Argh! Oven Mitts -- do you have a favorite?

[Rockhopper]

Showing my age here, but it seems like when I was first starting out in the kitchen, oven mitts might not have been

"heat proof to 5000 degrees!"

"made of Nomex and retired firefighter sweat"

"extends to your armpit"

and all the other claims oven mitts make today,

but it DID seem like I could get the *&^$&#  things on easily enough, I could reach into the oven and pull out my cookies or muffins without leaving a huge Nomex-sized thumbprint in them, and as long as I didn't try to hold onto the silly baking pan while also doing yoga poses, all was good.

I swear I've been through 5 or 6 oven gloves/mitts/variants in the past few years and in all of them, my thumb is at least an inch from the end of the thumb bit, plus it's at least as wide as my two big toes. I even tried the ove-glove but it can't get wet at all and I don't really like the tight cuff. It's not easy on/easy off. 

I *am* older than I used to be, but I really don't think this is a functional issue on my end. I mean, I'm not lacking coordination or strength to get things in and out of the oven. I just prefer not to do it bare-handed.

Anyone have any favorites? Suggestions?

[Miss Tick]

Sorry to hear you have been burned by your last few oven mitt purchases. I've never in my life found am oven mitt I like, so I stuck with the square pads. My favorites are starting to show their age, though, so I will be following along on your saga. Have you tried those ones that look like silicone puppet mouths?

I'll try to edit with a link.

Here is what I was thinking of. The thumb is still super-wide, but perhaps but as long.

https://www.amazon.com/ALAZCO-Resistant-Potholder-kitchen-Cooking/dp/B077CGN2VD/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1537212948&sr=8-6&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=silicone+oven+mitts

Edited September 17, 2018 by SusanC

[gardenmom5]

I have some lined silicon gloves. . . . worth. every. penny. they can get wet - and it *doesn't* conduct the heat to my hand.

dh used to buy the "heavy-duty" cloth ones.  they'd get holes, they couldn't be washed, etc.

 

these - I wash my cast iron under very hot running water while wearing these - I don't feel a thing.

 

-and when they get greasy - I can wash them under hot water with some dawn in the kitchen sink.  (while wearing them.)

Edited September 17, 2018 by gardenmom5

[Rockhopper]

15 minutes ago, SusanC said:

Sorry to hear you have been burned by your last few oven mitt purchases. I've never in my life found am oven mitt I like, so I stuck with the square pads. My favorites are starting to show their age, though, so I will be following along on your saga. Have you tried those ones that look like silicone puppet mouths?

I'll try to edit with a link.

Here is what I was thinking of. The thumb is still super-wide, but perhaps but as long.

https://www.amazon.com/ALAZCO-Resistant-Potholder-kitchen-Cooking/dp/B077CGN2VD/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1537212948&sr=8-6&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=silicone+oven+mitts

I have tried these -- a set is currently in the Goodwill bin. They're fine in that they're heat proof, but they're the worst for leaving dino-sized prints on the baked good edges. ? 

[Acadie]

1 hour ago, gardenmom5 said:

I have some lined silicon gloves. . . . worth. every. penny. they can get wet - and it *doesn't* conduct the heat to my hand.

dh used to buy the "heavy-duty" cloth ones.  they'd get holes, they couldn't be washed, etc.

 

these - I wash my cast iron under very hot running water while wearing these - I don't feel a thing.

 

-and when they get greasy - I can wash them under hot water with some dawn in the kitchen sink.  (while wearing them.)

 

I bought some lined silicone oven mitts from amazon several years ago, and I think they'll be my last pair ever. It's so nice to be able to wash the outside with soap and water if they get greasy, and my hands never feel the heat. I also like to be able to pick up a roast chicken or turkey to move it to a platter, and then wash the grease off the mitts.

Every mitt I ever had before just pales in comparison.

Amy

[kitten18]

I use something like these from BB&B. 

https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/kitchensmart-reg-solid-pot-holder/3176220

They're a rectangular potholder shape with pockets to put your hands in and they have a (silicone?) grip on one side. I really like the grippy part and the pot holder shape is a good size for my hands. I’ve tried the silicone oven mitts at other people’s houses and they are WAY too big for my hands. I don’t feel like I have any control. These are perfect for me, this is the second set I’ve had in 14 years and I’m going to buy some new ones before we have company for the holidays because they look a little grungy. 

