What To Use Instead Of Oven Mitts | 5 Alternatives
Sure, oven mitts are the conventional way to protect your hands from heat when cooking. But what if you don’t have any oven mitts? Or what if you’re out of them and can’t find any at the store? Don’t worry, there are plenty of other things you can use in your kitchen to protect your hands from heat. These life hacks for using things you already have in your kitchen can remove all your tension about what to use instead of oven mitts.
What To Use Instead Of The Oven Mitts?
There are many items in our kitchen that can serve as oven mitts if you find yourself in a pinch. From potholders to silicone gloves, you can find many ways to protect our hands from heat without using traditional oven mitts. Here are five life hacks for using things you already have in your kitchen instead of oven mitts:
Pot Holders
When it comes to protecting your hands from heat while cooking, oven mitts are not the only option. In fact, there are several types of potholders that can be used for different purposes.
Here, we’ve brought two options to consider the next time you’re in the kitchen. The first one is the Silicone pot holders. These flexible pot holders can be used for a variety of tasks, from gripping hot pans to removing cookies from the oven. They’re also easy to clean and store. The second one is a Quilted pot holder and can be used to hold the oven effortlessly because of its soft texture.
Silicone Gloves
Silicone gloves are a great option if you’re looking for a more reliable way to protect your hands from hot surfaces than oven mitts. Made of heat-resistant silicone, these gloves can withstand temperatures up to around 500 degrees Fahrenheit. They’re also flexible and comfortable to wear, so you can keep a good grip on whatever you’re handling.
Tea Towels
If you’ve ever been frustrated by oven mitts slipping off your hands or not being able to get a good grip, tea towels are the answer. Made of absorbent fabric, they give you a better grip on hot pots and pans and can be easily washed. Plus, they’re cheaper than oven mitts!
Dish Towels
Generally speaking, oven mitts are great for protecting your hands from heat, but they can be bulky and inconvenient. If you’re looking for a more lightweight option, consider using dish towels instead. Dish towels are made of thinner material, so they won’t insulate your hands as well as oven mitts, but they’ll still provide some protection. Plus, you can use them for other things around the kitchen, like drying dishes, when you’re not using them to protect your hands from heat.
Oven Racks
Oven racks are one of the most versatile tools in the kitchen. They can be used for everything from baking to roasting to broiling. And, they’re a great alternative to oven mitts. Here are two ways you can use oven racks: The first one is as a baking sheet: Oven racks can be used in place of baking sheets. Simply line the rack with parchment paper or foil, and you’re ready!
And the second one is as a roasting pan: Oven racks make great roasting pans too! This is because the temperature can flow through the oven racks. You can simply hold the side part of the oven racks, removing the need for oven mitts.
Why Don’t Most Chefs Use Oven Mitts?
The main reason for the chefs not to wear oven mitts is that they learn how to move around their kitchen without getting burned. They learn how to cook at a high temperature without getting burned. Their skin becomes thick and calloused, and they develop a tolerance for the heat. Their hands become as tough as leather. Besides, they want to be able to feel the heat, so they can know when the temperature is at the best heat level for the food.
Chefs often say that the best tools in the kitchen are your hands. The reason for this is that your hands are the most sensitive parts of your body and allow you to feel the ingredients, get a sense of how they’re reacting, and get a sense of whether they’re cooked properly.
So, another reason why chefs don’t use oven mitts is that they’re not using their hands to touch the food they’re cooking. They’re using their tools for cooking the food, so they need to be able to feel around for those tools in order to do it effectively. In short, chefs don’t use oven mitts because it slows them down.
Are Microfiber Towels Good For Handling Ovens?
Microfiber towels are great for cleaning, but they’re not meant for handling extremely high temperatures. For something like an oven, we recommend using a silicone oven mitt. Silicone is heat-proof up to 600 degrees Fahrenheit and still offers a lot of the same benefits that microfiber offers.
Usually, microfiber towels are suitable for most household needs because of their strength and durability. But they’re also very soft and absorbent, which weakens them to withstand higher temperatures. If you separate the oven handling uses, they can tackle any job you want them to do, and the best part is that they’ll still be in excellent condition even after many uses.
In several conditions, you absolutely shouldn’t use microfiber towels for cooking or cleaning. For instance, microfiber is excellent with water, but it has a tendency to attract oils and grease. If you’re cooking with oil in a cast iron pan, it will absorb the oil and make your pan sticky.
Similarly, although microfiber towels are good for cleaning your oven, don’t use them for hot ovens. If you’re using a microfiber towel to clean your heated oven, you might find that the towel melts. Because microfiber towels are made from synthetic materials and are usually too thin to handle high heat. You should better use them for dusting and wiping surfaces.
Last Speech
Given these points, you see that there are many options in your kitchen that can be used as alternatives to oven mitts. Use pot holders or oven racks when the oven temperature is less high. If you are fond of towel-type materials, you can also use a dish towel to hold lesser hot ovens. Choose the tea towels when you need a better grip on your slippery ovens. Finally, you can go for silicone gloves to get the best experience when you need something instead of oven mitts.
