November 8, 2016
Horseshoe trivets sure look like a form of art to me!
I am heavily involved in Dutch Oven cooking, experimental Recipe creation, and Dutch Oven Competition Cooking. Over the years also doing cast iron cooking demonstrations and educational classes.
The need to raise legless cast iron pots and skillets require a trivet of sorts. These trivets also have multiple uses such as a lid stand, insulating stand for a hot pot when serving, raising pie tins/plates inside a Dutch Oven, or to raise a pot or skillet over a hot bed of coals. Heck just keep your camp coffee percolator hot over a few glowing coals.
Using 3 horseshoes, some common hardware items, and a welder, these trivets can be fabricated for about $12. If you are a good scrounger, even less.
My trivets have some definite design parameters to make these multi-purpose.
* I tried to use the most inexpensive horseshoe available if you have to buy new.
* The 3 shoes, and the configuration they are welded in, allow a lid to be inverted. The lid handle can be dropped through the trivet, and then use the lid as a skillet over hot coals. Other shoe configurations might look more pleasing but may not be multi-functional.
* The legs are threaded bolts that can be removed and replaced with endless lengths depending on how close you want to be to the heat.
* A “Tag Nut” is welded on the underside of the trivet. This gives you an out of the way location to attach brass ID tags via a split ring. A must if competition cooking or cooking and serving in groups with other cast iron.
Follow the link over to Photos and Fabricating info.
DIY Trivets from The Dutch Oven Cook
