- The best oven mitts provide excellent dexterity, protect your hands from burns, and will last for many years to come.
- The Homwe Extra Long Professional Silicone Oven Mitts cover all the bases, plus, they’re easy to clean and keep your forearms protected from scalding-hot liquids or when you’re reaching deep into the oven.
Whether you tried to grab a hot cast-iron skillet with a wet cotton pot holder or you were helping a mageirocophobic friend use their oven for the first time and had to make do with a beach towel, anyone who has spent a significant amount of time in the kitchen has been burned by bad oven mitts. Fortunately, there are several low-cost solutions that will protect you from all degrees of burns.
For the purposes of this guide, we are essentially looking at all types of oven mitts, gloves, and pot holders that were created for the express purpose of handling hot cookware safely. Each style has its own benefits and pitfalls, so you’ll want to choose which kind of protection is best for your needs.
Oven mitts are a favorite because they tend to cover your hands and the forearms, giving you extra protection when reaching into an oven. The downside is that they are bulkier. Pot holders are preferred by many because they are small and easy to grab in a hurry. Finally, oven gloves are the top choice for people who want dexterity above all else.
Silicone is one of the most popular materials used in oven mitts these days because it provides a combination of heat protection and grip. Aramid fibers, like Nomex and Kevlar, are also found in the high-end options. These materials were designed for superior protection from burns. Terry cloth and quilted cotton continue to be popular for pot holders.
We found the best oven mitts were made from a combination of materials. For instance, there are several mitts that have a silicone exterior and cotton liner. Many of the top oven gloves are made with aramid fibers and have silicone elements throughout.
While researching the best oven mitts, we considered dozens of different options. Some were highly rated by experts but had bad reviews from the buyers who actually used them. The mitts and pot holders that made our list are considered superior by professionals and amateur home chefs alike because of their durability, heat protection, and flexibility.
Here are the best oven mitts:
- Best overall: Homwe Extra Long Professional Silicone Oven Mitts
- Best oven gloves: Grill Armor Gloves
- Best Kevlar oven mitt: San Jamar Kool-Tek Nomex Oven Mitt
- Best silicone pot holder: OXO Good Grips Silicone Pot Holder
- Best pot holders on a budget: DII Cotton Terry Pot Holders
Prices and links are current as of 5/20/20. We added a product showcase at the top of the guide to give you the best snapshot of our picks. We also added more purchase options for several products on the list so you can choose which retailer you'd like to shop from.
The best overall
If you are looking for affordable oven mitts that clean up effortlessly and keep your hands and forearms free from burns, the Homwe Extra Long Professional Silicone Oven Mitts are your best bet.
The exterior of the Homwe oven mitts is made of BPA-free, FDA-approved silicone that offers protection up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. The silicone is flexible, breathable, and textured for improved grip control. The interior features a quilted cotton lining. The oven mitts come as a pair and are designed for grilling, baking, and handling scalding hot liquids.
There are two different lengths to choose from - 14.7 inches and 13.7 inches - and a few different colors so you can choose the ones that best go with your kitchen decor. These oven mitts are dishwasher and washing machine safe. Plus, Homwe backs up the quality of this product with the offer of a full refund if the mitts don't meet your expectations.
We're not alone in rating the Homwe oven mitts as the best option overall. Wirecutter also put it at the top of its list because the mitts are water-resistant, easy to clean, and allowed testers to hold a 400-degree cast iron skillet for eleven seconds.
Pros: Flexible, broad coverage area, easy to clean, affordable
Cons: May be too large for people with small hands, somewhat slippery
The best oven gloves
The Grill Armor Gloves are ideal for home chefs who want full use of their fingers while handling extremely hot cookware.
The Grill Armor Gloves feature P-ARAMID and M-ARAMID fabric insulation that is designed to avoid melting or catching fire when exposed to open flames. The exterior also has silicone for improved grip. And, the interior is 100% cotton.
