5 Best Oven Mitts For Cast Iron In 2024
Cooking with cast iron is a great way to get a lot of flavor and create a delicious texture in your food.
Cast iron pans are also durable and if you take care of them, they can be passed down from generation to generation, building flavor with every use.
One of the great things about cast iron is that it can evenly transfer heat to whatever you’re cooking.
The downside of this benefit is that it makes the pans incredibly hot to the touch. Combined with the heavy weight of cast iron, this can easily lead to burns without the proper protection.
So, how you do choose the best cast iron oven mitts? You want to look for a brand that is certified heat-resistant, made from silicone or aramid fabric, easy-to-maneuver, non-slip, washable, and has a long sleeve for wrist protection.
Read on to discover the top 5 best oven mitts for cast iron.
How To Choose The Best Cast Iron Oven Mitts
It’s important to make sure the oven mitts you’re buying to handle your cast iron check all the boxes when it comes to safety and usability. Below are a few things to keep in mind when looking for the perfect oven mitt.
Heat Resistance
Cast iron pans can get incredibly hot, often reaching temperatures well above what your standard baking sheet would reach. And unlike regular frying pans, cast iron skillets get hot all along the handle.
To prevent burning, you are going to want to buy an oven mitt that is certified heat-resistant.
All the mitts listed below are certified heat-resistant anywhere from 446°F to 1472°F. This layer of protection will make sure that your fingers and palms are fully protected from the head of the cast iron.
Made From Silicone or Aramid Fabric
Many of these high-performance oven mitts are going to be made from silicone or from a material called aramid.
Silicone is a great cast-iron safe oven mitt option since it is generally safe at temperatures up to about 446°F. It also doesn’t absorb water, which can prevent heat transfer.
Aramid is an awesome choice for oven mitts or gloves because it can be used to make a relatively thin but extremely heat-resistant product.
Many of the products using this material are safe up to temperatures ranging from 932°F to 1400°F.
This material also will not catch fire, even when exposed to open flames, so they make a great option if you are using your cast iron over a bonfire or on the barbecue.
Aramid is the same material as Nomex and Kevlar, so you know you are getting high-quality protection with these gloves.
You will generally want to avoid using cloth oven mitts since they can become wet, which then transfers the heat to your hands. They are also less heat-resistant than these other fabrics.
Easy-To-Clean
Oven mitts can often get dirty with use, so finding a brand that is either machine washable or easy to wipe down can help prolong its life.
Keeping the oven mitts clean can help prevent slippage or burning the substances that get stuck to the mitt.
Easy-To-Maneuver
Cast iron pans are typically much heavier than the stainless steel or aluminum pans that you are used to working with. That’s why it is important to find a pair of oven mitts or gloves that are easy for you to maneuver in.
You want to be able to properly grip the pans and have a complete range of motion. Look for mitts or gloves that aren’t too stiff or thick, while still providing the heat protection you need.
Generally, oven gloves are going to be easier to use than an oven mitt.
Long-Sleeve For Wrist & Arm Protection
Another attribute to look for in a high-quality oven mitt is the length of the sleeve. Oftentimes when you’re cooking with cast iron, you may need to reach into the oven to pull it out.
If you have a high-quality oven mitt that goes past your wrist, you can prevent those painful burns from bumping against the oven rack or cast iron handles.
Non-Slip Designs
To help prevent spills and burns you are going to want to make sure you look for a glove that has a non-slip design. This could include products made from silicone or that have heat-resistant grips added to the fingers and palms.
The 5 Best Oven Mitts for Cast Iron
There are a plethora of great oven mitts out there, it can be hard to go ahead and choose one. We’ve gone ahead for you and curated a list of our 5 favorite oven mitts for cast iron.
Read on to find out which ones we liked the most.
| Rank | Brand | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Grill Heat Aid | Safe to use at temperatures up to 1472°F, EN4O7 certified |
| 2. | QUWIN | Protective against temperatures up to 1472°, silicone non-slip grip |
| 3. | Grill Armor | Withstand heats up to 932°F, machine washable |
| 4. | GEEKHOM | Safe up to 446°F, made with water-resistant silicone |
| 5. | Kisential | Heat-resistant up to 550°F, oven mitt design |
| Bonus | It's Senah | Silicone cast iron handle covers, easily useable |
1. Grill Heat Aid
The first two brands of oven mitts on this list are tied in terms of quality.
Both are made with the Aramid fabric, which provides the best heat protection.
The Grill Heat Aid Gloves are EN4O7 certified and safe to use at temperatures up to 1472°F.
They also have grips to prevent slippage and come in a longer cuff size option to protect your wrist and forearm.
There are a variety of sizes available, which means you will have a better fit, which means better maneuverability when it comes to handling your cast iron.
These gloves are lined with cotton, for ultimate comfort while you use them. Just make sure you don’t get these oven gloves wet, as they can absorb liquids, which makes them ineffective at protecting against heat.
2. QUWIN
This brand is another great choice that is protective up to 1472°F.
It ranks just below the Grill Heat Aid gloves because they don’t offer different sizes, though they do have a short and long cuff option available.
They have three layers to offer protection and a non-slip grip.
There are silicone grips on the palms and fingers, a middle layer of the aramid fabric, and an inside layer of a polyester cotton blend for comfort.
They are quite easy to maneuver, but may not be the best choice for smaller hands. These gloves are machine washable, just hang them to dry rather than putting them in the dryer.
3. Grill Armor
In third place, we have another choice made from aramid fabric, being able to withstand heats up to 932°F.
However, it is very unlikely that your cast iron will get up above this temperature, so they are still a great choice.
They are also machine washable and have a choice to buy with an extra-long cuff to protect your wrists from high heat.
There is also an option to purchase a small size if you have smaller hands. The palms and fingers have silicone grips for that non-slip protection.
Like the earlier gloves, don’t use them if they get wet since that can transfer the heat right to your hand.
4. GEEKHOM
We wanted to include a couple of silicone oven mitts on this list since they can be a little more affordable and easy to clean.
Although they don’t have the same heat protection as the aramid gloves, they are still safe up to 446°F.
This makes them great for most cast iron uses.
These gloves have a double layer for ultimate protection. The outside is water-resistant silicone and the inner layer is a moisture-wicking cotton. The silicone is textured to provide better grip.
However, these gloves don’t come in different sizes and because the silicone is thicker they may be a little more difficult to maneuver. Depending on how you plan to use them, this is something to keep in mind.
5. Kisential
Rounding out the bottom of the list is Kisential silicone oven mitt.
It ranks at the bottom of the list because it is a mitt shape as opposed to a glove.
The mitt shape can make it a little harder to grip and maneuver your cast iron.
They are heat-resistant up to 550°F and have three layers which include a silicone outer layer, a cotton middle layer, and a terrycloth inner layer for comfort and protection.
They also have an extra-long cuff that they extend with 3.5 inches of durable cotton twill.
Since they are made from silicone they are easy to keep clean; you can just wipe off any food that gets on them. They also won’t absorb any water, which prevents the heat from transferring through the glove and into your hand.
Bonus: It’s Senah Potholders
Another way to add a layer of protection between your hands and the heat of the cast iron pan is to buy oven-friendly silicone cast iron handle covers.
These silicone covers slip easily over a pot or frying pan handles and can go from stove top to oven with no issues.
They also provide another surface that is easy to grip, which prevents slipping or dropping your pan and the potential of spilling the hot contents on you or your floor.
There are lots of great choices out there to help protect your hands from the heat of a cast iron pan. Choosing the right oven mitt can help make your time in the kitchen cooking with cast iron safer and more enjoyable.
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