If you've ever peered into a restaurant's open kitchen (and I know you have), you may have noticed the chefs buzzing from pot to pan. Most kitchens are different, but they generally have one thing in common. That said, most chefs I've seen use towels instead of oven mitts.
I spoke to chefs to find out the truth, and my suspicions were confirmed. They all agreed that dish towels are simply faster, more versatile, and in some cases safer to use than traditional oven mitts. There's a time and place for oven mitts and grill gloves, but chefs all agree that Lane linen kitchen towels are a must-have for handling hot pots and pans.
Lane Linen Kitchen Towel Set of 12
Amazon
“Oven mitts wear out relatively quickly in critical areas, rendering them useless,” says Kelsey Rusch, co-chef at Spoke in Somerville, Massachusetts. He grew up in a household that used badly worn oven mitts and potholders. , to avoid burns, “you were supposed to remember which holes went where.” Rush says that even when oven mitts are new, “you have to be careful to hold objects, especially small ones, firmly.” It feels like it could be more dangerous than useful because it's “difficult to grasp.” Rush compared it to rock climbing in hiking boots, adding that if the padding is too thick, “you lose dexterity and you become more slippery.”
Lane's linen towels, on the other hand, can be folded multiple times to provide plenty of heat protection and provide a firm grip. Made of 100% cotton, it's highly absorbent and durable, so when you're not handling hot pots and pans, you can use it to wipe up spills or cover rising loaves. But Rush adds one more use. It's also great for “scraping away the bitter inner skin of toasted nuts while keeping dirt at bay.”
For Jacob Bao Nguyen, private dining chef and owner of pop-up dinner series Thần Thái, lane linen towels are a nimble alternative to cumbersome oven mitts. Especially for private chefs who often cook in a variety of spaces, the dexterity of this towel is invaluable. “You can use it to handle hot pots and hot trays. You don't have to put gloves on and take them off every minute, and you work quickly.”
If you still need some convincing, oven mitts can also become unhygienic over time. Lane Linen towels come in 12-packs, so they're easy to cycle and throw in the laundry when they get dirty. Unless you wash your oven mitts regularly, they'll carry all the germs on your hands if you use them for months or even years without proper cleaning.
Of course there are exceptions. Molly Jacks, chef at Wood Bar in Worcester, Mass., says that when working with hot oil, “it's important to cover your hands because the scenario can be very difficult.” Long mitts are definitely not recommended yet, but short, sturdy cloth mitts will suffice. ” Yet Jack still turns to dish towels every day in his home. “That's perfect!”
Are you ready to take your home cooking to a whole new level? Get a 12-pack of Lane Linen towels for just $14. About $1 each.
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