It looks like this style is called “pot mitts”. 

Edited September 17, 2018 by kitten18

[Annie G]

I feel your pain, sister. Years ago mom had oven mitts that were great. When I got married in 1980 they were great. But now oven mitts are way too bulky, way too big, and just....ugh. 

‘Listening in, hoping to find the unicorn of oven mitts- keep my hands unturned but don’t make me feel like I’m bundled up to play in the snow. 

[Kassia]

Not mitts but we LOVE Ove Gloves in my family.

 

 

[Zebra]

I went on a quest a few years ago to find a decent oven mitt.    You'd think it would be SUCH A SIMPLE THING, but no!

For months I looked everywhere I could think of.

Another issue I've had with oven mitts, is you throw them in the washing machine and then they are ruined.   Too bad if you actually get food on an oven mitt!   I wonder sometimes who is designing these oven mitts.   3 year olds?    20 somethings who have never used an oven?

I finally found this one https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/williams-sonoma-logo-oven-mitt-pumpkin/?pkey=e|oven%2Bmitts|146|best|0|1|24||13&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH

and it's great, went through the washing machine unscathed.   

Also one like this but a different design https://www.crateandbarrel.com/brushed-pumpkin-oven-mitt/s613735

but I haven't had to wash it yet.   FYI, I'm not normally someone who goes into "fancy kitchen stores" like Williams Sonoma, but I was desperate  ?.

YMMV ?

[Annie G]

6 minutes ago, Zebra said:

I went on a quest a few years ago to find a decent oven mitt.    You'd think it would be SUCH A SIMPLE THING, but no!

For months I looked everywhere I could think of.

Another issue I've had with oven mitts, is you throw them in the washing machine and then they are ruined.   Too bad if you actually get food on an oven mitt!   I wonder sometimes who is designing these oven mitts.   3 year olds?    20 somethings who have never used an oven?

I finally found this one https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/williams-sonoma-logo-oven-mitt-pumpkin/?pkey=e|oven%2Bmitts|146|best|0|1|24||13&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH

and it's great, went through the washing machine unscathed.   

Also one like this but a different design https://www.crateandbarrel.com/brushed-pumpkin-oven-mitt/s613735

but I haven't had to wash it yet.   FYI, I'm not normally someone who goes into "fancy kitchen stores" like Williams Sonoma, but I was desperate  ?.

YMMV ?

That’s the one I currently have and after I washed it...oh my it was all thick. And now both of them have small wear holes in them. Not burn holes- nowhere near where heat touches. But they have been the best I’ve found in a while, though these are only 8 months old so probably won’t last years. Glad yours are working out! I have blue ones so maybe that particular fabric shrinks and is easily torn.

[Zebra]

9 minutes ago, Annie G said:

That’s the one I currently have and after I washed it...oh my it was all thick. And now both of them have small wear holes in them. Not burn holes- nowhere near where heat touches. But they have been the best I’ve found in a while, though these are only 8 months old so probably won’t last years. Glad yours are working out! I have blue ones so maybe that particular fabric shrinks and is easily torn.

I have that exact orange one, and I've had it for 2 or 3 years now.   I do know they sell a couple different styles.  I don't know if you got a dud (or I got the only good one, lol?!?) or have a different style.

Oven mitts really shouldn't be this complicated...

[Annie G]

40 minutes ago, Zebra said:

I have that exact orange one, and I've had it for 2 or 3 years now.   I do know they sell a couple different styles.  I don't know if you got a dud (or I got the only good one, lol?!?) or have a different style.

Oven mitts really shouldn't be this complicated...

I’m wondering if my new one is ‘value engineered’ and not as high quality as yours. 

[Rockhopper]

So I disappeared from the thread and went to BBB and Target to try on oven mitts... LOL 

No great success so far. I do have a new idea though! As soon as I can manage it, I'm going to visit a restaurant supply store and see what they have to offer! Surely professionals have a workable solution to this problem.

@kitten18 I missed the ones you linked at BBB; I'll look for them when I go back.

@gardenmom5 and @Acadie I'll see if I can find some lined silicone ones to try -- but I have a feeling they won't work for me. I never found the plain silicone ones I had to be flexible/smooshy enough to get a good thumb grip. I guess I'm just really picky!

