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It took testing out a new pair of oven mitts to realize that my pair hadn’t been serving me well. Awkwardly shaped, not that heatproof, and unable to securely grip anything, my simple cotton pair wasn’t getting the job done.
While the Ove Glove looks almost too gimmicky to be true, it’s a superior oven mitt. As the name implies, the glove shape gives each finger full flexibility and range of motion. That makes all the difference when lifting very hot and very heavy dishes, especially those with small handles. Because both sides of the gloves have a nonslip silicone grip, you’ll still have a secure grasp even if you, like me, have smaller hands that almost drown in the material. I carried my hot casserole dishes from the oven and across the kitchen to the dinner table with the confidence that I wouldn’t lose my grip and drop food all over myself. (This is a legitimate fear of mine.)
According to the manufacturer’s website, Ove Gloves are made from the same fire-resistant material that firefighters use when they’re battling thousand-degree fires. I’ve never fought a fire, but I do know that these mitts can handle the highest of kitchen temperatures. I held a hot sheet of cookies for around 30 seconds before my hands started feeling warm. With the gloves on, I easily changed the position of my oven racks in my preheated oven. (I wouldn’t recommend doing this, but I needed to put these gloves to the test.)
I tested other nonslip silicone oven mitts, including the Williams-Sonoma Ultimate Oven Mitt and the All-Clad Textiles Silicone Oven Mitt to see if the glove shape was actually useful. All of the oven mitts I tested had similar levels of heat protection. But even with the silicone grip, the traditionally shaped mitts provided less control than the Ove Gloves. With the gloves, I could easily pick up hot metal skewers or wield a pair of tongs.
Although the gloves can withstand temperatures of up to 540°, they’re not foolproof. Unlike most mitts that cover more of my forearm, Ove Gloves only go past my wrist. There’s still the risk of burns if you’re reaching deep into the oven, or if you bump yourself on the rack. Of course, you can always just be careful.
If you’re looking for oven mitts that won’t only protect you from burning yourself on hot dishes but will also prevent you from dropping said dishes, ditch the mitts: The best hand protection comes in the form of gloves.
