Around the holidays, I first learned about silicone oven mitts and gloves in my local newspaper and put them on my Christmas wish list. My thanks to my friends for sending me a pair of these. I’ve enjoyed using them. I said the following about my first silicone oven mitts back then:
It’s hard not to love a waterproof, heat-resistant glove that protects your hands from boiling water and oven temperatures up to 500 degrees F. In the near future, I’m not going to stick my hand in anything that hot.
Same Idea, Better Design
Just received a new, updated version of silicone gloves that give you much more dexterity and flexibility, you just might be able to “pick up a dime”. In the photo above, you can see the gloves now have fingers rather than the clunky “mitts” I originally bought.
As well as being able to grip pots, Dutch ovens, freezer items, and hot foods like whole chickens off the grill spit, they feel a lot more flexible while still retaining the ability to endure both hot and cold temperatures. Be sure to read the manufacturer’s specifications before grabbing anything too hot or too cold.
Great Ways for Using Silicone Oven Mitts
I thought of all the ways these gloves could be useful in the kitchen and listed them below. I’d love to hear about your own ways of using silicone gloves in the comments section below.
Moving a hibachi or tabletop barbecue, removing charcoal chimneys, removing and adjusting hot grates, handling large chunks of pork or poultry Indoor Cooking – removing hot pans from the oven, draining hot pots of boiling water, grabbing lobsters from a pot of water, handling cast iron cookware, removing and replacing pot lids for stirring Frozen Foods – we have a chest freezer in the garage, and after about 30 seconds of moving cryovaced meats, chicken pieces, ice cream, leftover containers, and frozen foods, my hands are burning. These gloves will come in handy.
Holding hot food items for carving without burning your fingertips is a difficult task. Plating entails removing hot plates from the oven or microwave prior to plating and transferring hot dishes to the table. Working with fire pit grates, lifting hot pans out of the fire or off the fire grate, and protecting your hands when creating smores with a stick that’s too short are all things that come to mind when camping. Miscellaneous – removing hot light bulbs from around the home, opening those extremely difficult to open jars, retrieving an oven thermometer from whatever you’re cooking
What You Should Know About Oven Mitts
Fabric (typically cotton) or silicone are used to make most oven mitts. Some are constructed of a combination of the two, such as a silicone mitt with a cotton lining or a silicone mitt reinforced with cotton. Cotton is often softer to wear and wash in a machine, while silicone is more durable, has a better grip, and is simpler to clean in a spot. I did test one mitt made of a completely different material, the kevlar San Jamar mitt, but that was an exception.
The three major styles of oven mitts are outlined below. The traditional (and most common) is shaped like an oversized mitten, which is an easy one-size-fits-all style that allows your hand to fall naturally open but limits your movement. An option that allows for better dexterity is a mitt that is shaped like a glove, though a glove is more difficult to fit comfortably on all hand sizes, as well as looking unsightly.
You are unlikely to find a silicone glove, which is only a problem if you specifically want silicone. Some oven mitts separate your thumb from the rest of your fingers, but they are shaped more like a hand puppet than a mitten. While this provides a natural gripping shape, it puts your thumb directly below the rest of your fingers, which can feel uncomfortable.
There are really no hard and fast rules about what material and style are better for oven mitts. The silicone mitts performed well at protecting against heat, while cotton mitts failed miserably. Although the winning mitt was also cotton layered cotton, that is, with silicone strips for grip. As a result, it ultimately comes down to what style you find most comfortable and which mitts do a better job protecting, regardless of the fabric, and I am happy to report that I have tested all these mitts myself. We have a list of best oven mitts, in case you need recommendation.
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Hi there! I’m a food enthusiast and journalist, and I have a real passion for food that goes beyond the kitchen. I love my dream job and I’m lucky enough to be able to share my knowledge with readers of several large media outlets. My specialty is writing engaging food-related content, and I take pride in being able to connect with my audience. I’m known for my creativity in the kitchen, and I’m confident that I can be the perfect guide for anyone looking to take their culinary journey to the next level.
