut so it tends to be a bit nippy in the kitchen!