Best Trivets: 7 Picks Compared by Material and Heat Limit

Written by Sara Ibrahim. Sara researches home and kitchen products for Cupindy. Last reviewed: October 26, 2026.

A trivet is a heat-resistant stand that sits between a hot pot and your table or counter. For most kitchens, a set of silicone mats is the practical pick. For a pan straight out of a hot oven, read the heat limit on the listing first.

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What is a trivet, and what is it for?

A trivet is a small stand or mat, made of a heat-resistant material, that you put under a hot pot, pan, kettle or baking dish. It keeps the heat of the pot off the table or counter and gives a heavy pot a steady place to sit.

The word covers a lot of shapes: a flat silicone mat, a cast iron grid on little feet, a cork disc, a folding wooden tree. They all do the same job. Where they differ is how much heat they say they can take, how they clean, and what they do to the surface under them.

Seven trivets compared by material

We read each listing and copied the heat limit exactly as the seller states it. Where a listing gives no number, the table says so, and we don't guess one.

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How much heat can a trivet take?

Most trivets are sold as "heat resistant," which doesn't say where the line is. Three of the seven listings give a number: both silicone sets and the bamboo set.

Both silicone sets say -104°F to 446°F. That sits just under a 450°F oven setting, so a pan pulled straight out at that temperature is hotter than the mats claim to handle. The listings don't say which pans that covers, and a pan that has been on high heat on the stove can run hotter too. The cast iron listing gives no number either, so check what its rubber feet are rated for before setting a 450°F pan on it.

The Garkup bamboo set says 275°F, which is the lowest stated limit on this page. It's a serving-dish trivet, not one for a roasting pan.

For the pans themselves, see our oven-safe cookware guide.

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Do you need a trivet on quartz or granite?

Yes, and the countertop makers say so themselves.

Caesarstone says its surface "does need protection from very high temperatures (above 150°C or 300°F) or sudden extreme temperature changes," and adds: "we suggest that hot pots and pans never be directly placed on the surface."

Cambria writes that its quartz "may not withstand the direct transfer of heat from pots and pans and other cooking units," and recommends "a closed-weave hot pad or solid trivet such as a breadboard." Cambria's list of cooking units includes electric frying pans, griddles, air fryers and slow cookers.

Granite gets similar advice. Granite Gold, a company that sells stone-care products, writes that granite won't melt under a hot pan, but that heat can discolor or crack it and weaken its sealer, and it tells owners to use trivets and hot pads. Cambria's own care page adds that "natural stone surfaces can be damaged by sudden and/or rapid changes of temperature." If you are still choosing between the two, see our granite vs quartz countertops comparison.

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Trivet materials: what each one is good and bad at

Ceramic, marble and brass trivets are easy to find too. We kept the picks to the six materials below.

Silicone

Both silicone picks state a clear heat range, and both are listed as non-slip. The Walfos listing also sells them as pot holders. More on the material in our silicone safety guide.

Cast iron

Cast iron is the heavy option. The Sumnacon cast iron trivets say they are "heat resistant and do not melt or lose color," without giving a number, and come with rubber feet covers that the listing says stop them "sliding around and scratching your countertop." They are hand wash only. See our cast iron guide.

Wood (walnut)

Folding tree sets stand up on the counter when not in use. The OFCTE walnut tree trivets come with a warning on the listing itself: they "may form different black marks" when used with high-temperature appliances. Hand wash only.

Bamboo

Of the two bamboo listings we read, only Garkup gives a limit, and it is the lowest on this page.

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Cork

Cork is the lightest option here. The KITLAB cork trivets are sold as heat resistant with no number, and the listing says "no dishwasher, no microwave." Wipe them with a cloth.

Stainless steel

The LEGLO stainless trivets are listed as dishwasher safe and give no heat number. The listing calls the feet rubber in one place and plastic in another, and lists plastic among its materials.

Trivet, hot pad or Instant Pot rack?

Three things get called a trivet, and only two of them go on your table.

The rack that comes with a pressure cooker is a steam rack, not a table trivet, and it won't protect a counter. If you are shopping for the cooker itself, see our multi-cooker guide.

How to choose a trivet

• Size: pick one wider than the base of your biggest pot, or buy a set and use two.
• Heat: compare the listing's stated limit with how hot your pans get.
• Grip: non-slip silicone or rubber feet stop a heavy pot from skating.
• Care: on the listings above, silicone and steel can go in the dishwasher; wood, bamboo, cork and cast iron are hand wash.
• Surface: on quartz, follow your countertop maker's care page, not the trivet seller.

Our verdict

For most kitchens, the Walfos silicone mats are rated to 446°F on the listing, go in the dishwasher, and are the kind of hot pad the quartz makers above ask for under hot pans. Keep wood, bamboo and cork for serving dishes at the table.

Frequently asked questions

Can you put a trivet on the stove?

None of the listings we read say their trivet can sit on a burner or over a flame. A table trivet is made to go under a pot after it comes off the heat. Check the maker's instructions before putting one anywhere near a burner.

What can I use if I don't have a trivet?

Cambria suggests "a closed-weave hot pad or solid trivet such as a breadboard." A thick wooden cutting board does the same job in a pinch.

Is a pot holder the same as a trivet?

A trivet goes under the pot; a pot holder goes in your hand. Silicone mats like the Walfos set are sold as both.

What is another word for a trivet?

Pot stand or hot plate mat. People also say hot pad, though a hot pad is usually softer. In cooking, "trivet" also means the rack inside a pressure cooker.

Can trivets go in the dishwasher?

Silicone and stainless steel usually can, per the listings above. Wood, bamboo, cork and cast iron should be washed by hand and dried right away.

How big should a trivet be?

Wider than the base of the pot or dish you put on it. If the pot hangs over the edge, the heat reaches the counter around it.

Are old cast iron trivets worth anything?

Vintage cast iron trivets are collected. We don't value antiques, so check with a dealer or recent sold listings.

Related guides

• Oven-safe cookware: what can go in the oven
• Is silicone safe for cooking?
• Granite vs quartz countertops
• Best cast iron griddle
• Best ramekins
• Best food warming mat

Sources

• Cambria, Product Care FAQs, read October 26, 2026.
• Caesarstone, Care & Maintenance, read October 26, 2026.
• Granite Gold (The Lennys), Is It Safe to Place Hot Pans on Granite Counters?, December 19, 2018.
• Amazon product listings for each trivet named above (heat limits, care and materials as stated by the seller), read October 26, 2026.