The Best Oven Mitts of 2023

We find this OXO Good Grips Silicone Oven Mitt and Pot Holder Set to be the perfect size, especially for people with small hands. It does well in high heat, and you'll be able to hold a hot tray for up to four minutes without feeling any heat. The soft silicone material gives fingers enough room to perform precision tasks, such as grabbing a teaspoon or whisk, without removing the mitt.

The only downside is that the set comes with one mitt and one potholder. For people who often roast or bake in heavy cooking vessels that require both hands to transfer, this set isn’t practical as the pot holder isn’t nearly as effective as the mitt.

If you’d rather grab a pair of silicone mitts than stick with plain old cotton, the Homwe Extra Long Professional Silicone Oven Mitts is probably your best bet. With this mitt you'll be able to hold a hot tray for almost a minute before the heat begins to feel painful, and hands are comfortable inside the mitts, which are lined with soft fabric. A downside is that these mitts are very big, but unlike some bulkier mitts, these are thin enough that you'll still be able to maintain the necessary control to grab utensils, stir a pot, and take a cookie sheet out of the oven. That said, if you have small or medium-sized hands, you might find the size annoying.

The gloves are especially long, which means they protect your forearms in addition to your hands and wrists, which we think is a nice design choice.

It seems unfair to lead with something subjective, but it has to be said—these gloves are so very ugly that it’s hard to imagine wanting them in your kitchen. But if you can get past appearances, there are some definite pros to opting for this style of mitt.

The biggest pro is probably dexterity—obviously having your fingers separated allows for control that most mitts lack. We find this is actually detrimental when moving a rack in the oven with one hand, since fingers can easily slip through the gaps between the metal bars. However, so long as both hands are used this won't be much of an issue. And when it comes to using spoons and picking up items, these gloves have a clear advantage over most of the mitts out there.

The gloves are also fairly heat-resistant, allowing you to hold a hot tray for more than 30 seconds before having to worry about burns (and let’s be real—why would you need to hold a hot tray for more than 30 seconds?). However, we find them scratchy and uncomfortable to wear, which is a major problem. They fit bigger hands better than more petite hands, but may be a bit of a hassle to take on and off. If you specifically want oven gloves, these are the ones.

These mitts protect hands against heat for longer than every other glove we found, apart from the winning Big Red House mitts. Our objections to them are purely design-related. Most of the oven mitts look like oversized mittens, while a few look like gloves. The Cuisinart fits neither category and instead is shaped more like a hand puppet, with your fingers populating the top part of the puppet’s “mouth” and your thumb occupying the bottom. We find this ideal during those times when putting on a puppet show, but less ideal for every other time anyone uses mitts. It’s not that there's a struggle with dexterity, just that the design forces your fingers into a position that doesn’t feel particularly natural or comfortable.

Furthermore, the hanging loops on these mitts are made out of metal, which looks like a nice feature but in reality thumps uncomfortably against your arms when the gloves are in use. Finally, unlike any other mitt in the group, Cuisinart recommends you wash these mitts by hand rather than tossing them in the washing machine. Not a deal-breaker, but definitely an annoyance.