my hotplate is not a help!!!!

lamplighter

Sat, Feb 02 2008, 9:09 pm

my DH has had a bad experience with a blech/gas escaping and so we don't use one. For a few shabbosim we wrapped our soup and left our food in the closed oven but I don't like food lukewarm, I like the food hot. especially in the winter, and when u have guests teh food should be hot. So this shabbos we were having guests over and decided to buy a hotplate. I didnt specify a type (just the size) and when I went into the kitchen to put the food up for shabbos, I noticed that it had no settings. I had in mind to put it on low but there was no dial. I asked DH about it and he said he just bought the cheapest one in the size I asked for (very typical him Smile

. oh well my fault. At one point at the start of the meal I realized the food was ging to burn so I took it off early and let it sit off the plata.

So all u experts out there.....

How can I get this to keep my food hot wihtout burning it?

What's ur system?

pinktichel

Sat, Feb 02 2008, 11:50 pm

It took me a while to figure out my hot plate (probably the same as urs-no dial). I bring my soup to a rolling boil and then put it on the hot plate, covered. It is piping hot when ready to serve.

For all other food, never place it directly on the hot plate. I always put a metal (not disposable) pan/cookie sheet, upside down, on the hot plate and put the food on top. This prevents it from burning but keeps it hot.

Mimisinger

Sat, Feb 02 2008, 11:58 pm

You're probably going to hear this, but I guess I'll say it first. There's a reason it doesn't have a dial - it's so you want be tempted to turn it up and do a melocho. Also, on a plata, you're supposed to put food on top of an overturned pan or something so it doesn't look like cooking. This is a rav question. Better yet, ask your rebettzin!

catonmylap

Sun, Feb 03 2008, 6:10 am

I put disposable aluminum pans face down and put the food on top of it to keep it from burning, except for the soup/liquids, they do fine. I also like to leave the chicken on straight since I like how it gets a little burnt.

baba

Sun, Feb 03 2008, 6:19 am

Mimisinger, isnt that only for stuff you put on after shabbes? At least that's how we do it (yes, this is how the rav says to do it), on fridays I put it on before shabbes, without anything and on shabbes morning I put it on with an oven rack in between.
OP: The middle of the plata is usually the most hot. I always put the soup in the middle, and stuff that might burn on the outside. You can try having the plata go on a bit later, for less time and covering it with one of those shabbes covers, it gets warm quicker then.

chocolate moose

Sun, Feb 03 2008, 9:24 am

As the plat ages, it's gonna be less hot.

I def put a blech and a bekele (mini or regular size muffin tin, to raise the food up) and THEN the food!

Bzgirl

Sun, Feb 03 2008, 12:45 pm

I use a warming drawer too....I was never able to figure out the hot plates....the food always sizzled and I was going bazerk watching it; making sure everything was ok, and that nothing was burning

babula

Sun, Feb 03 2008, 6:33 pm

I used my new platta for the first time this shabbas. It was hottest in the middle and worked very well. I had a Cholent made with rice. I was afraid it might burn but it was fine.

dora

Thu, Feb 21 2008, 11:56 pm

I've been using a hot plate for years. I heat up everything real hot before shabos, put one of the oven racks on the hot plate (so it's not considered cooking) put the food on rack and cover everything with a large towel. The food is always piping hot. Except for the time that I forgot to plug it in.

cassandra

Fri, Feb 22 2008, 12:13 am

I also have a warming drawer, but for friday night I put the food in the oven and leave the oven at 220 degrees, and then set the timer for the oven to go off around the time my husband comes home from shul.

Raisin

Fri, Feb 22 2008, 5:41 am

I use my oven on a timer. I also use a blech if we have soup. My stove has a safety feature that if the flame goes out, the gas turns off automatically. And I have a slowcooker for cholent.