Dining tables are sometimes made with an iron, aluminum or stainless steel table tops. These metals are not harmed by heat, although placing pots and pans directly on them may cause scratches. Scratches can sometimes be polished out, but your best bet is often to leave them and allow them to accumulate over time, which gives your table desirable patina.

Glass table tops can be tricky. Tempered glass can withstand heat, but has been known to shatter if exposed to sudden or extreme temperature changes. Glass is also prone to become scratched and chipped. Glass topped tables are beautiful but can be inconvenient and unsafe if the tops are not properly secured. If you do choose a glass table top, treat it carefully. You may want to play it safe and use a trivet or hot pad under very hot items placed on your table. Also, make sure your table top is tempered glass.

Resin usually refers to a pourable epoxy polymer product that is applied to the tops of tables, tea trays, resin bar tops and other surface. Often the resin is used to showcase interesting objects caught in the resin. The epoxy is usually a two-part chemical system that you mix together mechanically and then pour into the top of a table or tray. The thickness of the epoxy can be more than an inch after several pours and the thickness of the resin will assist the epoxy in self leveling.

Granite is natural stone and makes an excellent surface for a table top, as it can handle high heat without any danger of becoming burned or marked. Because it is also an extremely hard material, you can even chop foods directly on it without leaving any cuts or scratches. Make sure the table you purchase has a genuine granite top, as manufacturers sometimes replicate granite with plastic or resin. Additionally, consumers sometimes confuse marble and granite. Marble is softer than granite and may become scratched.

No matter what material your table top is made of, but especially if it is made of wood or some other surface that is easily damaged by heat, consider purchasing a heat-resistant table pad. These pads are custom-made to fit your table's size and shape. Not only do table pads prevent heat damage, but they protect your table against scratches, moisture, greasy food spills and day-to-day wear and tear.