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Potholders. Lamest topic ever?


Carrie12345
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I really need to suck it up and buy good ones. We’re currently using worn out ovgloves (sp?) not as gloves, but as regular, flat holders, and it gets kinda risky with fingers flopping around and the high odds of hitting a bare spot.

I also bought a couple of flat silicone potholders from Dollar General that wouldn’t even be worth $1 if that’s all I had paid.

Flat or glove-style, what are the greatest potholders ever?
Ovglove fans need not respond, lol.

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I have mittens that the palm is lined in silicone. They’re so good I got rid of all the rest, even the holiday themed ones. They’re not these ones, but they’re similar. I think I got them at Homegoods. 
 

Rmolitty Mini Oven Mitts, Heat Resistant up to 400F Short Oven Mitts, Non-slip Grip Oven Gloves with Cotton Lining and Hanging Loop, Flexible Pot Holders for Cooking, Baking, BBQ, Gray, 8 Inch (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08LVX4SN5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_fabc_urX-FbTGT017G

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I don’t have these exact ones or brand, but mine are very similar. I got them on the ‘spring’ aisle one time at Hobby Lobby for my youngest son to use when he cooks. Surprisingly, I’ve basically ditched everything I’ve ever used and have them out for my own use every day. After a couple of years they’re finally getting worn out, so I plan to replace them soon with something like these from amazon. 
 

eta: it looks like @Katy and I have similar favorites!

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Well if you have a kid who is into crafty things, you could keep them entertained and get your self new potholders at the same time.

The Harrisville (and this brand only!!!) cotton  loop potholders work amazingly well.  I've thrown out all my other potholders since my daughter starting making these.  

AmazonSmile: Harrisville Designs Friendly Loom Potholder Cotton Loops 10" Pro Size Potholder Metal Loom Kit Make 2 Potholders, Weaving Crafts for Kids & Adults-Black: Toys & Games

 

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1 hour ago, regentrude said:

For stuff that goes in the oven, I buy the $1 fabric gloves at Dollar General and they work just fine. I don't see in which respect a more expensive one would perform better.
For pots stovetop, I use flat ones I crochet myself.

I don't find that the cheap fabric ones block the heat very much at all. 

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I have a cheap cloth one, a large crochet one, 2 that are flat with silicone on one side cloth on the other, and 2 silicone gloves.I hate the silicone gloves, dh picked them out they aren't very easy to use. I like the flat ones as they mold to whatever I'm using better. I never use the silicone gloves. My crochet one doesn't work well for getting things out of the oven but I prefer it to put things on the table or counter. If I'm getting anything heavier/bigger out I'll use my silicone/cloth potholders. Small light ones I just use my small cloth one or a towel. All of mine are from WalMart or Amazon, they were not expensive.

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fabric ones my grandmother sewed over 50 years ago!  They are not bulky but they don't transfer heat.  I may have to take one apart and see exactly how she did this.  They were made from scratch.  Not any of the fancy materials that are used today.  

I find the fabric ones I purchase do not block the heat and gloves are too bulky and hard to maneuver, plus take to long to get on and off.

Beware any potholders with rings.  A few months ago I grabbed a store bought potholder (actually it had been a gift) that had a decorative wooden ring for hanging.  When I went to get the casserole out of the oven, the ring dropped through the oven baking rake without my realizing it and when I went to left the casserole the pot holder was stuck on the rack.  This caused me to casserole dish to go flying through the air.  It landed on the floor, shattering the dish and flinging hot tomato sauce all through the room and all over me.  So, I was left with no dinner (after smelling it for an hour), a pile of hot casserole mixed with glass to clean up out of the floor, tomato sauce splattered all over the kitchen, and burning splatter on myself.  

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11 minutes ago, Bootsie said:

fabric ones my grandmother sewed over 50 years ago!  They are not bulky but they don't transfer heat.  I may have to take one apart and see exactly how she did this.  They were made from scratch.  Not any of the fancy materials that are used today.  

I find the fabric ones I purchase do not block the heat and gloves are too bulky and hard to maneuver, plus take to long to get on and off.

Beware any potholders with rings.  A few months ago I grabbed a store bought potholder (actually it had been a gift) that had a decorative wooden ring for hanging.  When I went to get the casserole out of the oven, the ring dropped through the oven baking rake without my realizing it and when I went to left the casserole the pot holder was stuck on the rack.  This caused me to casserole dish to go flying through the air.  It landed on the floor, shattering the dish and flinging hot tomato sauce all through the room and all over me.  So, I was left with no dinner (after smelling it for an hour), a pile of hot casserole mixed with glass to clean up out of the floor, tomato sauce splattered all over the kitchen, and burning splatter on myself.  

