Do you warm plates in the microwave?

EmilyHarburn

Lakelands electric plate warmer looks to be a safer bet

Lakeland Extra Large Electric Plate Warmer – 10 Plates up to 30cm Dia.
See more from Lakeland Electricals

£49.99

Blimey. I'll stick with my silicon plate warmers.

Lakelands electric plate warmer looks to be a safer bet

Lakeland Extra Large Electric Plate Warmer – 10 Plates up to 30cm Dia.
See more from Lakeland Electricals

£49.99

This is what google says

Can I warm plates in microwave?
Can you warm plates in the microwave? Of course you can! Stack plates in the microwave for 2 minutes at maximum power, with a cup or glass of water on top. ... Be careful as plates can be very hot out of the microwave, you might want to use oven mitts to avoid burns.

I would not do 2 mins, clearly if they are too hot you are on the way to cracking them.

I have never warmed plates in the microwave. When I bought my first one it said never put anything in without any fluids as it could harm it.

No, never warmed empty plates in the microwave, I used to put plates in the bottom of the oven but don’t often bother with that now. My Grandma used to put plates in the washing up bowl covered with boiling water so they’d be hot when we got back with fish & chips from the chippy around the corner.
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All my microwaves have been combination ovens so I very often warm the plates on a low heat
Having just a microwave would not be very practical and we find the convection oven very useful and use our main oven when we have guests

Mollygo If you follow the link in my post on Sat 05-Feb-22 19:26:31 all will be explained.

www.quora.com/Why-does-an-empty-plate-not-heat-in-the-microwave It explains why some DO heat up, and why most microwave manufacturers don't recommend it. It also explains why a cup of liquid suddenly boils over when you take it out, or add cold milk to a reheated cup of coffee (I now make sure to stir the liquid just before heating it, that helps).

I once had a Pyrex plate explode into fragments in the microwave. That should have been OK, but wasn't. It must have had a tiny crack or imperfection which expanded in the heat.

Elegran I read your link ‘*why does an empty plate not heat in the microwave*’.
Very scientific, but it doesn’t explain why my empty plates do heat in the microwave.

No, never done that. Thought a microwave was purely for heating food in not crockery.

I regularly do. I put a reasonable amount of water on each plate first, then dry them off before using them.

www.quora.com/Why-does-an-empty-plate-not-heat-in-the-microwave

Always heat them in the microwave, no damage to l,antes or microwave. Hate putting hot food on cold plates

I don't have a microwave and don't warm plates. I do have a male friend who always warms cups with boiling water when making tea or coffee. The only friend who does that I am aware of. My parents always warmed the teapot....

Maybe there was some metallic design on the plate? That sends microwave loopy!

If the oven is not already on, I shove the plates with a moist kitchen towel between and a small cup of water on top. DH complains like mad if his plate is cold!

I think the reason that some people may succeed and some blow up their microwaves/break their plates may depend on what the plates are glazed with. Some glazes contain heavy metal impurities that absorb the microwaves, causing the plates to get very hot and possibly causing them to bounce and spark in the same way that foil would do. Has nothing to do with how expensive the dishes are, by the way. Lots of stoneware, porcelain etc will just heat up by absorbing heat from anything cooked on the.

AreWeThereYet I was about to post the reason why plates should only be heated in the microwave if there is a mug of water in there with them, but then I saw your post at 14:27:33

I will have eaten my dinner already by the time everyone's plate is the right temperature!

Never used for warming crockery. Always understood there should be moisture inside, something to do with the radiation zapping about.

Like NanKate I have the 'Lakeland' mats. I heat them between the plates for one minute, and while dinner is finishing, heat spreads across the base of the plate, but the rim stays cool. They work well, and when the GC were small I could also use them as non slip mats for their plates, and they kept the food warm for slow eaters. I couldn't put hot food on cold plates - early training from my Mother who would serve a meal on a plate so hot that it could probably have produced blisters.

My microwave has a "Plate Warm" setting.

Do you think it knows the difference between a plate and a potato?

No it doesn't. But the way it works is to heat up water molecules in the food by bouncing electrons off the inside of the metal walls. Plates don't contain water molecules (unless they are damp). So it won't 'cook' a plate like it does a potato.

You live and learn! I’ve now ordered the silicone heating pads for the microwave, ingenious, all the power I’m saving of late, from the air fryer to the microwave and the slow cooker. I barely use my conventional oven anymore.

Yes I do with no problems so far. And trying to persuade my 92 year old dad to do the same, as his way - pouring boiling water from the kettle onto plates and bowls - is an accident waiting to happen!

I always warm my plates in my microwave as I don't like cold plates 1 minute for 2 plates is enough to take the chill off. After reading this I got my instruction book out to see what it said and behold, my microwave has a setting for heating plates. Never knew that!