[laverdur]

We always use place mats but a plate that is not too hot t handle with bare hands should not cause that. You said it melted the table. Is the table plastic or wood? If it is wood it could be that the heat from the plates caused moisture to be drawn into the varnish. If that is the case, you might try placing an iron on medium medium heat on a couple layers of towel and ironing to dry the moisture. Another approach would be to use several applications of Old English to try to get oil back into the wood. Best of luck.