When invited to parties or big events, you might have seen dramatic setups, gigantic decors, and creative table decorations. All this drama is sure to catch the eyes of the guests. The decorative charger plate is one such decor piece on the dining table that you can observe, especially in formal events or catered events.
Although this looks similar to a dining plate, it serves a different purpose.
What is Charger Plate?
Charger plates are large plates as decorative bases for other dining ware like entrée plates in formal table settings. Decorative charger plates are not meant to come in direct contact with food. They can be place underneath the other food-bearing dishes to serve multiple courses of a meal elegantly.
They are also commonly known as “chop plate,” “service plate,” or “under plate”. The prime idea to use this dinnerware piece is to aesthetically enhance the dining table set. It will add some visually pleasing touch to the tabletop design. Also, these plates help translate the mood of the overall room’s decor to the dining setup.
Why Should You Use Charger Plates?
There are several reasons you should consider investing in some decorative charger plates.
Enhance Table Setting
Since these charger plates are available in many colors, styles, and sizes, you can choose from a wide variety as per your need and setting.
Use them to instantly and immensely elevate your table setup. With Charger Plates alone in proper placement, your table can promote elegance, especially for formal events that have to be gracefully style to impress one and all invited.
Make Food More Appetizing
If you place the food on a white plate, then it can look very plain and uninteresting for a themed event. Charger plate does its job by adding some pop of color and interesting designs to your food presentation.
Used as Placemats
Besides being an important element serving a decorating purpose in the dining set. The charger plate also makes a great replacement for traditional placemats. In order words, they effectively help prevent your food spills or any pieces of food from messing up your table and prevent stains.
Hold Food Temperature
Charger plates also effectively retain the heat of the food you are to serve at your parties. Whatever you serve on these charger plates will remain hot for a longer duration. Just place them underneath your dinnerware and let them do their magic secretly.
Used for Decorative Purposes
Another significant way to help maximize the use of your charger plate is to use them as a colorful base for your table centerpieces. There are numerous ways you can use charger plates for decorative purposes.
Other Uses
In addition, Charger Plates serve as one of the most useful and versatile kitchen accessories. They make one of the best collections that you could have at home. Besides the above mentioned common uses, you can even use charger plates in many other unique and attractive ways like:
- Cake platters to serve cakes and pastries
- Serving trays
- Your treat tray
- Transform them as a picture frame or use them as a wall hanging to decorate an empty wall at home or office
Etiquette to Use Charger Plates in Tabletop Setup
As per the tabletop etiquettes, charger plates are placed on the tabletop before the arrival of guests. Once the food-bearing dishes are served, you can remove them. More commonly, you can place the charger plates on the table while you serve the soups and first courses. During this time, charger plates act as a base on which we place food-bearing bowls and dishes.
In other instances, if the design of your charger plates complements the design of dining plates, then you must leave the charger plates on the table throughout the course of the meal. No matter what, always remember to remove the charger plates before serving desserts.
Choosing Right Charger Plates
Also, suppose you wish to add some seasonal change to your table setting and further communicate seasonal menu novelties. In that case, you can choose the charger plate accordingly after the right selection of the color, texture, and pattern design.
While pastel colors and deep natural hues work amazingly throughout the year, you can do a little experimenting ad brighten up the spirits of the seasonal menu by getting edgy charger plate design in bright colors or with elaborate designs.
Though simple white porcelain dinnerware is always a classic choice and considered to go well with almost any style of tabletop design, charger plates should live up to their decorative purpose. Also, they should stand out from the rest of the dining dishes. You can opt for glass charger plates that serve the role really well, as their frosty smooth surface adds light to every dining setup in all designs and colors.
Get creative and let your charger plates along with your dinner plates for sale; tell the story to your guests of the culinary journey ahead of them!