As the name suggests, the gloves are designed to be heat resistant up to 932 degrees Fahrenheit and are EN407 certified. Two gloves come with the set, and they are machine washable. Grill Armor Gloves offer a money-back guarantee with this product.
Wirecutter gave the gloves high marks for maneuverability and dexterity, but they lost points because they weren't as heat-resistant as many of the other pot holders and oven mitts. It's important to note that oven mitts will give you more protection, but oven gloves are good for most use cases where dexterity trumps the amount of protection provided.
These oven gloves were also recommended by AmazingRibs.com. In its tests, the reviewers were able to handle burning cedar logs and hot briquettes while wearing the gloves.
Because these are fabric, it's important to know that getting them wet will greatly diminish their protection properties, so take extra care when handing pots and pans full of liquid.
Pros: Lifetime warranty, good dexterity
Cons: Do not provide protection from liquids or when wet
The best Kevlar oven mitt
If you are will to spend a little extra for a durable and dependable oven mitt that provides excellent protection for your hands and forearms, consider the San Jamar Kool-Tek Nomex Oven Mitt.
The San Jamar Oven Mitt features layers of Kevlar and Nomex. Kevlar is perhaps best known for its use in bullet-resistant body armor, but it also protects your hands from heat, abrasions, and cuts. Nomex is a fireproof fabric that race car drivers wear. This mitt is NSF P149 certified for use in commercial foodservice and has a Class II designation for intermittent flame protection.
Basically, that all just means that the mitt is verifiably high quality. Only one mitt comes with your purchase, but it can be used on either hand. The overall length of the mitt is 15 inches, but there are other lengths available if you'd like one longer or shorter.
Cook's Illustrated's testers were impressed with how the layers of Kevlar and Nomex provided all-around dependability as well as heat resistance. They put it through eighteen rounds of testing, including trips through the laundry, and it showed incredible durability.
While the mitts are a bit unwieldy, they do a great job of protecting the wrists and forearms when reaching into an oven.
Pros: Machine washable, durable, exceptional heat resistance
Cons: Expensive, may be too big for many people
The best silicone pot holder
The OXO Good Grips Silicone Pot Holder is an innovative update to the classic pot holder. One side is a heat-resistant silicone while the interior is 100% cotton.
The OXO Good Grips Pot Holder features steam and stain-resistant silicone grips that are able to handle temperatures up to 600 degrees Fahrenheit. The pocket's interior liner is made of 100% cotton.
The holder is 10 inches in length, and the hanging loop is made of silicone, so you can hang it on a hook for easy accessibility. The pot holder can be cleaned in your washing machine and dryer, or you can just wipe it down with a damp sponge.
Cook's Illustrated also listed the OXO Good Grips Silicone Pot Holder as its best pot holder. The testers noted that they felt confident and safe using this option when maneuvering scalding water and piping-hot skillets. Wirecutter liked that you can get a secure grip with the pot holder, thanks to the silicone coating. Plus, this pot holder allowed them to hold a 400-degree cast iron skillet for twice as long as any of the other alternatives they tested.
Pros: Flexible, strong heat resistance, non-skid grip
Cons: Not waterproof, may not be ideal for handling smaller items
The best potholders on a budget
The DII Cotton Terry Pot Holders are best for people looking for an inexpensive solution for handling cookware at temperatures up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Made of quilted 100% terry cloth cotton, the DII Cotton Terry Pot Holders are rated for temperatures up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, which makes them ideal for removing hot pots from the stove or pans from the oven. Yet, you would not want to use these pot holders around an open flame, for extreme temperature tasks, or for dishes that might get a little wet.
Each set comes with three pot holders that are approximately seven inches square. And, there are 22 colors to choose from, including sage, red, eggplant, and black.
These won't last forever and since they're cotton they're susceptible to stains and burns, but they're affordable, so you can easily replace them if one meets its demise resting on a stove burner too long.
Pros: Many colors to choose from, comfortable grip, affordable
Cons: Reports of it coming apart at the seams, not as heat-resistant as more-expensive options
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