Paper Plates

[PurpleDingo99]

My father has always hated paper plates with a passion. Once on a fairly casual christmas, he refused to eat off of a paper plate, so we ended up using the fine china for the lot of us.

I use paper plates whenever possible. because i really dont have any prep bowls (besides mixing bowls and those ziplock box things) I often cut up vegetables and throw them on a paper plate to save some cleanup down the road. my cutting boards are probably 12X18 (or less,) so it makes sense. Same goes for eating off of, as it changes a dishwashing into a simple cleanup.

Do you ever use them for cooking and/or eating off of?

[Gifted Gourmet]

Do you ever use them for cooking and/or eating off of?

←

Yes, for my ingredients during prep .... just much easier than continual washing ...

On occasion, I have bought and used festive, colorful, heavyweight paper plates for a very casual outdoor or even indoor buffet ... much easier to toss after use ...

or even an open house with staggered times of arrival and departure.

[Anna N]

Hate them. Never use them and hate plastic glasses and styrofoam cups too.

[torakris]

I use them usually for my kids and never for guests unless it is a BBQ!

I pull them out for breakfasts sometimes and for dinners when I don't feel like washing dishes afterwards, tehy also sometimes come out for desserts.

I buy the small ones in packs of 400 at Costco.....

maybe if I had a dishwasher....

[Shalmanese]

I don't get paper plates for prep. First, they're way too flimsy and, the way I go through prep, I would need 100 in a week. Ceramic bowls take all of 2 seconds to rinse quickly and they can be used repeatedly in one cooking session.

I never use them just because it seems wierd but I wouldn't have any problem. Plastic cutlery is another story, refuse point blank to use them.

[therese]

Hate'em, and hate plastic cutlery and paper/styrofoam cups as well.

I won't get takeaway coffee because I hate drinking out of those nasty paper things (and really despise that disgusting plastic sippy cup attachment that goes on top---pretty soon they'll just go all the way and put a nipple on it).

I went ahead and invested in glass plates and real forks for buffets at parties as well---service for 200.

I do use paper towels in the kitchen, and paper napkins (reasonably nice heavy ones) for everyday dinners.

[Juanito]

I don't eat off them. For prep, I use aluminum pie pans, then throw them in the dishwasher.

[porkpa]

Worst of all, I hate paper napkins. Our local country club uses paper for lunch and linen for dinner - for everybody but me that is. I don't consider myself to be demanding but when it comes to paper napkins I am.

[Varmint]

When our kitchen renovation begins in a week or two, I suspect we'll be eating off of paper/plastic plates quite a bit. We will not be using plastic cutlery, however. Even Mrs. Varmint won't put up with that!

[chile_peppa]

I don't much like paper plates -- I even unwrap carryout and eat it on a real plate. But when I'm expecting seven house guests for the weekend plus another 30 or so for a buffet on Saturday, and the dishwasher is broken, you bet the Chinet is coming out! I do have enough designer stainless steel cutlery to avoid plastic tableware, but paper napkins will have to do.

For family gatherings, my stepmother sets out a china plate for my dad, but all the offspring get paper. But then again, it's usually 20 or more people and no nonhuman dishwasher.

[rooftop1000]

I cringe from an ecological point of view but I also have a septic system so less water is better but tonight I used a bunch of em....one for the bread crumbs and one for the breaded cutlets...then one for the pierogis to sit on in the oven after frying and some for the cooked cutlets...in the oven and (hangs head) I did serve off them at the table but we ate off "real plates"

.....at least they make good starters for the fireplace

T

[snowangel]

I'm not sure if I hate plastic cutlery or paper plates more.

I also have a hard time purchasing a product that is expressly made to toss.

So, I went to the outlet and bought a ton of corelle plates. Went to the restaurant supply and bought a lot of cutlery.

No, doesn't matter how many people I have over, I will go and buy more dishes if necessary.

[petite tête de chou]

I started using paper plates about 6 months ago and I'm not looking back!

I use them for prep and occasionally eat non-juicy foods off of them.

Like torakris, I don't have a dishwasher and these have been such a big help.

As far as plastic utensils go, I include a plastic spoon in my husbands lunch if he's having applesauce or yogurt. Love him, but he can't be trusted to return my metal spoons.

