FAT QUARTER MAKE; OVEN MITTS
Some months I have to do a lot of thinking and research before I decide on a project to make, but not this month. I opened the parcel with my fat quarters inside and immediately knew what I wanted to make – it just HAD to be something for the kitchen.
Are you curious about whether or not silicone oven mitts are worth buying? Check out our list of reasons why silicone oven mitts are a thing of the past.
When shopping for kitchen gadgets, it’s not uncommon to get stuck in the loop of questioning which products are better than others, especially when there are so many options to choose from.
For example, you’ve probably heard that silicone oven mitts are the best. Are you curious to find out whether or not that’s true? Read on to learn about why silicone oven mitts aren’t necessarily the best choice—especially in comparison to our cotton Oven Mitts.
What Are Oven Mitts?
Before we tackle the bigger question of why silicone oven mitts aren’t great, let’s start at the beginning: what exactly are Oven Mitts?
Oven mitts are worn in the kitchen to protect us from hot surfaces such as ovens, stovetops, and cookware. These products are found in pretty much every kitchen because of how useful they are, but you’ve probably seen multiple variations of them.
For example, you may have seen oven gloves used in some kitchens. Although they have similarities to Oven Mitts, each one does have specific qualities that may make them the more suitable choice in some moments than the other.
Gloves:
An oven glove is just what you would expect. Designed with five dedicated fingers, this product gives you much more dexterity than Oven Mitts, making it easier to grip cookware with slippery surfaces or complex shapes.
Mitts:
Traditional Oven Mitt designs don’t allow for the same finger movement and dexterity as oven gloves, meaning that you’ll be slightly more restricted in what you can safely and securely hold compared to if you had used oven gloves.
However, what they lack in grip, they make up for in heat resistance. Since Oven Mitts are made with a less complex design, they can withstand higher temperatures than oven gloves, which is extremely important when handling heat in the kitchen.
Cotton vs. Silicone
When it comes to Oven Mitts, the two most common varieties are cotton Oven Mitts and silicone oven mitts.
Here is an explanation of the differences between the two products:
Cotton Oven Mitts:
These Oven Mitts are the ones that you’re probably familiar with, as they are a staple in most kitchens and represent a more traditional Oven Mitt design. The soft cotton material is very comfortable to wear when handling hot cookware and surfaces in the kitchen, which is always a bonus.
They provide ample wrist and forearm protection for nearly every kitchen task.
Silicone Oven Mitts:
Silicone oven mitts have grown in popularity over the years and are now commonly used for both indoor and outdoor cooking. Made with a silicone exterior, some of these mitts also come with a cotton lining on the inside.
Silicone: Good Or Bad?
There’s lots of debate out there as to which material is the best for Oven Mitts. Silicone has some benefits on its side, and for good reasons, but we’re here to tell you that cotton Oven Mitts—more specifically, our Oven Mitts—are much better.
When shopping for Oven Mitts, there are a few things that you have to consider:
- Material
- Design and Aesthetic
- Single or Double
Let’s take a look at each of these and explore the ways that silicone mitts pale in comparison to our 100% cotton Oven Mitts.
Material
At face value, the most important function of Oven Mitts is protection from hot surfaces. The primary way that that function can be carried out is through the material of the Oven Mitts.
When it comes to silicone oven mitts, there are a lot of benefits. The material allows you to get a good grip when handling hot cookware. It also provides protection against steam or the splattering of hot liquids, is easy to clean, and is waterproof.
All of the benefits sound great, but at the end of the day, they’re still not the best product to get. As we had mentioned earlier, some silicone mitts come with a cotton lining on the inside, but there are a lot out there that don’t.
The silicone exterior provides great protection from heat, but without the cotton lining on the inside, the mitts won’t be very comfortable to wear and are very difficult to take off.
You may be thinking that it’s worth putting up with the disadvantages of silicone mitts since they get the job done, and you’ll only be wearing them for a short period of time.
