Ever heard the term trivet stand before? You would most likely have heard about it in relation to something going on in the kitchen. Do you know what a trivet is and what it’s most commonly used for? If you’re currently shaking your head and frowning, don’t worry, you aren’t alone!
Fortunately, we’re going to dedicate this whole article to not only discovering what trivets are, but what you can do with them! Keep reading to find out more.
What are Trivet Stands?
Oddly enough, you may already own a couple of trivets or trivet stands(if you prefer the technical term) and not realize it! That’s because you might know it by another name. For most of us, a trivet is quite simply a pot stand or even a pot rack.
More specifically, trivets are the iron pot stands that are included in your Instant Pots. What’s the purpose of a trivet stand? As with any other potholder, a trivet is a stand used to cook food within another pot.
More specifically, the trivets in instant pots are used inside the actual Instant Pot. When used inside the Instant Pot, food can be placed onto the stand.
This then allows the food to receive the heat necessary to cook it without getting burnt. This also enables food to be cooked quicker than in an ordinary cooking pot.
What Is a Trivet Used For?
While there are several ways in which you can use your trivet, its intended purpose is to prevent excessive heating or burning while still cooking individual food items. Let’s look at a few ways people are using their trivets.
- Trivet As a Baking Stand
As we’ve already mentioned, a trivet stand’s primary function is to work as a baking stand in an Instant Pot. For the most part, this is excellent for baking. This is how it works:
- Fill the Instant Pot with water
- Place the trivet right in the center of the pot
- Then place the bowl containing cake batter on the trivet and seal the lid
- The ingredients will cook, without burning at the bottom and you will be left with the browning at the bottom of your baked goods
- Trivet Helps in Boiling Eggs
Another nifty use for a trivet stand is that it can also be used to boil eggs inside your Instant Pot. Since Instant Pots reach hotter temperatures much quicker than regular pots, they will just burn the eggs. To counter this, place the eggs on the trivet stand inside the Instant Pot.
This will then enable the eggs to boil inside the water without burning. There’s also enough space on the trivet stand for the eggs to move around without breaking.
This ensures that the eggs are boiled uniformly. Depending on the size of the Instant Pot and trivet stand you have, you may easily be able to cook up to 14 eggs at the same time.
- Trivet Helps to Steam Vegetables
Since vegetables come from plants, they are mostly soft and sensitive to heat and high temperatures
This is the primary reason that you can’t cook vegetables on the base of the very hot Instant Pot. Doing this will leave you with wilted, mushy vegetables which will taste bland and possibly be inedible.
For deliciously tasting vegetables, opt for steaming them on the trivet stand. Placing them along your stand will make them a little crispy but still soft enough to enjoy. They will also not have a burnt smell or taste.
More Interesting Uses for Trivets
If you don’t own an Instant Pot, you might own a trivet stand for a different reason. Let’s look at a few other handy reasons to have more than just one trivet floating around your kitchen.
- Protect countertops: In some kitchens, trivets are used to protect tables and countertops from getting burnt when a hot plate is placed on the surface.
- Place on dinner tables: In a more traditional sense, trivets are small three-legged stands that stand on the dinner table with hot pots on. The trivet protects the table and surrounding dishware from the bottom and sides of the hot pot.
- Use under baking sheets: Moreover, trivet stands can also be used when you’re baking. Instead of placing a hot cookie sheet on your table, simply place it on the center of a trivet stand. This will also enable the sheet to cool down from the bottom because of the added airflow. (A great substitute for a cooling rack if you don’t have one)
- Utensil holder: Some people opt to use their trivet stands as utensil holders. This makes them great for use when you’re cooking outside next to the grill.
Benefits of Using a Trivet in Your Instant Pot
There are also several benefits to cooking with a trivet in your Instant Pot. A few of the more significant ones are listed below:
- Preserve nutrients: Steaming your vegetables on a trivet inside your Instant Pot is excellent for retaining vitamin C and other key nutrients. When vegetables are simply boiled, they leach nutrients into the water or cooking liquid. For this reason, steaming is always better!
- Retain flavor: Did you know, you can also put meat on the trivet inside your Instant Pot? This is quite effective if you’re just going to steam the meat or if you’re going to discard the cooking liquid afterward.
- Prevents burning: As we’ve already mentioned, the trivet stand is excellent for ensuring that foods don’t get burned or undercooked when placed directly on the bottom of the pot.
Using a Trivet for Pot-in-Pot Method
The pot-in-pot method or PIP as it’s called is an Instant Pot cooking method that allows you to cook both main and side dishes in the same pot at the same time.
Furthermore, it’s an excellent way to avoid the Instant Pot’s burn alarm from sounding when you’re using thicker liquid. Here’s how to do it.
- Place 1 cup of water in the inner pot and add the trivet
- Put food inside an oven-safe container
- Place the food container on the trivet, ensuring that the lid is closed
- Turn the Venting Knob from Venting Position to Sealing Position
- Press the “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” button, then set the pressure-cooking time
- Once the pressure-cooking cycle is done, simply release the pressure by turning the Venting Knob from the Sealing Position to Venting Position.
- Open the lid and carefully remove the lid
Trivet Stand Substitutes
If you find your trivet handy enough to want another one, the good news is you can use a bakeware sling or any steamer basket that fits into the Instant Pot for the same purpose. Not all trivets are made from metal but as long they fit, the silicone options are great trivet stand-ins.
Conclusion
There you have it! Now you will certainly know what a trivet stand is. Furthermore, you know what its intended purpose is as well as a few more tips that will make it quite useful around the kitchen. Happy cooking with your trivet!