I am so glad you're ok after that ring fiasco! How awful!

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42 minutes ago, Bootsie said:

.

Beware any potholders with rings.  A few months ago I grabbed a store bought potholder (actually it had been a gift) that had a decorative wooden ring for hanging.  When I went to get the casserole out of the oven, the ring dropped through the oven baking rake without my realizing it and when I went to left the casserole the pot holder was stuck on the rack.  This caused me to casserole dish to go flying through the air.  It landed on the floor, shattering the dish and flinging hot tomato sauce all through the room and all over me.  So, I was left with no dinner (after smelling it for an hour), a pile of hot casserole mixed with glass to clean up out of the floor, tomato sauce splattered all over the kitchen, and burning splatter on myself.  

Thank you for the warning!  I have a few of those potholders and have always been wary of them (also received as gifts).  I'm so glad you weren't hurt!  

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4 hours ago, cjzimmer1 said:

Well if you have a kid who is into crafty things, you could keep them entertained and get your self new potholders at the same time.

The Harrisville (and this brand only!!!) cotton  loop potholders work amazingly well.  I've thrown out all my other potholders since my daughter starting making these.  

AmazonSmile: Harrisville Designs Friendly Loom Potholder Cotton Loops 10" Pro Size Potholder Metal Loom Kit Make 2 Potholders, Weaving Crafts for Kids & Adults-Black: Toys & Games

 

Yes, these are my favorites.  I make them myself.  The Harrisville Cotten loops are crucial as they are bulky enough to fill in all the interstitial holes completely.  Don’t use nylon loops—theoretically they could melt.  The pro size potholders are bigger than the ones you probably made as a kid, and nice for adult hands.  The regular size are OK but you have to be more careful with them.

Some of the newer fabric decor ones don’t seem to have much heat resistance at all.  They are startlingly bad at insulation, and dangerous at times.

I recently got a Martha Stewart sewing book, and she suggests buying the fabric used in ironing board covers (that quilted silver insulating fabric) for the inside of potholders.  That strikes me as a good idea.
 

I don’t like the Pampered Chef gauntlets as they are way too big for me.  The fingers stick out about 2 inches past mine.
 

I prefer holders to gloves as they are very flexible and also I can put a stack of them on a counter to rest a hot dish on, so they are more versatile.

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I don’t know about the best ever potholders but the best ones I have owned are Food Network brand from Kohl’s. They are cloth but have silicone on them. They don’t feel stiff and rubbery like a fully silicone one but they are really well padded and grippy. They also are in pretty colors 🙂

To me these were a splurge but I’m sure I bought them with typical Kohl’s coupons/sales and didn’t pay full price. I grew up using dishcloths and towels as potholders and then upgraded to fancy dollar store ones after I got married 😂 but those really didn’t provide protection at all and you had to move very quickly to keep from being burned. So, to me, these potholders are a HUGE upgrade.

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I apparently am not alone in having strong feelings about pot holders. I like the mitts, hand-size only, with silicone in the grabby part. They're so manageable, don't go way up my arms, fit small hands, and protect the back of my knuckles. 

Like this. I got mine at World Market six years ago. I need new ones.  https://www.worldmarket.com/product/acorn+brown+gourmet+classic+grabber.do?sortby=ourPicks&from=Search

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I've gotten every type, and I actually prefer the cheap quilted mitten ones.  They're way more flexible, and usually are just fine for the 30 seconds I need it.  The silicone ones feel too stiff (whether the mitten or the flat pad with pocket) and harder to control.

However, I do keep a silicone one on hand for times when I'm holding a burning hot pan and actually walking around the table and serving from it.  (So, longer than just taking it out of the oven.)

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I firmly have come to believe that the ones kids make on those little looms are the best kind. They're so nice and thick and never wear out. They're way better than the fabric ones I've bought. I hate the silicone. Last year, I actually pulled that thing out and made a bunch with all the leftover loops because mine were all nasty from years of use.

I do have some glove ones that are in the back of the cabinet for rare use - things like flipping turkeys over mid-roast or dealing with if we cook over the fire and need to remove the grate from the pit afterwards. They come out a few times a year.

 

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4 minutes ago, Farrar said:

I firmly have come to believe that the ones kids make on those little looms are the best kind. They're so nice and thick and never wear out. They're way better than the fabric ones I've bought. I hate the silicone. Last year, I actually pulled that thing out and made a bunch with all the leftover loops because mine were all nasty from years of use.

