Heat-resistant trivets

My induction cooktop insists that I remove pans after cooking. I have some disks for using non-induction cookware, and they get so hot, I've scorched a silicone mat. Any suggestions for a stove-side trivet that is extremely heat resistant and looks good too?

A riff on that question--I have a new redwood table, which is a pretty soft wood. I worry I could scorch it it during table-top cooking. Any advice for effective and attractive table-top protection.?

Greenstuff
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5 Comments

foofaraw January 17, 2017
If you are worried about scorching the table during tabletop cooking, I'd add a pretty wooden board in between table and cooktop. Make it neatly cut, have nice form (square/circle/freeform that echoes the table if the table is liveedge) and poly-ed, so the board looks intentional.
 
Amanda S. January 16, 2017
Hi Chris! I recommend a trivet made of metal if you're going to keep it right beside a hot stove and use it for super-hot cookware. This brass lift trivet is one of our favorites (and would also look right at home protecting your wood table): https://food52.com/shop/products/2234-brass-lift-trivet
 
Greenstuff January 16, 2017
Thanks both of you, I didn't anticipate this would be such a tough one to answer. What I've done next to the stove is to put a metal cooling rack over the large silicone trivet. It works but isn't a look I'd want there all the time.
 
Shuna L. January 15, 2017
A knitted trivet, or a thick felt would do the trick. My favorite "trivet" is the egg carton for a flat of eggs - you can ask any of your local bakeries to give you one. While it's not super gorgeous, its inventive, and super light. Make sure your trivet is bigger than the bottom of the pot - that way it will disperse the heat faster. Another idea: put a metal cooling rack inside a sheetpan. put the sheetpan on a folded tea towel. Call it a sculpture!
 
Nancy January 14, 2017
I have a bunch of trivets and I notice that one made of bamboo (with lots of cut-outs, so lots of air circulation) both protects the surface under it and dissipates the heat more quickly than some of the others. Lots of designs out there. Also a strong and renewable wood.
Sorry, no experience or ideas for protecting the new redwood table from table-top cooking.
 
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