Black Chrome Plating Heat Tolerance: Good, But Check Limits

Summary for black chrome plating Discussion

black chrome plating on copper trivets is discussed as a possible durable black finish for a gas cooktop. Peter Greaves says the existing enamel wears poorly and wants a hard-wearing coating that matches a black glass surface without changing color from burner heat. The reply notes a distinction between ordinary pot-rest trivets and cast-iron grates exposed to constant flames. For typical pot-rest trivets, the answerer is confident black chrome would hold up fine. For grates, the answerer is more cautious but still thinks they would probably be okay, while estimating an upper temperature limit somewhere between 800°F and 1000°F. The advice is tentative because the exact part being plated matters, but the overall view is that black chrome should tolerate normal cooktop use reasonably well.

Q. I have some items in my kitchen that would great with a black chrome finish but I have no idea how this would react under heat. The items in question are copper trivets on my gas cooktop. They presently have an enamel coating but this does not wear well.
I would like to see them recoated with a hard wearing finish that looks good (and is black)
The surface of the cooktop is black glass so the black chrome would look great with this.. I’m just worried that the heat from the burners would cause a change in colour

Peter Greaves
Hobbyist – Newcastle, NSW, Australia
October 23, 2010

A. Hi Peter,

I’m not 100% sure what you mean by copper trivets. If you mean the typical ‘pot rest trivets’, I’m confident that black chrome would hold up fine. If you are speaking of the cast iron grates that pots sit on while cooking, exposed to constant flames, I think they would be okay but I’m less sure. Somewhere between 800 °F and 1000 &degr;F would probably be an upper temperature limit.
Luck & Regards,

Ted Mooney, finishing.com
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha

finishing.com – Pine Beach, New Jersey



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