SHIPPING
Standard shipping charge is 9% of your order total. Minimum shipping is $9 per order. Additional freight charges are added to heavy, oversized or fragile items; if freight charge is applicable then it will be noted on the item when you place your order. You may pick up any item from our store in Richmond, VA to save shipping & freight charges. We ship to the continental US. Sales tax applies only to orders shipped within Virginia.

Trivets date back to the colonial era when cooking was commonly done in the large fireplace that served as the main family living quarters. Trivets originally had 3 tall legs, and served as support for cooking pots. Varying leg heights provided a means of controlling heat; trivets with short legs brought the cookpot lower to the fire for higher cooking temperatures.

"Trivet" comes from the latin word tripes (tripod) which refers to a 3-footed device. 3 legs provide an exceptionally sturdy base which meant food was less likely to be turned over and spilt into the fire.

Trivets were made by blacksmiths until the mid-1800's when foundries provided the ability to pour iron or brass into molds and therefore manufacture trivets commercially and in mass quantities. Coincidentally stove foundries also came into being at this time, so cooking chores were moved to the top of the wood or coal stove where there was less chance of spilling ashes and wood chips into the food. Trivets were still a valuable aid to the cook, helping to keep pots from boiling over and for other cooking tasks.

As the Industrial Revolution evolved, even middle class families began accumulating furnishings such as fine dining tables and buffets, and trivets by this time often had added foot protectors to prevent scratches on the furniture when food was brought to the dining room to be served. Since by this era they were really just used on flat surfaces, trivets often attained more decorative features such as multiple feet. The 1950's brought a revival in colonial decor and many American foundries answered the call for period reproductions, and trivets once again regained popularity.