One of the best ways to keep your pots and pans safe is to purchase the best pot pads for cooking pots and pans. These essential pieces of kitchen equipment make the cooking process more accessible and safer. These are also a great way to protect your hands when transferring hot dishes. The following are some tips to help you choose the right pot pad for your needs. If you’re in the market for a new one, these tips will help you find the perfect one.
What Are Potholders?
When handling hot kitchen cooking equipment like pots and pans, a potholder is a piece of textile (typically quilted) or silicone that covers the hand. Polyester and cotton are typically used in their construction, and cotton yarn can crochet potholders as a craft project or folk art. A potholder protects only one hand at a time. Two potholders are required to lift a pan with two hot handles with both hands. The potholder is folded around a hot piece of equipment and grabbed with the hand to hold it. A rubber surface will be used to grip one side, while on the other, a fabric surface will be used to absorb heat.
What To Consider When Choosing The Best Pot Holders?
There are many potholders, and knowing the differences is essential when looking for the perfect set. Type and design, the material from which it is constructed, the size and cover provided by the holder, and whether it matches the home’s decor will all likely play a role in customers’ decisions.
Type
Traditional pot holders, mats, handle covers, oven mitts, and gloves are the five varieties of pot holders seen in most houses. Each variety has a distinct purpose, but the ideal approach to shield one’s hands from hot cooking surfaces is a matter of personal preference.
- Pot holders are generally flat and contain pockets at the top and bottom of one side into which hands can slide. Cooks can use the potholder as a barrier between their hands and the hot surface when gripping hot pans or handles. Because they are flat, they are easy to stack in drawers, and they come in various shapes and colors.
- Mats are versatile and composed of heat-resistant solid rubber. They can be used to hold a hot pan, as a landing site for hot pans, or even as a dish drying mat.
- Metal handles of some skillets and pans heat up when they’re on the stove or in the oven. Handle covers make moving, grabbing, and removing these pans a breeze. Because these potholders are tiny, they may be slipped over a pan’s handle for storage or cleaning.
- Oven gloves are a must-have in any kitchen, and they come in a variety of sizes, materials, and colors. Some are made of durable rubber that can be washed, while others are made of heat-resistant fabric. Many oven mitts go beyond the wrist to shield the forearms from the heat.
- Gloves can come in handy while using the oven or grill. An oven glove protects the hand and wrist while allowing the fingers to move and grip individuals who require more excellent dexterity than an oven mitt can provide. These gloves can sometimes double as dishwashing gloves, depending on the material they’re made of.
Material
Cotton, silicone, or a combination of the two make the greatest potholders. These heat-resistant materials offer a great hand, finger, and wrist protection while cooking, baking, or grilling. Cotton is frequently used as a liner for silicone mittens and gloves and in the manufacture of handle holders and mats. Although cotton is a soft and comfy internal fabric for a potholder, it can be challenging to clean if used on the external shell (think about what potholders look like after making lasagna).
Size and Coverage
The size of a potholder is essential, and this is especially true for pot holders that are used as gloves. Many gloves are made in the “one size fits most” style, but they may not suit home cooks with unusually small or large hands. Look for gloves in various sizes in those categories, or choose a different potholder style. It’s also vital to consider how much skin the potholder covers. Some mats are only big enough to shield your fingertips from burns. On the other hand, some protective gloves may extend to the elbow, shielding the forearm, hand, and fingers from the heat. The latter is an excellent option for individuals who cook on a grill or in a brick oven and need to remove, rotate, or monitor the food with an arm inserted into the heat source.
Features
While searching for a potholder, aA few elements to look for will make your new purchase even more helpful. For example, pot holders with hanging loops take up no room in kitchen drawers. Hang the mitt, glove, or mat on a wall (or on the refrigerator door) to keep it out of the way but accessible when needed. Grillmasters who need to wear gloves or mitts when operating a charcoal grill or smoker might consider investing in fire-resistant pot holders, which will not burn if rogue flames rise from the grill suddenly. Potholders that aren’t fire-resistant may catch fire and cause injury to the user.
Comfort and Ease of Use
When making a cake, an ill-fitting oven mitt is the last thing anyone wants. To avoid mishaps or buyer’s regret, be sure the potholder you’re considering is constructed of a material that’s both comfortable to wear and maneuverable. If a scratchy glove distracts the cook while removing a steaming lasagna from the oven, the cook may find up wearing supper. Find alternatives with soft inner fabrics, precise sizing for a perfect fit, and a straightforward design for ease of use.
Conclusion
Most of the most significant pot holders are helpful for more than just removing items from the oven or stove. Oven mitts or gloves can also be used around the grill to protect fingers from being burned.
Mats can be used as trivets and holding handles or baking trays. Trivets are placed between a hot pan and a table to protect them from heat damage. Silicone mats can also improve grip strength when opening jars with tight lids.