If that’s the case, there are better options that protect you from heat. Other Oven Mitts aren’t saddled with those disadvantages that are likely to make your kitchen endeavors more challenging.
Cotton: The Better Option
And that’s where cotton Oven Mitts come in. If we were to focus on the material alone, the softness of the cotton makes it really comfortable to wear. On top of that, the material offers a lot more flexibility than silicone mitts, which allows for more finger movement. They are also really easy to put on and take off.
That may not seem all that important, but when you’re rushing around the kitchen trying to complete multiple cooking tasks as quickly and efficiently as possible, you’re not going to want to be struggling to take off uncomfortable oven mitts in between the jobs.
Because the time it takes to transfer your Sauté Pan from the oven to a countertop is very short, it’s better to have Oven Mitts with good flexibility that you can easily put on to make the quick transfer.
In other words, there’s really no need for the extra grip that silicone oven mitts provide. As long as you can wrap your fingers around the Sauté Pan in cotton Oven Mitts, you’ll be good to go.
The Today Show ranked our Oven Mitts as number seven of the 12 best Oven Mitts and Pot Holders every kitchen needs. They contain a double-layer stain-resistant weave stitching, which ensures the safe handling of pans that are fresh out of the oven.
This, along with the fact that they are made out of 100% cotton that gets softer with every wash, gives you the heat protection you need, plus the comfort that silicone mitts just can’t provide.
Design and Aesthetic
It may not seem all that important, but trust us when we say that picking out Oven Mitts that have a lovely design is sure to spruce up your kitchen. Due to the nature of silicone, you don’t have the same colorful design options with silicone mitts as you do with cotton Oven Mitts.
If you’re redecorating your kitchen and trying to create a certain aesthetic, cotton Oven Mitts are definitely the way to go. There’s something about seeing a pair of cotton Oven Mitts hanging on the wall of a kitchen that gives the whole space a soft, homey, and nostalgic feel.
In fact, Homes and Gardens says there are many clever ways to create a modern kitchen aesthetic through adding texture, pops of color, contrast, and more.
Our Oven Mitts have a vintage meets modern look to them, with handwoven pattern designs inspired by vintage flour sacks. They come in a set of two with bold and distinct patterns and neutral colors, including Cream and Navy—some of the most popular colors amongst our customers.
If you have dark cabinets in your kitchen or are planning to get some, our Navy Oven Mitts are perfect for completing the look. The wide variety of styles that our products come in provide you with a wonderful opportunity to mix and match your Oven Mitts with your Cookware Set in a way that beautifully pulls together your kitchen space—something that silicone mitts would never do.
A kitchen is the heart of your home. Matching your Oven Mitts with the rest of yourLinens Set is a great way to create an upscale yet homey space.
Single or Double
When buying Oven Mitts, it’s always a good idea to buy them in pairs. While you may want to buy just one to save space and clutter in your kitchen, it’s more worthwhile to buy two because they’ll come in handy in the kitchen.
When you’re pulling a hot pan out of the oven, you want to have as much control as possible! Therefore, it’s best to always use both hands. So, if your Dutch Oven is full of dinner for your whole family, two Oven Mitts can save the day. Or, if one needs a quick wash, its partner can be ready to go in your kitchen.
As part of Caraway’s commitment to intentional living and thoughtful design, our Oven Mitts have fabric loops attached, so they can hang anywhere you choose.
Enjoy Your Mitts!
Silicone oven mitts may have seemed like a good choice at one point in time, but traditional cotton Oven Mitts are truly the better option.
From ample arm protection from hot surfaces to a vintage meets modern aesthetic that completes your kitchen, cotton Oven Mitts are guaranteed to meet your needs and more.
We work around a lot of fire and heat in the outdoor cooking game. Protect yourself with heat-resistant BBQ and grill gloves. They’re cheaper than a hospital visit!
Grilling gloves are a must-have item. They protect you when you’re working around so many high heat items.
The best grill gloves will allow you to manage the hot charcoal or grill grates without looking like you’re trying to perform a circus act. They keep your fingers from burning when you’re flipping burgers. They help you to more easily handle grilling baskets and pots that hold your food.
