Why Do Hands Need Oven Mitts?
If you don’t want to wind up with burned hands when cooking, get yourself a pair of oven gloves and start using them.
Oven mitts are composed of heat-resistant materials. As a result, heat from pans, pots, ovens, stoves, or similar things is not transmitted to your hands.
You may be among the majority of people who have grown used to using tea towels or kitchen rags to handle hot goods in the kitchen. It is crucial to remember, however, that tea towels or kitchen rags may only provide little heat protection.
You may also lose your grasp on the thing you’re holding since you’d have to fold a towel or rag to protect yourself, which would be pretty large and inconvenient.
You are well aware that tea towels and kitchen rags discovered in your kitchen are almost certainly moist or wet. They will not shield your hands. It is critical to keep your oven mitts dry before using them.
As water is a strong conductor of heat, doing so would actually enable the heat to travel through the mittens. Wetting your oven mitts allows the heat to penetrate the fibers and into your hands.
Contents
- Kinds of Oven Mitts
- What to Look for When Buying the Best Oven Mitts?
- FAQs
- Do you need oven mitts?
- What do oven mitts protect you from?
- Why should you never use a hot potholder or oven mitts?
- Why do chefs use towels instead of oven mitts?
- Why is it important to use dry oven mitts?
- Do mittens keep your hands warmer?
- Are oven mitts considered PPE?
- Why don t oven mitts have fingers?
- Why is it a bad idea to use a wet potholder and towel?
- Why is it necessary to use cooking mitts when handling pots on the stove while cooking?
Kinds of Oven Mitts
Unlike in the past, when you could only choose a pattern, color, and design of cloth oven gloves, there are now several types available, depending on the substance the mitts are made of. Choosing the best pair of oven mitts for your requirements is simple if you have all of the necessary information.
Here are the most popular types of oven mitts available on the market, as well as what distinguishes them:
Fabric or Cloth Oven Mitts
Cloth oven mitts are the most traditional sort of oven gloves, and they are meant to protect your hands from hot things in the kitchen. When wearing these gloves, you must maintain a firm grasp on the thing you are holding and avoid handling the hot item for an extended period of time.
Using fabric or cloth oven gloves to handle hot goods for an extended period of time or to handle items that are very hot may be ineffective since they are not designed for such functions.
One advantage of fabric or cotton oven mitts is that there are many more patterns available than with other types of oven mitts. They are also extremely easy to store since they can be folded and stored in a tiny location or simply hung on a hook in your kitchen.
The disadvantage of cloth or fabric mittens is that they are prone to staining and are not fire resistant. Cleaning these kind of mittens may be difficult, and doing so reduces their durability.
However, if you’re seeking for easy and inexpensive oven mitts to utilize for minor household activities, cloth or cotton oven mitts are a wonderful option.
Silicone Oven Mitts
Silicone oven mitts are a more current kind of glove that has just been available on the market. Thick but malleable, these oven mitts give improved hand protection, particularly while handling highly hot objects in the kitchen.
You don’t have to worry about feeling any heat in your hands when you use silicone oven mitts. Aside from that, silicone gloves are incredibly simple to maintain and clean since they can be washed by hand or in the dishwasher.
The non-slip characteristic of silicone oven mitts, as well as the flexible material, will allow you to securely handle goods. This is the best option for professionals or if you like cooking and experimenting in your kitchen.
Neoprene Oven Mitts
Neoprene mitts are a new kind of oven mitt constructed from the same material as wetsuits. They have a non-slip characteristic and can withstand temperatures as high as 400F.
The outside is smooth, allowing you to reach into hot liquids without burning or blistering your hand. Neoprene oven mitts may be cleaned in the dishwasher or the washing machine.
What to Look for When Buying the Best Oven Mitts?
Isn’t there a lot to think about? When searching for the finest oven mitts for you, you need examine more than simply the numerous types of oven mitts available. It would be such a waste to go out and purchase one kind of oven mitt just to discover you’ve overlooked a few things.
Here’s a quick guide to help you choose the perfect pair of oven mitts. Read on and have fun!
Safety Features
Because safety is the most essential characteristic of oven mitts, it is the first thing to think about while looking for the best oven mitts. Based on the quantity of heat you intend to bear, you will undoubtedly choose the best pick.
Material Quality
Whatever kind of oven mitts you want to purchase, ensure that the material is of high quality. A high-quality product will be very valuable to you and will last for many years.
Hardness or Softness of Material
Oven mitts constructed of various materials have differing degrees of hardness or softness. You should choose gloves that are neither too stiff nor too firm so that you can easily handle stuff.
Find the Best Value for Your Money
Oven mitts are available at various pricing points. You may select between inexpensive ones that can be quickly replaced and more costly ones that are more sturdy and long lasting.
Low Maintenance
Choosing oven mitts that are simple to clean and maintain may save you a lot of time and work.
Now that you know the different types of oven mitts and what to look for when buying oven mitts, let’s look at some of the finest oven mitts on the market right now to help you make your decision.
FAQs
Do you need oven mitts?
Mitts help protect your hands while cooking or baking with very hot meals. If you’re a frequent baker, an oven mitt is one of the first items you get out of the drawer before starting anything. It keeps your hands from being burned when handling hot, steaming meals straight from the oven.
What do oven mitts protect you from?
The primary function of an oven mitt is to protect you from hot surfaces while cooking. A good oven glove can protect your hands from burns whether you’re moving hot pots around on the stove or lifting baking dishes out of the oven.
Why should you never use a hot potholder or oven mitts?
When transporting hot food from ovens, microwave ovens, or stovetops, use oven mitts or potholders. Wet oven mitts or potholders should never be used since they might cause scald burns.
Why do chefs use towels instead of oven mitts?
Cotton towels are a favored tool of many cooks for reasons other than their size and foldability. As long as they aren’t moist, the towels—folded over multiple times—are equally as good as the finest potholders at avoiding burns.
Why is it important to use dry oven mitts?
The most crucial thing is to keep your hands away from the hot oven. Baking gloves protect your hands from the heat of the oven. You are more likely to burn your hands unless you use these gloves while taking out and inserting baking pans, which may be quite uncomfortable.
Do mittens keep your hands warmer?
Mittens are warmer than gloves (made of the same materials) because your fingers may exchange warmth, unlike gloves. Mittens also have a smaller overall surface area for body heat to escape through.
Are oven mitts considered PPE?
Domestic oven gloves and mitts were formally added to the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) product line one year ago, bringing crucial issues for makers, retailers, and the sectors that use them.
Why don t oven mitts have fingers?
Yup. Because you don’t need separate fingers to hold a hot pot or tray. On one side, place your thumb, and on the other, place all of your fingers.
Why is it a bad idea to use a wet potholder and towel?
Moisture transmits heat more quickly than air.
However, it is critical that you do not use a damp potholder, towel, or oven mitt. Because water transmits heat up to 25 times quicker than air, using a wet (or even damp) potholder makes it much simpler to burn oneself.
Why is it necessary to use cooking mitts when handling pots on the stove while cooking?
It’s a good idea to have an oven mitt and a lid handy while cooking to smother flames from tiny fires in pans. Turn off the fire and carefully place the lid over the pan (using an oven glove). To avoid re-ignition, wait until the pan is entirely cold before removing the cover.