If you have ever dined out at a restaurant, you may have noticed that the plates you have eaten off of have been warm or hot to the touch. You may have even received a warning from your waiter to be careful because the dish they were setting down on your table was burning hot. Why is it that restaurants heat their dishware? Is it something you should be doing at home? And most importantly, how do you warm plates before serving in your home kitchen?
This article will cover all of these questions and guide you in dialing in the temperatures of your dishes. Read on to learn everything you need to know to impress your family and guests with an easy, restaurant-quality technique!
Why Warm Plates?
Warming plates is not about cooking food; it is about maintaining food’s temperature while it travels from the kitchen to the table and from the plate to your mouth. A warm plate delays food cooling off, so you can take your time over your meal and savor every bite.
Heat transfers between your food and your plate through a process called conduction. The food loses heat because it is in direct contact with a colder dish, where it begins to conduct some of its heat to the plate.
Techniques for Heating Up Plates
In a restaurant kitchen, there will usually be a heated rack or window for plates and bowls to sit in that hold them at the perfect temperature while the chefs prepare each dish. Of course, industrial hot racks are not tools typically found in home kitchens or your local grocery store. So what other ways are out there to warm your plates?
In the Oven
Using an oven is one of the most common techniques to warm plates at home. It is even easier if you’re already baking or roasting your meal on the plate. With this method, you will want to turn your oven down to its lowest setting. For most home ovens, this falls between 150 and 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Stack the plates you would like to heat and move them to an oven rack for at least five minutes. This should take no longer than 15 minutes.
In the Microwave
Especially in the heat of summer, it’s understandable not to want to turn on the oven for any reason. Fortunately, this is where your microwave comes in handy. To heat a plate in the microwave, there are some extra precautions you have to take.
- Make sure the dishes you want to heat up are microwave-safe. Some types of plastic can melt in a microwave oven. Even if the item is labeled “microwave-safe,” studies have shown that microwaving certain plastics can be dangerous in other ways.
- Never put metal in a microwave. If you’ve ever done so accidentally, you’ll know that the metal can spark, or even catch on fire. Most plates these days do not contain metal, but be extra careful if you are using antiques.
- Avoid microwaving bare plates and bowls. Running the microwave without any water inside it can cause breakage. Most plates naturally contain very little water; so it can be dangerous to microwave them alone.
- When using a microwave to warm up dishes, place a small cup of water on top of the stack of plates. It may take up to five minutes, depending on the strength of your appliance, but will be a much safer process. While you figure out the ideal amount of time to microwave your plates, check their temperature in increments of 30 seconds to one minute.
With Hot Water
Not everyone has a microwave these days. If you fall into this category, a great alternative is to run your plates under some warm water. There is no need to boil water. The hottest water you can get from your sink will be more than sufficient.
If you have just one or two plates to warm up right before serving, it may be easiest to rinse them in hot tap water and dry them off before plating your meal. If you are warming up a larger number of plates and want to keep them warm for a more extended period, you can fill a large bowl or tub with hot water and soak the plates until you are ready to eat.
Common Pitfalls To Avoid
The previous section discussed two of the most common mistakes people make when warming plates–not paying attention to the material and running the microwave without any water.
We also want to warn you about the other frequent error of over-warming your dishes. If you are not paying attention and your plates become too hot, you and your dinner companions may run the risk of burning yourselves. When adequately warmed, you should be able to handle dishes comfortably with bare hands.
When Not To Warm Plates
The goal of serving food on a warm dish is to hold it at the desired temperature.
So by the same logic, times you would not want to warm your plates are if you’re eating cold or room temperature food. Serving something like a salad, for example, on a warm dish can make the leaves of lettuce wilt down and become soggy under the dressing.
Like other cooking aspects, use your best judgment to decide when to warm up your plates.
Final Thoughts
There are many ways to improve the quality of your meals at home, from purchasing higher-quality ingredients at the grocery store to signing up for cooking classes that will teach you hands-on culinary skills. Depending on your budget and time, just doing one or more of these techniques or skill-building can heighten your home cooking experience and your next dinner party.
Warming your plates up before serving is a simple and inexpensive way to elevate the hot meals you prepare at home. As long as you follow this article’s researched tips and instructions, this restaurant-quality temperature technique is fool-proof!
