Darned clever this. Chaps, when you've (rarely) ventured into the kitchen (where she rules) to chivvy along that evening meal, you might have been asked to get a trivet out for a hot caserole or pie dish. So eventually you've learned what the trivet is for = to stop the pan burning the kitchen surface.

We can welcome the humble trivet to the 21st century!

You just throw these "tetras" onto the surface and they always offer a point to rest that pot on. A little bit of rearrangement and these will support some serious family roast pans. Clever. $26.00 from designboom.