Keeping dinner plates hot?

[Psiguyy]

Do you think they would object to eating off of a plate supported by an electric warming tray? They make small ones that would fit at a place setting.

What about sizzling platters? These are aluminum and cast iron plates that are heated until they can sizzle meat and are placed on wooden holders and brought to the table. They can be heated to beyond the point where food placed on them will smoke. I go to a steakhouse that uses them and I always order my meat rare because 5 minutes after it reaches my table, it sizzles away and becomes medium rare.

Cook with a lot of oil. Oil coats the food and slows down evaporation. Evaporation increases cooling, so if you stop that, it will slow down cooling.

 

[Michael in FtW]

My original question was...has anybody come across a similar device to the one my parents saw in Portugal ie a large ceramic vessel that cradled the plate? I would really like to get some for them. That's all. The hot platters and sizzlers mentioned seem like a good idea and I will get some if I can't find what I'm looking for and thank you to everyone who came up with a positive response.

Actually katyb - your original question was:

Now, I have heard about some kind of metal / cast iron hot plate that is heated in the oven and then your dinner plate sits inside / on top of it at the table, thus keeping food hot throughout the meal. I have searched online but can only find the type with candles underneath. My parents came across these plates in Portugal but couldn't find where to buy them either. I would really like to get some of these so my family can have an uninterupted meal!

Your post yesterday was the frist time you have mentioned the charger plate was ceramic. Your original post had us looking to metal chargers.

I would, in the most humble way, suggest that if you want the exact same dishes your parents ate from in Portugal - find out the name of the restaurant, contact them, and ask where they got their dishes. Since none of use had dinner with them, or know where they ate, the best any of us can do is make guesses and alternative suggestions.

 

[CabinetTags]

I think I can add a bit to this. My wife complains of this too and having been served on a sizzling platter I can appreciate those last bites still being warm, if not hot. My search for a solution turned up a restaurant supply company that also caters to individuals. There I found not just the cast iron fajita pans & holders, but also stainless steel and aluminum platters sans handles - also with holders. User forums discouraged me from buying the wooden platter holders, so I went with aluminum platters & their Baketite holder, a kind of plastic. Used only 1/2 doz times. I'm pleased with my purchase so far but haven't experimented a lot yet and haven't discovered how hot is too hot. I've heated at only 250 degrees. The meat stays hot longer & warm longer than a regular plate. Higher preheat no doubt more so.

The holder I purchased had minimum plastic rim around the platter extending into handles on either end. What was called a modern, oval dinner platter. For everyday use a platter holder with a wide rim would be in the way at the table, so that was a good selection.

My downsides would be: The size is 8x12 but it seems on the small side. It also seems strange eating from a metal plate. While they stack fine with each other, they didn't stack with anything else & required their own place. I was also leery of putting them in the dish drain - metal & ceramic don't like each other.

I've refrained from posting a link here, as I'm new enough not to know if that's permitted or no. Suffice to say it's out there if you look. Hoping this info bit is of use to someone.

 

[95Austin12]

Thanks for starting this thread here, katyb. We have this same problem at our house. I have been using sizzling platter But facing, the size problem. As are too small for anything other than a petite sized steak only.

 

[puffin3]

Use thicker ceramic plates. Put them in the oven set at it's lowest temp. for half an hour before serving.
I do this all the time.
I have thick placemats made from bamboo.
I warn guests that the plates are HOT!

 

[CraigC]

Hope you folks realize you are replying to a thread from 2004.

 

[GilliAnne]

I also noticed this thread originated a long time ago, but my attention was drawn to it as it brought up the subject of keeping food warm and also of the need to reheat food after it has been served but before it has all been eaten. We in this family particularly notice this at Christmas time and I was interested to hear from the lady at the supermarket checkout just after Christmas that she also has this problem. I think every family needs to work out a plan that best works for them with regard to keeping the food warm.

As for asking for food to be reheated in a restaurant, I think this is perfectly acceptable where the food has been served cold as that is not good, but if I've chittered so long to anyone who's with me at the restaurant that my food has gone cold, I can't hold the restaurant responsible for that. Maybe it was different in 2004.

Just wondering, how on earth did we ever manage in the pre-microwave cooker days?

Gillian