Do you warm plates in the microwave?

I've been heating my plates dry in the microwave for 24 years, without any damage to either plates or the microwave.

That 24-year-old microwave has just broken this very week, but that was due to DHs clumsiness (he broke the door-catch off), not dry plates.

I put a wet sheet of kitchen roll on each plate, do no more than two at a time (usually just the one for me). Place on full for about one minute but keep checking every 15 secs or so due to different m/w powers.

NanKate

I bought from Lakeland a pack of 3 special rubber mats that I put between the plates and heat on high for 1 minute. All sorted.

I bought a set if those years ago and promptly cracked several plates! I might try the cup of water though.

I do warm plates in the microwave,but i put a mug of water on top of them.

Spice101 that’s what I do too, although if the oven is on, I’ll pop the plates in there instead. My sister was horrified that I warmed plates in the microwave, but my B-i-L was impressed that his food was served on hot plates.

I warm plates in the microwave and wonder if the latest advice is because people have either been putting plates in that are not suitable ( my dinner service is from the 80s and microwaves weren't available then) or some plates have a gold or silver trim or edge or part of the pattern, and if you put those in the microwave it will "arc" and possibly blow up !
My sister puts hot water into her washing up bowl and puts the plates in there while the veg is cooking - the plates when dried and ready for serving up are warm enough and less chance of burning your fingers, which might be another reason for not putting plates in a microwave!

Just be careful of the gilded borders on some china = a big no no for a microwave.

Nah! They say that because some idiots will heat plates and dishes to the point of explosion, or grab them out without a kitchen cloth (burny!) Put a bit of water on each one if you like A microwave is made for heating tuff, any stuff. Do you think it knows the difference between a plate and a potato? there you go!

I have a plug in plate warmer. Sits on top of the microwave and can take 4 plates (you can get bigger ones). just put the plates in, switch on and within a short time you have lovely warm plates. Doesn't use too much electric either which is good. Similar to this but mine is smaller as don't need to heat so many plates. Daewoo SDA1763 200W Warmer 12 Warms 70°C

I used to warm plates that way for years until I needed a new microwave. First time I put just a plate in to warm the microwave flashed and banged and that was the end of it and I had to go and buy another one. The plates now go in my top oven to warm up.

I rarely warm plates. If it's only me I put the plate in a little hot water to warm it.

We always warm plates, either by using the plates in the microwave to heat up food on them, putting them in the oven just before the food is ready if we are roasting or using boiling water from the hot tap. What we never do is heat them in the 2 fitted, dedicated plate warmers we have! We use them for storage.

Yes I do every time, if they oven is not on, cannot abide cold plates, the food gets cold far too quickly.

I’ve got those microwave rubber mats that Nankate and others mentioned, bought years ago from Lakeland and forgotten about in a drawer! I dug them out again recently, when the energy prices went sky high. Before that, I was merrily turning the oven on for 10 minutes or so if it wasn’t already on to warm them, then saw on the smart meter monitor how much power that was using.
But if I put anything to warm in the microwave, the plate is cold enough to lift it out without an oven glove. I don’t warm plates in the microwave because the instructions say not to, but do they actually get warm enough (assuming you like your plates warm) if you do?

We do sometimes if there's not enough room in the bottom of the oven. Never put any water in with the plates or serving dishes and they've all survived. We always warm plates for meals.

Interesting posts. Never thought of using microwave just for plate but I often do a veg in a small pot, could try putting plate under and see if it warms at same time? I use plates as lids for any hob pots and they warm that way or in the oven if using the oven. The top oven is so well insulated now that little heat escapes from lower oven when in use... used to be a good place to keep things warm.

In the recipe book that came with my microwave there is a list of things you can do in there, such as popcorn making and softening of ice cream. One of them is warming plates and dishes.

However, it also says you can put yeast doughs in to rise and warm baby foods in there, which I would not do.

If you drop a spoonful of water on to the plates before heating them, surely you can call it boiling water and not warming plates, so the microwave won't know any better?

I warm plates by putting some water on them then microwaving for 1 minute. I have a combi microwave and no oven, if using the oven part of the microwave I warm the plates on the top of the cabinet.

Never warm plates in microwave.

Always in the oven on low setting.
It has never occurred to me to warm then in the microwave.
I don’t know why.

Yes those are the mats we have Arewethereyet and ours are about 12 years old and are still going strong. ?

No, I wouldn't heat plates in the microwave. I usually sit them in the grill while cooking, or I have an oven setting for plate warming. When I worked in catering, we had plate warmers that were operated by electric. We were told never to heat plates in the microwave, but ours were industrial not domestic. I'd still not heat plates in a domestic microwave.

We use these ones, I think. We bought them about 30 years ago but they look the same!

www.lakeland.co.uk/13008/Microwave-Plate-Warmers

I have some silicon plate warmers that you put between the plates in the microwave. We bought them about 30 years ago and still use them. The plate warmers get very hot and warm the plates.

It is OK if you are also heating up food in the Mwave at the same time.

I hate cold food (if it ought to be hot) but my DH lets his food go cold (well lukewarm) like Minimoons's. I can't understand it - he's the same with tea and coffee! Weird or what?
I've always used the MW to warm plates - seems I must stop!