The Best Oven Mitts for All of Your Cooking and Baking Needs
Courtesy of Target
If you make a lot of casseroles, do a lot of baking, or simply like to roast vegetables, you know how important it is to have good oven mitts. Whether you're taking a sheet pan out of the oven, moving a Dutch oven from one burner to another, or grilling kebabs, you'll want a reliable pair of oven gloves or mitts to protect your hands from the heat. When shopping for oven mitts, look for iterations made from thick, flexible materials. "The thick material is necessary for heat resistance, and the flexibility is important because you want to be able to handle many different sizes and shapes of baking vessels," Andrea Prunella, executive pastry chef of Chip City in New York City, says. Additionally, if you can find a pair of oven mitts long enough to reach your elbows, that will help you from getting wrist burns (ouch).
Thick cotton gloves are Prunella's go-to for high heat resistance, which is key for handling heavier items like cast-iron skillets or Dutch ovens. "I personally like to use oven mitts that are colorful or even have funny graphics or sayings on them to add to the fun in the kitchen," she says. Oven mitts come in a wide variety of different designs and materials, and we encourage you to browse online and in person to find what works best for you. To help get you started on your search, check out our top picks below.
Best Oven Mitts to Buy in 2021
Martha's Favorite: Martha Stewart Collection Pot Holder & Oven Mitt Set
Best Glove Option: The 'Ove' Glove
Best Splurge-Worthy: Food52 x Farmhouse Pottery Double Oven Mitt
Smartest Set: KitchenAid Two-Pack Asteroid Oven Mitts
Related: Our Shoppable Guide to the Best Baking Sheets
Martha's Favorite
When creating this chic striped set, our founder went with a quality pot holder and a single oven mitt made of cotton with heat-resistant silicone grips to prevent any slipping when you take that chocolate soufflé out of the oven. Both come with a hanging loop for easy storage and are machine washable.
Shop Now: Martha Stewart Collection Pot Holder and Oven Mitt Set, $16.99, macys.com.
Best Silicone Option
These BPA-free silicone oven mitts have the most wrist (and even arm) protection of all of our picks, measuring 13.7 inches long. They're heat safe up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and have a quilted lining that makes them more comfortable to use compared to other silicone options. Another advantage of silicone gloves is that they do not absorb liquids or hot steam the way fabric oven mitts do. To clean, you can pop them in the washing machine or simply run them under warm water with some soap.
Shop Now: HOMWE Silicone Oven Mitts, One Pair, $12.97, amazon.com.
Best Splurge-Worthy
If you have trouble keeping track of two oven mitts, this double oven mitt is for you. It has a plush slot at each end to slide your hands into, and the fabric in the middle protects your wrists. The Food52 x Farmhouse Pottery Double Oven Mitt comes in a variety of gingham colors to match your kitchen style. It measures eight inches wide by 34.5 inches long, and the yarn-dyed linen and cotton fabric is machine washable. To store, drape it over your oven door or hang it by its attached loop.
Shop Now: Food52 x Farmhouse Pottery Double Oven Mitt, $57, food52.com.
Best Flexible Grip
Combining the flexibility of cotton with the heat resistance of silicone, these mitts have the best of both worlds. They measure 12.5 inches long, which is an ideal length for protecting wrists and forearms. The Big Red House Oven Mitts are heat resistant up to 480 degrees Fahrenheit and sold as a pair. These mitts are suitable for a variety of tasks, from taking a pan out of the oven to flipping burgers on a hot grill.
Shop Now: Big Red House Oven Mitts, One Pair, $13.99, amazon.com.
Best Set
This pair of oven mitts is a solid all-around option made of durable heat-resistant cotton to protect your hands while handling hot pots and sheet pans. Small heart-shaped silicone grips help you to get an even more secure hold on hot cookware. They are also pretty spacious, which makes them well suited for people with larger hands. They're machine washable and have a hanging loop for storing.
Shop Now: KitchenAid Two-Pack Asteroid Oven Mitts, $19.99, target.com.
Best Mini Option
The mini version of our "Best Set" pick handles hot cookware well with the added benefit of taking up less space in your kitchen. The KitchenAid Asteroid Mini Cotton Oven Mitts mini mitts are made of heat-resistant cotton and heat safe up to 302 degrees Fahrenheit. They're sold as a set of two and feature textured silicone grips to help you get a more secure hold on whatever you're handling. They're machine washable and feature KitchenAid's new logo.
Shop Now: KitchenAid Asteroid Mini Cotton Oven Mitts with Silicone Grip, One Pair, $15.99, amazon.com.
Best Glove Option
What the "Ove" Glove lacks in aesthetics (compared to our other picks, that is) it makes up for in ease of use and protection. It's heat-safe up to 540 degrees Fahrenheit and covers your wrists, qualities which make it a great option for grilling. The glove design and non-slip grip are perfect for handling everything from heavy pots to grilling skewers. The heat and flame protective material is machine washable and sold as a pair of gloves.
Shop Now: The "Ove" Glove, One Pair, $19.89, target.com.
Best Fabric Option
A Crate & Barrel exclusive, this classic gray oven mitt with a leather hanging loop is sure to look at home in any kitchen. The cotton and linen blend has been enzyme washed for softness and will continue to soften with subsequent washes. They recommend a cold wash on a gentle cycle and hanging it to dry.
Shop Now: Crate & Barrel Chambray Gray Oven Mitt, $12.95, crateandbarrel.com.
Best Budget
This all-in-one set comes with a pair of oven mitts and a pair of potholders at an affordable price. The cotton exterior of each piece has a printed silicone design that offers a secure non-slip grip, and the overall thickness offers heat protection up to 392 degrees Fahrenheit. The oven mitts and pot holders all have a loop to hang them by when not in use, and they're all machine washable.
Shop Now: Win Change Oven Mitts and Potholders, Four-Piece Set, $11.98, amazon.com.