 

I needed some new potholders too, so I bought looms for the kids to weave while I read aloud this school year. I thought this would be a win-win, but one kid REALLY enjoyed the activity and now I have potholders galore!!  I’m waiting for said kid to catch on to my hints that family members would enjoy some potholders of their own. 

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My favorite pot holders are no longer carried by the company which makes me really angry especially as I keep trying to buy ones on eBay but keep getting outbid like yesterday when I lost an auction for THREE new potholders by $1!!!!! Yes, that was a very long, run-on sentence but I'm still upset. And I can't post what brand they are or I'll be fighting WTMers for these on eBay. But if I ever score new ones then I'll come back and update.

Suffice it to say the potholders are super thick/heavy duty, last forever (unless dh lays it too close to the burner then wonders what the scorched smell is and why his wife is screaming at him), and flat w/a pocket for one's hand.

Stupid eBay buyer...$1...really???

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2 hours ago, Farrar said:

I firmly have come to believe that the ones kids make on those little looms are the best kind. They're so nice and thick and never wear out. They're way better than the fabric ones I've bought. I hate the silicone. Last year, I actually pulled that thing out and made a bunch with all the leftover loops because mine were all nasty from years of use.

I do have some glove ones that are in the back of the cabinet for rare use - things like flipping turkeys over mid-roast or dealing with if we cook over the fire and need to remove the grate from the pit afterwards. They come out a few times a year.

 

Re. Flipping turkeys—there are lifters for that.  I love them.  Mine came as part of a roasting pan set from Williams Sonoma.

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4 minutes ago, Carol in Cal. said:

Re. Flipping turkeys—there are lifters for that.  I love them.  Mine came as part of a roasting pan set from Williams Sonoma.

So, I had some of those... they're like giant forks, right? I think maybe I needed a class to learn to use them because... that did not go well.

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6 minutes ago, Farrar said:

So, I had some of those... they're like giant forks, right? I think maybe I needed a class to learn to use them because... that did not go well.

Yes, mine are two pronged, heavy, slightly curved forks.  I cook turkeys upside down until the last 40 minutes or so, so they are really crucial for me.  I stick them in and flip it over, no problem, pull them out, put them in the dishwasher.

Also wanted to mention another benefit of the cotton loop potholders—they stand up really well to being washed with towels and such.  Really, they are ridiculously awesome.  Every home should have a bunch.

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14 minutes ago, Carol in Cal. said:

Yes, mine are two pronged, heavy, slightly curved forks.  I cook turkeys upside down until the last 40 minutes or so, so they are really crucial for me.  I stick them in and flip it over, no problem, pull them out, put them in the dishwasher.

Also wanted to mention another benefit of the cotton loop potholders—they stand up really well to being washed with towels and such.  Really, they are ridiculously awesome.  Every home should have a bunch.

I make a turkey once a year. If I'm hosting Thanksgiving. So my practice times might be too limited.

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6 minutes ago, Farrar said:

I make a turkey once a year. If I'm hosting Thanksgiving. So my practice times might be too limited.

Me, too, but mine have just....worked.  Every time I’ve tried them.  They are good for getting meat out of the pan to make gravy, too, so I guess I’ve used them for lamb at Easter and the occasional beef roast as well, which are much easier than turkey.

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I have one grilling glove and it is my favorite.  I use it for the grill and the oven.  I like having the finger style. It’s like a black knit glove with silicon on the palm.  Easy to grip things with. I don’t even know where I got it; I think it came with some grilling items.

I also have a pair of much cuter silicone mitts from BBBY.  But I don’t like them as much.  More slippery. The end of one mitt has a hole that formed (silicone tearing?).  

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5 hours ago, Bootsie said:

A few months ago I grabbed a store bought potholder (actually it had been a gift) that had a decorative wooden ring for hanging.  When I went to get the casserole out of the oven, the ring dropped through the oven baking rake without my realizing it and when I went to left the casserole the pot holder was stuck on the rack.  This caused me to casserole dish to go flying through the air.  It landed on the floor, shattering the dish and flinging hot tomato sauce all through the room and all over me.  So, I was left with no dinner (after smelling it for an hour), a pile of hot casserole mixed with glass to clean up out of the floor, tomato sauce splattered all over the kitchen, and burning splatter on myself.  

It's like an evil Rube Goldberg scenario. 

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I just use bar towels: they don’t get caught on stuff, I can tuck them in the string of my apron or over my shoulder so I don’t lose them, I can drop them quickly if they get wet so I don’t burn myself. If I did go with real potholders I would use the flat type for the same safety reason - nothing worse than trying to shake off a burning hot mitt.

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Not a lame topic at all! I have to share my favorite place to buy potholders, other than thrift shops: https://www.etsy.com/shop/juliemag55

This Etsy seller sells sets of two quilted, homemade potholders for $2.50 plus shipping and sets of three for $3.50. They make great shower gifts and I love all the fun patterns! I used my last set for at least 5-8 years, I think, before the fabric "thinned out" from being washed many times. 

I prefer square cloth potholders because they are more flexible than hand-shaped ones and can be used more readily under things. They're super easy to just toss in the washer.

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6 hours ago, BakersDozen said:

My favorite pot holders are no longer carried by the company which makes me really angry especially as I keep trying to buy ones on eBay but keep getting outbid like yesterday when I lost an auction for THREE new potholders by $1!!!!!

Do you use a sniping service? I love, love, love esnipe.com because it puts in my bid automatically for me during the last few seconds of the auction. I can still be outbid, of course, if someone's maximum bid is higher, but there is no psychological, back-and-forth up-bidding, IYKWIM. It costs about $0.25 per auction to use.

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53 minutes ago, MercyA said:

Do you use a sniping service? I love, love, love esnipe.com because it puts in my bid automatically for me during the last few seconds of the auction. I can still be outbid, of course, if someone's maximum bid is higher, but there is no psychological, back-and-forth up-bidding, IYKWIM. It costs about $0.25 per auction to use.

I tried that once and lost the BRIO lot of a lifetime (by very, very little...maybe $2?) because I didn't have something set up right with the service despite receiving a confirmation email. I.was.so.mad. So I use my timer and don't lose many auctions that I really want, but this time things were chaotic in the computer area and I missed the timer. But it's the other buyer's fault...he/she should know how much I wanted those pot holders and not outbid me by $1. Stinkers.

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12 minutes ago, BakersDozen said:

I tried that once and lost the BRIO lot of a lifetime (by very, very little...maybe $2?) because I didn't have something set up right with the service despite receiving a confirmation email. I.was.so.mad. So I use my timer and don't lose many auctions that I really want, but this time things were chaotic in the computer area and I missed the timer. But it's the other buyer's fault...he/she should know how much I wanted those pot holders and not outbid me by $1. Stinkers.

Oh, no!!! I'd be mad about the BRIO, too! What a loss. 😞 

But, yeah, that other bidder on the potholders--what were they thinking?!? 😉 

Here's hoping you find more soon! 

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On 1/10/2021 at 1:06 PM, ScoutTN said:

I like both my square ones and a mitt from Williams-Sonoma. 

Yup, I'm a huge WS pot holders fan. I replace them every few years and move the destroyed ones to the basement or toaster oven duty.

On 1/10/2021 at 1:24 PM, Margaret in CO said:

My dh got me something from WS that looks like this but also has silicone. It's kind of snazzy. I think I may have put it in the drawer that holds stuff for the toaster oven. We do a lot of nachos with ds, so we're forever grabbing hot things, carrying them downstairs.

16 hours ago, bibiche said:

I just use bar towels: they don’t get caught on stuff, I can tuck them in the string of my apron or over my shoulder so I don’t lose them, I can drop them quickly if they get wet so I don’t burn myself. If I did go with real potholders I would use the flat type for the same safety reason - nothing worse than trying to shake off a burning hot mitt.

Oh that's interesting. I've seen people on tv do that! I use the flat ones. I have some of the mitts, but flat are so much faster.

For op, I keep two command hooks on the wall by my stove, so I always have two flats (with pockets) within reach. Last couple years I even started rotating the colors for the seasons, but always Williams Sonoma. I tried restaurant ones and they shrank. If you're going to order site unseen, I think just buy *1* of each kind and try a few brands. 

https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/williams-sonoma-logo-pot-holder/?pkey=s|oven mitts and pot holders|30  Here, can't go wrong with these, and they're even on sale. Sometimes the previous season colors will go on clearance. Then you can develop little fetishes like seasonal pot holders that you rotate. :biggrin:

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On 1/10/2021 at 2:54 PM, teachermom2834 said:

I don’t know about the best ever potholders but the best ones I have owned are Food Network brand from Kohl’s. They are cloth but have silicone on them. They don’t feel stiff and rubbery like a fully silicone one but they are really well padded and grippy. They also are in pretty colors 🙂

https://www.kohls.com/product/prd-3204515/food-network-striped-silicone-pot-holder.jsp?color=Gry%20Torndo&prdPV=1  Are these the ones? 

 

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8 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

Yes...pretty much. They are an updated style from the ones I bought a few years but the same basic concept. I've probably had mine for five years now and they have held up well to daily use. 

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