The Best Oven Mitts for Every Budget

From silicone to fabric and gloves to potholders, there is an oven mitt to fit your needs and budget.

By Nellah Bailey McGough Updated September 04, 2020

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| Credit: Bed Bath & Beyond

A silver lining of having to stay at home during the quarantine is getting back into the kitchen. While taking online cooking classes and participating in our #SLbakes challenge each week, I realized that my oven mitts are truly tattered. Buying oven mitts is not typically on the top of my shopping list but that’s now moved up in priority. So, I set out to find oven mitts that are cute, safe, well made, and will fit my budget. Oven mitts have come a long way since the loomed potholders I made in Girl Scouts and if you want to do a fun craft project with your kids or grandkids, try one of these loomed potholder kits. In my search, I found that there are lots of choices – silicone oven mitts, cute oven mitts, fabric oven mitts, and the granddaddy of oven mitt material, Kevlar & Nomex. Next question, do I want a mitt or glove; short or long length; a potholder or a pinch mitt (these look like little lobster claws)? So many choices! The basic prices seem to range from $3 to $30, depending on style and number in the package. So, they’re not too pricey and since I keep them for years, they’ll pay for themselves many times over. Here is a breakdown of the various options.

"No one is born a great cook, one learns by doing.”

— Julia Child, MY LIFE IN FRANCE

Cute Oven Mitts

Decorative cotton fabric definitely lends itself to those cute oven mitts. I have fabric oven mitts that are probably 20 years old that still work fine but have seen better days. These mitts typically have a thick insulation covered with cotton fabric. They are inexpensive but aren’t as heat tolerant as silicone. When using a fabric potholder, invariably I’ll forget my hands are wet and the heat of that cookie sheet leads to a painful reminder! They do stain as opposed to silicone but I just throw mine in the washer and dryer and they’ve done fine over the years.

Silicone Oven Mitts

Silicone is waterproof, durable, heat-resistant, and flexible and they’re easily cleaned in the top rack of your dishwasher. These days, silicone mitts come in lots of colors and now there are silicone pinch mitts. However, I’m a bit too clumsy to try and pinch the sides of a steaming hot casserole dish with these so I better stick with oven mitts and pot holders. Silicone provides a good grip and combined with other fabric oven mitts, makes for the best of both worlds!

Best Oven Mitts

Kevlar and Nomex oven mitts are made from the same strong, synthetic fabric found in firefighter clothes. These oven mitts are typically paired with silicone for a great grip while withstanding high heat and are best for protection. Perfect for the grill, changing hot light bulbs, as well as pulling out that hot casserole from the oven. These can go in the washing machine but should be air dried.

Here are some great choices for style and function: