5 stars because it is so useful despite one shortcoming REQUIRED for it to work as well as it does
Review of Walfos Round Hot Pads. The 12 inch round is just smaller that 12 so that is fits inside my GE microwave glass platter - what I bougth it for. My microwave cavity is a bit high for me and this 'hot pad' allows me to cradle a hot bowl of soup without burning my fingers or slopping it around trying to slide a pot holder uner it. I just pull up the EASY TO GRAB sides and cradel the bowl with the thick insulating sides. There is lies my one conflict in reviewing this product - it has a pattern of ridges or dare say molded grooves in the silicon underneath. The smooth top is easy to wipe and the molding underneath provides a small lip around the top both to catch boilovers and splashes as well as easy grab point to fold up the hot pad around what you are heating. BUT those grooves / ridges are a pain in the arse to rinse out and DRY. You can not simply put the pad back into the microwave - the water will be trapped between the pad and glass and boil when next used. That water can pop, make steam in cavity and make for hot spots underneath what you are cooking. Simply let it drain - So I now have a clip under micowave to let it drip dry onto stovetop before next use. But it is so useful that I did not ding it to 4 stars