AIBU to think I am a crap hostess for not warming plates?

[lessonsintightropes]

It's just never occurred to me to do so - the only time I ever know I have hot plates is when being served in a pub and something's been microwaved on it. I usually bring the mains and sides to the table for people to self-serve from (not wanting to give people too large/small portions) and it's just not really something I do, or have noticed others doing when having dinner at theirs apart from a v posh cousin who no longer works and has a massive triple oven in her house in Islington and therefore wrote it off as some odd posh phenomenon

I always warm plates for meals. Either in the oven whilst food is cooking or whack them in the microwave for 45secs. Easy.

My mum does it and thinks I am awfully lazy for not doing it, my poor children having to eat off cold plates etc. Not something I ever think about though.

i like warm plates especially for pasta and soup as otherwise food cools too quickly I like hot food hot and cold food cold not much tastes good lukewarm, however when visiting other people I would eat what I was given and say thank you I would never criticise warm/cold plates type of glasses cutlery etc

I am not allergic to anything so if there is something i just don't like much i eat a small bit and leave rest but i'm not fussy, if i was allergic I would mention in apologetic way in advance, I'm sorry but i have allergy to prawns or whatever

I put plates in bottom oven or in main oven once removed meat or whatever to rest

I don't - my food is hot when it hits the plate, and the kitchen isn't so cold. Nothing hangs around before eating either

Oh lord my mother is obsessive about warming plates. Except that she and everyone else is always burning themselves on her scalding hot 'warm' plates.

I don't bother with it. Our mealtimes usually have to be quite quick affairs as dh/dc are rushing off somewhere, and there are too many of us to be faffing about with it.

One thing though...has anyone noticed the minute someone puts a plate in front of you and says be careful, that's hot, there is an overwhelming compulsion to touch it?

I warm them for my MIL, because she insists at every mealtime that there is NOTHING WORSE than hot food on a cold plate. Nothing worse, you hear? Doesn't occur to me to do it at any other time.

OP I tend to warm plated but only as they come out of the cupboard really cold to the touch, and the plates are right next to the oven

I dont think it makes you a bad hostess

My mum is obsessed with warm plates. I don't do it, because I quite often have salad with my dinner, or some other warm/cold combination, which wilts and goes revolting on a hot plate. I also burn my mouth really easily, and prefer being able to eat my food immediately, as opposed to having to wait for it to cool.

Carrying hot plates around can be quite painful. There is less risk of spillage and breakage without them, especially if you have children who help with table-setting and serving.

When mum comes to ours, she insists on coming into the kitchen to either stick a plate under the grill, or douse one in water from the kettle. I try to obstruct her from doing this in whichever way I can, because it gets on my nerves.

Food stays warmer longer on a heated plate. I do it usually but it doesn't ruin my meal if I don't.

I don't normally, but if we have guests (virtually never) and/or a dinner that requires a bit of a faff serving up, I might either bung them in the bottom of the Aga for a bit or whack them in the microwave for a few seconds.

I wouldn't bat an eyelash at not receiving food on a warm plate though.

Depends what we're eating. Some foods cool quicker than others eg: baked beans, broccoli. Warm plates for foods like that just mean that everything on the plate stays warm for the time we're eating it.

9 times out of 10 I don't bother, if I do it's either microwave or oven.

I spent time working in restaurants though, and you do get used to holding a hot plate while the customers spend forever to figure out who the meal belongs to, whilst still smiling and not dropping the plate :)

I don't but my MIL does. There was one time I burned my hand - despite using oven gloves - as the plate was so hot. Another reason not to. Anything to wind MIL up but also avoid burns!

I don't understand why, having cooked a hot dinner, you would then place it on a cold plate?

We always warn plates and always thought everyone else did too. I'll be honest, and say that if I was out to dinner and the plates weren't warmed, I would notice it and think it a bit odd (obviously wouldn't say anything though).

I can't understand.. having faffed on making a hot dinner you would then heat plates up.

What happens if the plates aren't hot in time for the food on occasion.. does everybody have to twiddle their thumbs until the things heat up?

If the oven has been on anyway it isn't any faff to stick the plates in for a couple of minutes.

You don't need to cook the plates, it literally takes a minute or two.

I hate cold plates, I bung my plates in the microwave for two minutes on full and they come out just right. Havent blown up the house or ruined (too many) microwaves yet!!

Yes, it's only a matter of taking the chill off the plates.

so you would only have to twiddle thumbs for a couple of extra minutes to wait for the plates?

Splendid.

I'm really glad I only read about this stuff on here and am not surrounded by it IRL.

I've even got a plate warmer for use when the oven is not turned on or is full.
Like this.

Gamerchick if you're making a roast dinner for example, you pop the plates in the oven while the meat is resting. Really no big deal.

You sound weirdly angry about this.

Fantastic, I aspire to warming plates, but to be honest I'm impressed you manage to have people over for a proper meal that needs plates. I thought I was doing well with drinks and nibbles! If I was organised I would use a top oven ( if I had a top oven).

I really can't believe that people don't warm their plates ! My Mum has always done it, so does my MIL and so do I. For every meal unless it has salad I have even been known to serve toasted sandwiches on hot plates. In fact my Mum and MIL put food back in the oven on the plate to make sure it's really hot when it comes to the table. DH moans if hot food is served on a cold plate. I can't see why people think it's such a faff to stick the oven on low for 5 minutes and put a plate in to warm up or to boil a kettle and tip some hot waters over them. You all must be eating very cold dinners !

I have, however, worked in hospitality for all my working life so the thought of a cold plate is

I honestly never realized before this thread that the plates are always warm for a specific reason in restaurants.... I guess I thought they all just happened to have come right out of the dishwasher

if you're making a roast dinner for example, you pop the plates in the oven while the meat is resting. Really no big deal.

Well yes, if I wanted to crack all the plates as that's when the oven is at 220C to do the roast potatoes.

I don't tend to warm plates as mostly I'm trying to get the food cool enough for kids to eat. If I've got the in-laws round for Sunday roast I warm the adults plates (usually by sticking them in hot water in the sink as there is no room in the oven), only because my MIL warms her plates, and roasts tend to be cooler than other food by the time it gets to the plate.

It's easy if you have a double oven but less so if you don't, and not something I bother with for most meals as I like my food at a temperature at which I can eat it, i.e. cooled down a bit.