A heat transfer plate is provided for a plate heat exchanger, the plate having a heat transfer area and peripheral openings for the heat transfer media, namely a product to be at least partially evaporated or condensed on the one hand and a heating or cooling medium on the other hand. A first group of the openings is allocated to one medium and to one side of the plate, and a second group of the openings is allocated to the other medium and the other side of the plate by appropriately placed seals. The group of openings allocated to the product to be evaporated comprises a plurality of adjacent inlet openings on the inlet side of the plate, the inlet openings ending directly in the heat transfer area of the plate at approximately a right angle to the adjacent plate edge.