Silicone, Cork or Stone? Choosing the Best Trivet for Quartz

Quartz countertops are tough, but they are not heatproof. Engineered quartz is crushed stone bound with resin, and every major quartz maker says the same thing in its care guide: do not put a hot pan straight on the surface. A Dutch oven of pozole lifted off the burner, a pan of enchiladas from the oven or a slow cooker running all afternoon can all leave a mark that cleaning will not remove.

This guide starts with what Caesarstone, Cambria and Cosentino (the maker of Silestone) actually say about heat, then names eight trivets that fit that advice: solid or closed surfaces, soft bases that will not scratch stone, and sizes from a pot-holder pad to a mat for a countertop appliance. Most are different from the picks on our main trivets guide.

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Quick verdict: which trivet to buy for quartz

Five trivets for quartz compared

Our five standout trivets for quartz, one for each kind of job. All eight are reviewed in full below.

Product images from Amazon. Sizes are as each maker or listing states them.

What quartz makers say about heat

Caesarstone puts it in one line in its care and maintenance guidance: “Always place hot cookware on trivet and hot pads.” The same page says to always use a cutting board and clear away sharp objects. (Caesarstone care and maintenance)

Cambria says its quartz “may not withstand the direct transfer of heat from pots and pans” and from cooking units “such as electric frying pans and griddles, air fryers, slow cookers, roaster ovens, and heat lamps.” It recommends “a closed-weave hot pad or solid trivet such as a breadboard,” and warns that stone can be damaged by sudden or rapid changes of temperature, especially near the edges, and by direct or sustained heating. Cambria also says no stone surface is scratch-proof. (Cambria product care FAQs)

Cosentino, the maker of Silestone, says in its Silestone Use and Care guide that frying pans, pots and other items that give off heat should not be placed directly on the surface; use a tablemat, “a rubber one, if possible,” until they have cooled, because the sharp difference between hot and cold can damage the surface.

Read together, that points to four things in a trivet: a solid or closed surface rather than an open wire grid, a soft base that will not scratch the stone, enough size to cover the bottom of the pan, and a plan for countertop appliances as well as pots. Every pick below meets the first two.

Our picks for the best trivet for quartz

The eight trivets below include silicone pads in three sizes, a metal-and-rubber mat for appliances, a solid acacia trivet, a marble trivet on rubber feet, rectangular cork mats and a pot holder that doubles as a trivet. Heat ratings are given only where the maker states one.

How to choose a trivet for quartz

A solid, closed surface. Cambria recommends a closed-weave hot pad or a solid trivet such as a breadboard. Silicone pads, solid wood, cork and a stone slab all qualify; an open wire rack does not match that description, even if it lifts the pan.

A soft base. Quartz resists scratches but, as Cambria says, is not scratch-proof. Choose silicone, cork, rubber backing or rubber feet, and avoid bare metal or cast iron feet on the stone. If you prefer a cast iron trivet, pick one with rubber feet; our cast iron trivet guide notes which have them.

Size that covers the pan. Cambria warns that edges are where stone is most at risk from sudden temperature change. A trivet should be at least as wide as the bottom of the pan, so nothing hangs over onto the counter. Measure your largest Dutch oven and roasting pan.

A heat rating, when it matters. Silicone makers often state one (Mrs. Anderson’s 500°F, GASARÉ 446°F). For a cast iron skillet straight from a hot burner, choose a trivet with a stated rating at or above the heat you cook at.

Appliances. Cambria names air fryers, slow cookers, electric griddles and roaster ovens. If one of those lives on your counter, give it a permanent mat rather than relying on a trivet you have to remember.

Using a trivet on quartz every day

Keep a trivet where the hot pan lands, beside the stove and next to the oven, not in a drawer across the room. Silestone’s maker says to leave hot items on the mat until they have cooled, so do not slide a pan off the trivet onto the stone a minute later.

Wipe the counter before you put a trivet down; grit trapped under a trivet is what scratches. And remember that the pan is only half the risk: Cambria lists slow cookers and air fryers that warm the same spot for hours. Our guides to the best slow cooker and best air fryer cover those appliances.

Comales, cazuelas and enchilada pans

A Mexican kitchen moves a lot of heat around. A cast iron comal that has been warming tortillas is far hotter than a pot of beans, and it is the kind of pan to put on a thick silicone trivet with a stated heat rating, or to leave on the cold burner. A clay cazuela of mole holds its heat for a long time, so give it a solid trivet and let it sit until it cools.

Enchiladas and chiles rellenos usually come out of the oven in a 9 by 13 baking dish, which is where the large GASARÉ mat and the rectangular cork trivets help. For a pot of pozole or birria carried to the table, a wood or marble trivet does double duty as a serving stand; our Dutch oven guide covers the pot itself.

How we chose these eight trivets for quartz

We started from the care guidance of three quartz makers, Caesarstone, Cambria and Cosentino for Silestone, and looked for trivets that match it: solid or closed surfaces and soft bases. We then checked silicone, cork, wood, stone and metal-and-rubber trivets on Amazon and kept only those showing as in stock when we checked, from makers we could identify. Specifications come from the Amazon listings and the makers’ own descriptions.

We avoided the products on our best trivets and best cast iron trivet guides. The one overlap in maker is KITLAB: we chose its rectangular cork trivets, a different product from the round set on the trivets guide, because the other in-stock cork trivets were from unbranded sellers. We left out open wire and cast iron trivets with metal feet because they do not match the closed or solid surface Cambria describes, and an expanding trivet whose listing gave a heat limit of only 212°F. We searched the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s recall listings for each brand and found no trivet recalls. We have not used these trivets ourselves.

Trivets for quartz, answered

Can you put a hot pan directly on quartz?

Quartz makers say no. Caesarstone says to always use a trivet or hot pad, Cambria says its quartz may not withstand direct heat from pots and pans, and Cosentino says to use a mat until hot items cool.

What are the best trivets for quartz countertops?

Solid or closed trivets with a soft base: silicone pads such as Mrs. Anderson’s or GASARÉ, cork, solid wood or stone on rubber feet. Cambria recommends a closed-weave hot pad or solid trivet, and Cosentino a rubber mat.

Are silicone trivets safe on quartz?

Silicone is soft and solid, which fits Cosentino’s advice to use a rubber mat if possible. Check the maker’s heat rating; Mrs. Anderson’s states 500°F and GASARÉ 446°F.

Do I need a trivet under a slow cooker or air fryer?

Cambria says yes in effect: it lists slow cookers, air fryers, electric griddles and roaster ovens among the cooking units its quartz may not withstand directly. A mat such as the Range Kleen sits under the appliance permanently.

Can a metal trivet scratch quartz?

Bare metal feet can. Cambria says no stone surface is scratch-proof, so choose a trivet with rubber feet or a rubber, silicone or cork base.

The trivet for quartz to start with

Buy the Mrs. Anderson’s silicone trivets for everyday pots and pans, the GASARÉ mat if you roast or bake in big pans, and a Range Kleen mat for an appliance that stays on the counter. Add the Lipper acacia trivet or the Creative Home marble board if you serve at the table.

For more choices, see our best trivets guide, our cast iron trivet guide and our picks for the best oven mitts to carry the pan there. If you would rather leave the cooking to us, see the menu or call to order.