But as with all things in life, some BBQ gloves are better than others.
Before going into a buying guide that explains how grill gloves are different from oven mitts, the difference in fit and heat resistance between different fabrics, and ultimately why we believe these are an essential item.
Why Do You Need Grilling Gloves?
You can’t get away with using the pot holder your grandmother knit you when you’re working at the grill. Even some oven mitts designed for use in a kitchen can ignite when they’re exposed to open flame or the heat of a grill.
One of the benefits of grilling gloves over oven mitts is they have separated fingers. This allows you to be more agile when handling hot items or holding tools over a hot grill. Mitten-style pot holders are bulky and can be dangerous when you’re moving hot, heavy items.
When you’re cooking in a kitchen, your hands and arms aren’t usually exposed to hot surfaces for long periods of time. A pot holder will suffice when pulling baking pans out of the oven or touching hot handles.
When you’re grilling, your hands and arms are often working directly over the fire. One wrong move could lead to serious burns. Plus, it can get uncomfortable holding your arms over such a hot surface.
Grill gloves are designed to protect you from this type of heat. You’ll be able to move food around on your grill leisurely without having to withdraw your hands repeatedly. Some types of grill gloves even let you handle hot coals or grill grates without additional tools.
Do You Need Gloves Specifically Designed for BBQ?
Not necessarily. However, they must be designed to withstand a certain amount of heat.
For example, some grilling gloves are made from thick leather. They’re made differently than those you wear to shovel snow. Don’t assume that your regular leather gloves can withstand heat just because they’re thick and durable.
On the other hand, gloves that are made for working with heat in other ways can double up for use in grilling. Some people choose to use welding gloves for instance.
The experts at Baker’s Gas and Welding Supplies explain that welding gloves come in a variety of materials. Thick suede being the most heat resistant.
Welding gloves may be the best option if you want to touch hot coals or grates. They’re designed for coming into contact with hot metal and can handle this type of heat better than even most bbq gloves – And they are far cheaper too!
What Are BBQ Gloves Used For?
A person wearing BBQ gloves moving sausages around a hot grill.
Some of the situations in which you might use grilling gloves are:
- Grasping hot handles on pots, pans and grill baskets.
- Turning the coals out of a chimney starter.
- Reaching over a large grate to flip burgers.
- Shifting grates to add charcoal or wood to a grill.
- Moving logs in a campfire.
- Grabbing hot food from the grill.
- Turning skewers without fiddling with tongs.
- Reaching into a smoker.
Do the Best BBQ Gloves all Have the Same Heat Resistance?
Grilling gloves have different designs. Some are meant to protect your hands and arms from radiant heat. Others are designed to be used as pot holders.
The manufacturer usually describes the degree to which they are are heat resistant. Char-broil explains that the temperature near the grates of a grill can get up to 550 degrees Fahrenheit while you’re cooking.
The actual grates can get even hotter than that, depending on the type of grill or smoker you use. Not all grill gloves are designed to come into contact with hot metal, charcoal or wood. Some should not be exposed to open flame.
Does It Matter If They Are Waterproof?
Someone brushing off hot grill grates while wearing gloves for grilling
Even though you’re not planning to submerge your hands in a pot of boiling water, the water resistance of grilling gloves makes a difference. Wet surfaces conduct heat better than dry surfaces. If your gloves absorb moisture, they won’t provide the same level of heat resistance.
In other words, if it’s raining, or your gloves absorb some oil or grease, some types of fabric won’t protect you anymore. If absorbent and they get wet or oily from handling foods, you could get burned, because heat transfers through moisture faster than through dry material.
The same consideration should be made if you’re working with hot oil. Oil can get through woven fabric in much the same way as steam. If it’s absorbed by the fabric, it can burn your skin inside the glove. However, hot oil can also melt certain molded materials. Check the manufacturer’s recommendations if you’ll be working with hot fats and oils.
