A dish plate heat exchanger comprising: a mounting plate; a plurality of nested dish plates mounted on the mounting plate, the dish plates each having a generally planar bottom wall surrounded by an inclined, peripheral wall, the dish plates being stacked in nested relationship such that the inclined peripheral wall of one dish plate overlaps the inclined peripheral wall of an adjacent dish plate by a minimum of half way up the peripheral wall of the adjacent dish plate, wherein the mounting plate is positioned underneath the lowermost dish plate of the plurality of nested dish plates, the mounting plate extending beyond the outer periphery of the walls of the nested dish plates, the lowermost dish plate being attached to the mounting plate; a reinforcing element having: a base flange disposed on and attached to a portion of the mounting plate that extends beyond the outer periphery of the walls of the nested dish plates, the base flange being positioned on the mounting plate proximal to and generally surrounding the plurality of nested dish plates; and a peripheral flange extending generally upwardly from the base flange, the peripheral flange being attached in parallel, overlapping engagement with the inclined peripheral wall of the lowermost dish plate attached to the mounting plate such that the peripheral flange extends at least halfway up the peripheral wall of the lowermost dish plate such that the lowermost dish plate has a double-wall thickness, the dish plate heat exchanger therefore having a double wall thickness along the entire height of the heat exchanger; wherein the reinforcing element completely surrounds the nested dish plates. a mounting plate; a plurality of nested dish plates mounted on the mounting plate, the dish plates each having a generally planar bottom wall surrounded by an inclined, peripheral wall, the dish plates being stacked in nested relationship such that the inclined peripheral wall of one dish plate overlaps the inclined peripheral wall of an adjacent dish plate by a minimum of half way up the peripheral wall of the adjacent dish plate, wherein the mounting plate is positioned underneath the lowermost dish plate of the plurality of nested dish plates, the mounting plate extending beyond the outer periphery of the walls of the nested dish plates, the lowermost dish plate being attached to the mounting plate; a reinforcing element having: a base flange disposed on and attached to a portion of the mounting plate that extends beyond the outer periphery of the walls of the nested dish plates, the base flange being positioned on the mounting plate proximal to and generally surrounding the plurality of nested dish plates; and a peripheral flange extending generally upwardly from the base flange, the peripheral flange being attached in parallel, overlapping engagement with the inclined peripheral wall of the lowermost dish plate attached to the mounting plate such that the peripheral flange extends at least halfway up the peripheral wall of the lowermost dish plate such that the lowermost dish plate has a double-wall thickness, the dish plate heat exchanger therefore having a double wall thickness along the entire height of the heat exchanger; wherein the reinforcing element completely surrounds the nested dish plates. a base flange disposed on and attached to a portion of the mounting plate that extends beyond the outer periphery of the walls of the nested dish plates, the base flange being positioned on the mounting plate proximal to and generally surrounding the plurality of nested dish plates; and a peripheral flange extending generally upwardly from the base flange, the peripheral flange being attached in parallel, overlapping engagement with the inclined peripheral wall of the lowermost dish plate attached to the mounting plate such that the peripheral flange extends at least halfway up the peripheral wall of the lowermost dish plate such that the lowermost dish plate has a double-wall thickness, the dish plate heat exchanger therefore having a double wall thickness along the entire height of the heat exchanger; wherein the reinforcing element completely surrounds the nested dish plates.