I have been taking pans out of the oven and setting them on a
stainless steel table just within a 90-degree turn away. Usually they
sit there while cooling. Today I had a different circumstance.

Making the NY bread - one takes out a 500-degree pot which has been
heating for 30-40 minutes, then flips some bread from one hand to
another, then sort of throws it into the hot pan (I think the throwing
is to keep one's hands away from the hot pot).

The towel & bread are full of bran and/or cornmeal and it is not
practical (for me) to bring the towel and bread TO the oven, plus one
can get burnt by the racks, oven, etc.

I have a large hard wood cutting board that I could set the pot onto,
but DH thinks that 500 degrees for perhaps at most 5 minutes, might
not be good for the board.

The ss table fared just fine, but without thinking I brushed the bran
off the table; loh & behold, the ss was hot enough to really burn the
bottom of my hand.

Counter-tops are currently formica (luckily I haven't got new counter
tops yet -- the house must've settled a couple of weeks ago because
there now is a gap between the formica and the wall tile.

I can't think of anything better at the moment than ss, but am
wondering about the hardwood board.
Thanks.
Dee