@Zebra and @Annie G I jumped over to the Williams Sonoma site and they have a sale going on. Free shipping ends tonight. Not sure I'm brave enough to try though!

@Kassia My dh liked the Ove Gloves more than me. Maybe I should quit trying to be a minimalist on this and have his and hers getting-things-out-of-the-oven devices. Our drawers are really shallow so we've been compromising on a single pair neither of us likes. ?

Thank you all for commiserating with me.

[moonflower]

I have also tried a variety of oven mitts, partially because we've been living in VRBOs all summer and partially because I lose things.

My favorite ones still are the ones my daughter makes from those potholder kits.    They're durable, they're not huge, they actually protect from heat pretty well, they're sturdy but also moldable to your hand, and I like them.

[Rockhopper]

36 minutes ago, moonflower said:

I have also tried a variety of oven mitts, partially because we've been living in VRBOs all summer and partially because I lose things.

My favorite ones still are the ones my daughter makes from those potholder kits.    They're durable, they're not huge, they actually protect from heat pretty well, they're sturdy but also moldable to your hand, and I like them.

You know, you're right!

I have two that I made - from wool yarn -- and I had forgotten to mention those. Currently they are all I use -- because I can't manage anything in the mitts we have. They really are wonderful, and the wool is great for heat protection. 

I guess I've just been fixated on mitts. ? Maybe I should just break out the loom again!

Edited September 18, 2018 by Rockhopper

[Kareni]

I've nothing to suggest, but here are some articles that might be worth reading:

The Best Oven Mitts

The Best Oven Mitts and Pot Holders

10 Best Oven Mitts for your Kitchen

Regards,
Kareni

[El...]

I found little oven mitts that I like at world market a few years ago. They are like puppet mouths (great description!), with silicone on the gripping surface, and I've washed them. I got them because they are small enough for my kids to use them. I agree about the huge thumb on some designs! 

[Annie G]

5 hours ago, heartlikealion said:

Dh used to work in kitchens and never uses oven mitts. He just uses dish towels. I have started copying him quite a bit when I can't find my oven mitt or it's dirty (wet cobbler oozed all over it the other day). I might need to fold mine more than him. I think he can handle more heat than me. But sometimes the dish towel gets in my way less than the mitt. I kinda wrap it around two sides of a cookie sheet or use two towels, one on either side. I use this for getting things out of the toaster oven as well. Not saying it's necessarily the best idea, but I get frustrated with oven mitts as well. I got my dad some for Christmas a couple years ago. His have a silicone exterior and were from Kohl's. All oven mitts seem a bit large to me, but I have smallish hands. 

When I worked in a commercial kitchen we used something similar. It was as long as a dish towel (maybe longer since we were taking full sheet pans out) but not as wide, and several layers thick. It was designed to take things out of the oven.  I have used a dish towel at home but I have to be super careful because if my towel is damp at all from drying my hands the heat transfers quickly and I get burned. And since I’m a messy cook, I feel like I am constantly washing my hands.

But that gives me an idea- maybe I can sew a custom one like we used in the commercial kitchen so it functions but is more pretty than that one was. Thanks for jogging my memory!

[Bambam]

I just use the rectangular ones have have a pocket on one half side. I just use them as rectangular pieces though. I cannot find a mitt that fits.

However, I did purchase these mini mitts for use for pulling my InstantPot pot out when it is still hot. These things are also useful for pulling stuff out of the oven. I don't find them useful for pots because they aren't long enough though. https://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Instant-Pot-Mini-Mitts/dp/B012D33BD4

 

[TheReader]

I absolutely LOVE my Fiestaware ones. They're an oval "mitt" (more pot holder with a pocket vs glove style mitt), fabric on one side, rubbery something or other on the other side, cute, a great size (I have very small hands, dh and my boys have long fingers/regular guy sized hands, these work for all of us), washable (theoretically.....maybe not.....but in practice, I've washed & dried them multiple times w/no degradation/ill effects), sturdy......we've had ours for 3 to 4 years now and only had to toss one (dh set a hot pan down *on* the mitt, rubber side up, and it melted a hole in it/or maybe had degraded a little from washing it, or I don't know, but it wasn't an issue until DH set the pan down directly on it and left it to cool there for a long time......). 

I got mine at Kohl's but I imagine any of the places that sell Fiestaware sell them.