To serve hot food on cold plates?

[PerspicaciousGreen]

I've been chuckling my way through this thread and the desire for hot plates thing keeps cropping up: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_classics/1651633-Omg-such-anality-from-pil-Come-and-share-your-anal-behaviour-stories-lighthearted

My parents got a new kitchen and had a special plate warming drawer installed in their oven. For the two of them. They put it on every night to preheat the plates before they carry them two steps to the kitchen table. Before that, they used to turn the whole oven on to heat the plates! My mother thinks hot food on cold plates is "disgusting", which is one of the reasons they are no longer invited round for meals if we can help it. (Believe me, there were many other complaints, it wasn't just that.)

But the reason they need to warm the plates is because they piss about so much between dishing up and eating! They've got to clean half the kitchen, load the dishwasher, wipe the counters, lay the table, wash their hands... Whereas in our house it's out of the pan, onto the plate, sit down, start eating.

They also distribute microscopic portions of food across enormous plates. They could practically just eat off side plates but have the most enormous dinner plates John Lewis could sell them. We have smaller plates and bigger portions so the food keeps itself hot.

I cannot be the only person who thinks it's actually more disgusting to use good energy to heat up plates every single night when it's your own fault the food gets cold.

I always heat plates but wouldn't put something on specially. I just chuck them in with anything else which is being heated.

I heat them up for a minute or two if we're having roast lamb or rib of beef (where the gravy has fat in it )

Don't bother for much else though.

I don't heat plates but I do keep glasses in the fridges so they're nice and cold!

I don't like a warmed plate. It makes me feel slightly queasy for some reason.

My dad does this. To the point sometimes where plates are tot lot to use safely and you need to be careful not to touch! Is it an old fashioned thing?

I know a few people who need their food piping hot. One of which is my dad. I've got to be honest, I find this a sign of being really anal and a bit unsophisticated. Loads of food is not served piping hot especially in warm countries so I'd feel people who need hot food a bit lacking in experience of other cuisines. But maybe that's just my experience of people who behave like this.

@Woeismethischristmas

Sometimes I microwave plates. Which seems more efficient. I have 6yos so let the food cool little before serving if I’ve got a hot plate it’s fine but if not I have to microwave my dinner.

We have small children and we put plates in the fridge for them. So hot food is dished up onto a cold plate for them and a normal room temperature plate for us, so theirs cools down right away.

I put dinner plates into the microwave before plating food. It takes less than a minute.
I don’t remember when I started doing this.

I always warm plates because we also use serving dishes so the food has cooled by the time everyone has filled their plate.

I have occasionally heated plates - crepes spring to mind - few times a year.
My plate cupboard is on the corner of two outside walls and not well insulated walls I suspect. In winter they can be really cold.
I often have plates/bowls sitting on the side all afternoon to ‘warm up’ alongside eg tomatoes or blocks of butter or whatever. Sometimes think I’d love a plate warming drawer. If they double as a proving drawer then I would definitely be interested.

I should add the plates are warm not hot ie I can pick them up without the need for oven gloves.

If I’m v hungry or time is short, food on plate & go.

But for serving out to lots of people, or where meat has to be rested, or when DS (not great on timing all food to be ready together) cooking, or takeaways then yes I like to warm the plates.

Like PP, in oven already on or just switched off, in microwave, or under hot tap. Our house can be freezing (is today) so hot food staying hot to last bite is important to me.

PP ref hot plates & salad - one of my childhood staples was hot boiled spuds with salad & copious amounts of hot strong tea & weirdly I had a mad craving for just that a few days ago

The only time I heat plates is for Christmas dinner, either straight out of the just finished dishwasher, or pop them in the microwave.

Well the bigger crime is the microscopic portions of food across enormous plates.

I do heat the plates for hot food, but just by popping in the oven that's already on, the plate is warm rather than hot enough to burn.
Same principle as it's better to chill a glass slightly for a white wine or beer but easier to do the plate warming. Obviously don't warm plates for salad.

I don't see the point in making a lovely hot meal for it to be cold by the time it hits the table. But I don't want warm salad, either

How long is it taking between serving and putting it on the table. I have never warmed a plate in my life and never had a problem with food going cold too quickly.

So it seems the difference is some people need to have their food super hot. Then others aren't bothered about it being really hot.

I've got one (was in house when we moved in) and now I wouldnt be without it.

I dont do it for something like a baked potato that keeps its heat for ages or a stew etc but for something like veg and fish, I find they do cool down quickly and they are tepid when you eat them no matter how quick you eat.

I often put flutes in freezer as only like champagne very cold (and very dry).

Why does it matter? It’s their house let them do what makes them happy. Including cleaning up before they eat.

I always see this as a generational, I’ve never heated a plate on my life, the hob does have a plate warming function but I’ve never used it. I always associate it with grandparents and restaurants.

I don’t think it’s “disgusting” though to heat your plates, I think that’s a bit batshit.

I wasn’t that bothered till we moved to a freezing listed house so now warming plates is a must as otherwise the plates are like blocks of ice... but we just bung them in the microwave for 60 seconds to take the chill off. I’d never turn the oven on specially to do it unless maybe for a dinner party...

Yep, always warm the plates here either in the oven if it's on or in the microwave for a minute- Mum always did it and I've always done it since moving out of home

@Vooga

I don't see the point in making a lovely hot meal for it to be cold by the time it hits the table. But I don't want warm salad, either

How long is it taking between serving and putting it on the table. I have never warmed a plate in my life and never had a problem with food going cold too quickly.

This is my point! How long does it take to put food on plates and walk to the table? I can dish up for a family of four in about a minute and a half.

I have a plate warming function on my microwave and I always use it (well not for salads.... you know what I mean.) I set it to about 60 degrees. Plates are warm but can still be easily / safely handled. It just keeps the food warmer for longer. I would miss the function if I didn't have it any more.

I can't abide hot food served on freezing cold plates, if food is served hot I want it to be hot until the last mouthful.

Okbussitout tepid food on a cold plate at a restaurant in France made the food inedible. If food is meant to be served hot, serve it hot on a warm plate, if it's meant to be cold serve it cold, on a cold plate.

Do we all need a salamander on the pass ?