[dexygus]

i'll eat off of them if i have to, like at someone else's house, but we don't have any in the house. i really can't stand how much waste disposable items produce. that said, i do use disposable napkins, and if i ever had kids, i'd probably use disposable diapers (thank god that'll never happen).

during our christmas visit to my in-laws, my sister-in-law, who put us up for a few nights, used nothing but paper plates and plastic cups. my husband and i cringed everytime, and it took all our strength not to say anything.

[little ms foodie]

I'm totally guilty of using paper plates for BBQ, casual outdoor group events and even parties where I just serve finger food. I also use paper napkins for this type of stuff.

Ugh!! It's just a clean up saver in my book, people throw their own stuff away.

I've used plastic cups for the same type of events too. oh my, I must be a horrible, horrible person!!!

[*Deborah*]

Paper plates: only for outdoor events, basically. Although I recently served a wedding cake on some (nice ones!) because they went with the theme, and we were in a rented chalet with no foreknowledge of what we might find, dishes-wise, and no budget for real stuff. As it happened, we had enough proper cutlery for all, and even enough plates, but I used the paper ones because they set off the cake better than the Denby.

Paper napkins: only for parties, I get cute ones that go with my red dining room. I wouldn't dream of using paper with dinner except if I were eating some kind of really greasy finger food, probably takeout.

[NulloModo]

Paper plates are great for prep-work, unless the item is really wet, then I use glass to avoid having leakage that I will later have to wipe off of the countertop.

For eating - if I am eating solo, which is usually the case, paper is the way to go for anything that isn't too wet. Sandwhiches, dryish casseroles, slices of meat and cheese, whatever, it just saves cleanup. Although I do admit I use three or four stuck together at a time since otherwise they would be way too flimsy. For dinners with multiple people glass is the way to go, unless it is a huge crowd and something informal like burgers and wings, then back to paper.

As for plastic cutlery, I love it, well, the heavyweight stuff anyway. How else would I eat the lunches I pack for work? I certainly don't trust myself to remember to bring back real metal forks and spoons. Plus, when I forget to do the dishes after a while and suddenly have no utensil to eat with, I can just grab some plastic stuff out of the box.

[snowangel]

I am reminded, after posting about Heidi on the Cooking with Disabilities Q & A, and rereading the Cooding with Disabilities ECI class, that for many, getting a paper plate and plastic cutlery to the trash is a major accomplishment. For many, washing dishes or getting them to the dishwasher is a daunting task. They do have a place.

[Bernaise]

This past December I attended someone's Christmas party and they offered me a 1994 Eileen Hardy's shiraz in a styrofoam cup - which was BEYOND offensive.

Renting plates, glasses and flatware is so cheap now I can't imagine why you wouldn't. No washing-they deliver they pick up.

I think back to my friends and family in Italy and France who never produced so much as a paper napkin. If you care about the food as much as I believe everyone here does then how can we not give it it's full respect. Eating encompasses so much in addition to the food. The comapny, the clink of cutlery on plates, the ruby glow of red wine in a goblet or the amber bubbly beauty of a tall cool beer. The contrast of my greens against the light purple murano glass bistro plates.

Having said this, I will eat takeaway food out of the container-but only in the summer. You know, I'm inspired my new year's resolution will be to eat where I am and avoid takeaway.

Down with disposable!!

[Behemoth]

I just can't stand producing that much landfill. I am an adult of sound body (if not mind). I suck it up and wash the dishes.

[MarketStEl]

For my Christmas eve gathering, when I serve everything buffet-style to a bunch of people all night and don't have room to store all the used plates in the kitchen, I use plastic plates (they're stronger than paper but no doubt less environmentally friendly) and heavy-duty plastic utensils. Unused plates end up being filled with "food to travel" for visitors.

Laziness also prevails when it comes to napkins, unless I'm having a sit-down dinner with a handful of guests.

Hadn't thought of using paper plates for prep work, and don't think I will, either. I do need to get a set of small glass bowls and larger ones to boot.

[Pam R]

I'm all for paper. We even used disposables in our restaurant - for dietary reasons (kosher food - not supervised, so customers could have a smoked meat sandwich with a cup of coffee and milk all because we used disposable stuff).

dixie came out with this amazing stoneware line - it's actually made with some crushed stone in it - so it's very strong and can handle hot soup without melting! There is also great plastic cutlery (utensils outside of Canada) - it's coated in some sort of metal finish. Almost every one of our customers thought it was real until they picked it up and found out how light it was.

