Did it ever happen to you or any friend or family that they tried to move a hot pot with bare hands and got burned? Most likely, you have heard about such an incident from someone you know. Due to the sensitivity of our skin, it cannot withstand heat. When our skin comes into contact with anything hot, it will become heat-induced immediately. That’s why you can’t touch any hot item directly without any gloves or mitts.
Why Should You Wear An Oven Mitt Or Glove To Pick Up A Pot From A Stove
Oven mitts are a kind of special hand-wear that is made of thick clothing to protect the hands from excessive heat. In modern times, silicon is also used to make oven mitts or hand gloves to make them water and stain-resistant. These hand-wears are worn in the kitchen to protect the hand from heat and using these also makes handling hotpots easier.
Whether you cook food on the stove or in the oven, after cooking, the utensils become too warm to touch. If you try to move them while they are warm without any mittens, it is obvious you’ll get hurt. You can wait for the dish to cool down, tho it’ll take time and your food may not taste the best. So if you want to serve fresh food without getting hurt, you must use gloves.
There are some other options available for holding warm utensils on the stove or oven. Like, towels and potholders. Here is a short discussion about the other options for you to know why the hand needs an oven mitt over others.
Oven Mitts Vs Towels
In here the towels don’t mean shower towels. We are talking about the towels used in the kitchen to clean and dry the kitchen, counter, and dishes. They have several types such as kitchen towels, tea towels, dish towels, flour sack towels, etc. They are named after their uses though they have small differences in their features.
All of these towels are small in size. You may know about kitchen towels as they are used to clean the kitchen counter. Where tea towels are used in cleaning tea utensils and holding hot teapots. Tea towels are more like designed handkerchiefs, they were used on tea tables in the Middle age.
If you’re using a small towel only to clean and dry dishes then you can call it a dish towel. On the other hand, flour sack towels can be used for any purpose. These thin, white towels are used to carry flour at first, then they are reused as towels.
Many chefs use towels instead of mittens because they feel comfortable using them. That doesn’t mean you have to use them too. There is a certain technique of holding them while picking up any pot. If you don’t know it, then the pot may fall from your hand and you’ll hurt yourself. Moreover, towels don’t cover your full hand as they are not fixed to the hand. So there is a chance of burning the towel or yourself while using them to hold hotpots.
Oven Mitts Vs Potholders
Potholders, oven mitts, and gloves are made of the same materials. Yet they are different in their appearances. The potholders are like a flat piece of cloth that you can get in different shapes and designs. Hence, it doesn’t cover or protect your hand’s back, wrist, and forearms. So the potential of getting in touch with heat is there if you use them.
Oven Mitts Vs Gloves
Though both of them are the same, gloves are more flexible and waterproof. Thus you can do all the work wearing gloves. Professional chefs of restaurants and hotels wear gloves so that they don’t have to wear and remove mittens over and over again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Do We Use Mittens To Carry Hot Trays?
Mittens are used to save our hands from burning at the time of holding hot objects. Because if we come in contact with any hot object, utensil, dish, or tray we’ll be burnt by it.
How to Use Oven Mitts?
You should wear oven mitts at the time of handling any hot item. You can simply wear them on your hands and hold any type of vessel.
Are Oven Mitts Insulators?
Oven mitts are made of materials or cloths that are unable to absorb heat. Their molecules don’t move if they are put in a warm atmosphere. Which is the main characteristic of insulators. That means oven mitts are insulators.
How Many Oven Mitts Do You Need?
It is up to you how many oven mitts you need. Some people prefer to work with only one mitt so that they can use the other hand freely. But sometimes for carrying big vessels or trays you need both hands. So if you buy them in pairs it’ll be best for you as you can use them according to your usage.
Conclusion
As you can see, you need oven mitts on your hand to pick up the hotpot from the stove or oven. Because they not only cover your palm but also the wrist, forearm, and back of your hand. So to protect the whole hand, there is no better option than mitts or gloves. But at the end of the day, it is your choice what you want to use for your comfort and safeguard.
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