Tips You Need For Heating Dinner Plates

A warm plate of something delicious is pretty hard to beat. Ultra comforting, there's actually a scientific reason why we're drawn to a hot meal. According to Cookist, warm food increases our taste perception as hotter foods are more fragrant and give the illusion of higher satiety levels, based on what we remember from past dining experiences. That said, warmer food can definitely create more welcoming and pleasant dining experiences, which is why we've got some tips on how to heat dinner plates.

"Be careful. The plate is hot," is a phrase that we hear time and time again when dining at restaurants. Often the work of heating lamps, Just Restaurant Supplies explains that it's common for restaurants to warm plates before serving as a means of helping food keep warmer for longer. Keeping food warm until the last bite and heating your plates is a super savvy move that everyone should know, chef or home cook. 

Whether you're interested in serving up a restaurant-quality dish or are looking for a way to make yesterday's leftovers really pop, there are a few things to keep in mind when heating dinner plates.

Before trying to warm any dish, plate or bowl, always check the bottom label to see if they're labeled as being microwave or oven safe. In the absence of labels, Home Ardent reports that materials like metal, cast iron, glass, and ceramic are usually okay to heat without causing cracking or breaking. Next, comes choosing a heating method. 

Since a colder plate will absorb the food's heat, causing the temperature to drop, Chef Richard Sandoval shares that an easy hack is to put plates in the oven (or toaster oven) for about 5 minutes at 200 Fahrenheit prior to plating (via People). Likewise, a microwave could also prove useful. Eatwell 101 suggests stacking plates inside with a glass of water on top for 2 minutes for warm dinnerware. Of course, Kitchn shares that an electric plate warmer can also work well — picture a heated blanket, but for your dishes.

If you have more delicate or fragile china, but still want the comfort of a warm dinner plate, Nigella Lawson instead recommends soaking plates in a tub of warm water for upwards of 5 minutes. Dry with a dish towel and they're ready to use.