[jgarner53]

I don't love the stuff and avoid it whenever possible. But when I want to give some leftover bit of dessert to my neighbor, I'll give him a paper plate so he doesn't have to return anything to me.

And if we're having a party where I don't have enough table service for everyone, I will use paper plates and almost always have paper cocktail napkins. But I do prefer using real stuff when I can. We do have service for 12, so I can have a reasonable sized dinner party without going for the plastic/paper.

I will admit to bringing a plastic spoon with me to work if need one, but I usually wash and re-use it (so why not bring a real one? knowing me, THEN I'd throw it out).

For prep I use small plastic bowls I picked up at IKEA (in the kids section!) for a song. Easy, convenient, and they go in the dishwasher!

[FistFullaRoux]

I'm not sure if I hate plastic cutlery or paper plates more.

I also have a hard time purchasing a product that is expressly made to toss.

←

So you don't use garbage bags or toilet tissue?

Actually, I don't have a real problem with paper disposables. If anything I have a bigger problem with garbage bags. The plastic does not degrade well, and nearly every bit of garbage we produce is encased in plastic now. If disposable diapers were so much of a problem, we should have one hell of a time with garbage bags, yet you never hear about it.

Not that I have a better option, mind you. But the idea of paying good money for something that can only be thrown away bothers me somehow. At least you get some use out of the paper disposables, and you can find other uses for them (like fireplace starters as mentioned earlier).

[lovebenton0]

I am reminded, after posting about Heidi on the Cooking with Disabilities Q & A, and rereading the Cooding with Disabilities ECI class, that for many, getting a paper plate and plastic cutlery to the trash is a major accomplishment.  For many, washing dishes or getting them to the dishwasher is a daunting task.  They do have a place.

←

There are days when just getting dinner done is at my limit and I'm grateful if we have paper plates around to serve the meal. I don't usually use them, but they do have a place in my life on bad days. And if I'm serving something non-sloppy que-ish to a houseful of DH's buddies, watching football or races and drinking beer you can bet they can be happy with getting the meal on a paper plate! I won't buy the cheapest ones, to me they're a waste and just as expensive if you have to triple load 'em to make up for how flimsy they are. OK, it may not be logical, but I never use the paper/plastic bowls, I like my own. If I need extra support to carry a bowl (I can use only one hand to carry, the other is on my cane to steady me) I have some great soup mugs that work for me too, even on bad days. Hey, you'd be amazed at what you can get away with serving in a soup mug!

Family gatherings with 12 to 14 ppl (our usual number) and lots of time in the kitchen for me may see a good Chinet plate appear for starters or dessert. Very occasionally for the real meal as after all that love and effort into the food I want it to present well also. I know my family will leap in to help with the clean-up but then why should a couple of them have to wash, dry and replace most of my stoneware instead of relaxing? I don't have enough Corelle to go around for that large of a group, and breakage can become an issue also. Believe me, one dropped plate on my concrete-based tile floor (which I have done too many times myself on bad days not able to grip ) is fatal to dishware that's not Corelle -- and the mess is awful. Never considered renting plates and glassware for that small of a group, though they can be overwhelming for me, I just wouldn't bother to do it.

But I really don't like paper napkins! I've used cloth for so many years and I'm going to be doing the damn laundry anyway! They're not sitting around the kitchen dirty as the dishes might be if I'm unable to do them right away. And the plastic cutlery, even the heavy stuff, is way down on my list for items I like to use. It may cut down on the clean-up but it is harder to use, I'd just as soon use my own heavy cutlery. I even have a picnic basket loaded with old cutlery, and some old melamine plates/bowls when needed for sloshier stuff as a matter of fact, for campouts, etc. But I sure don't balk at using the paper plates for just about anything when the closest water may be a half-mile or more away!

While I'm prepping I use those plastic veg bags from the grocery to contain garbage most of the time and have used paper plates for that as well if they're easier for me to get to at the moment. Occasionally paper plates for the prepped food but not that often. Mise en place usually just goes in little glass bowls, or the Corelle, larger metal mixing bowls, or a few plastic "serving bowls" that ended up here after some gathering (often despite the amount), non-breakable is essential if I'm dizzy or especially low on balance or otherwise really unreliable that day on the breakage scale.

But I just don't get the idea of buying those plastic "semi-disposable" plates and bowls and then washing them as they suggest you can do! If I'm not using real stuff for a reason I'd just as soon be done with it, and those things just never seem right (read: clean) to me.