Buzz
There’s a “pro tip” I’ve seen circulating online—real chefs grab hot pans and handles with kitchen towels, not oven mitts. It’s almost as if they’re calling you an amateur. Okay, maybe not exactly that, but you get the idea. While this may be common in some kitchens, towels as mitts aren’t the standard practice everywhere. When handling hot metal, oven mitts are truly the best option.
In my experience, using folded kitchen towels (and it’s always this specific kind) to handle hot sheet pans has never been a common practice. If it did happen, it was probably a one-off, like a 3% chance, when the mitts mysteriously vanished. And aside from comfort, there’s a critical reason for this: Towels can actually be hazardous.
Why Towels Should Never Be Used as Oven Mitts
The main problem with towels is that they’re, well, towels. They’re meant for drying things, typically hands or freshly cleaned tools. As a result, towels inevitably become damp or wet. In a busy kitchen, if there are damp towels lying around, someone is bound to grab one in a rush and use it to remove a hot pan of roasted pork from a 400°F oven. What do they get? A painful steam burn. The moisture in the towel turns into steam when it touches the hot metal, and fast. To make matters worse, the chef is then stuck holding a hot pan of food. Their choices? Drop the pan or endure the burn while trying to put the food down safely. Towels are meant for drying. Let’s leave the hazardous jobs to the pros.
The Top Oven Mitts for Your Kitchen
Oven mitts are designed specifically for the task—they’re thick, heat-resistant, and flame-retardant. You’d never think to use them to dry your dishes. Here are some of my favorites.
Cover more than just your hands. I was never a fan of potholders. They just don’t feel secure to me. I prefer mitts with thumbs, plus coverage for the wrist and forearm. The short, stubby ones that only cover your hand are okay, but they don’t offer protection for your arms. There’s always a risk of brushing against the oven’s edge or the upper rack, so go for the longer mitts to avoid that danger.
Grill Mitts. Grill mitts should provide arm protection up to the elbow. I’m giving these a special mention because grill and brick oven temperatures exceed those of a typical home oven by a huge margin. Your home oven may run at 350°F, but a grill can hit a scorching 600°F. And let’s not forget about the open flames. Invest in oven mitts that can endure higher heat levels.
Consider gloves instead. I understand—mitts can feel awkward, and folded towels seem to offer more precision. But what about trying gloves? These oven gloves are heat-resistant with silicone grips and a touch of wrist protection. They provide the safety you need while offering more flexibility than the typical oven mitt.
