Chefs and bakers are well-aware of the importance of suitable oven gloves. It would not be wrong to say that one cannot efficiently bake without having appropriate oven mittens. Therefore, if you plan to add some valuable kitchen items and don’t have oven gloves, then surely add them to your wishlist since they would make a great addition.
Everybody loves eating a turkey, especially if it is homemade. Moreover, having a turkey for Christmas and Easter dinner has become mandatory in many countries. Furthermore, turkey can also be one of the ideal dishes when hosting a family gathering or a house party. Thus, if you also plan to make a turkey at home, one of the obligatory things you will need to handle the turkey while baking is oven gloves.
Some people ignore the importance of oven gloves and use available rugs and cloth pieces for handling hot baked things like turkey. Such negligence can result in mishandling dishes, and one can even drop stuff. Moreover, since the traditional rugs are not adequately insulated, you might burn your fingers or hand.
Therefore, if you don’t want any such incident, the viable option is to buy appropriate oven gloves. But if you seek special oven mitts for handling turkey, you are at the right place to get your questions.
Best Oven Gloves for Turning a Turkey
A turkey can be very tough, especially in the oven. The task can even get more complicated if you turn over the turkey. Not using authentic tools for turning over turkey can result in spoiling meat, mishandling mishaps, or even burning your hand. Moreover, your oven can get messier and have harsh stains that will be difficult to scratch off with inefficient tools.
Therefore, if you have turkey parties frequently at your home or plan to organize a vast turkey feast, nothing would be better than buying specialized oven gloves.
The best oven mitts for turning over turkey are made with neoprene. Besides that, silicone oven gloves are also suitable for turning over the turkey.
Neoprene-Coated Oven Gloves
Neoprene is a synthetic rubber that is used for making. Neoprene-coated oven gloves are considered the best for turning over turkey due to the non-sticky nature of neoprene and its excellent heat-resistant capabilities. Neoprene is a rigid material that can endure up to 500 Fahrenheit or 260 degrees Celsius.
The neoprene oven gloves are infamous for turning turkey or dealing with hot pans and grills. Furthermore, they are also suitable for use near open flames. Even if the temperature exceeds the limit, the oven mitts will not catch fire. The neoprene oven mitts are also relatively thinner; therefore, they can efficiently pick up and flip over stuff without the risk of slipping them.
How to Clean Neoprene Oven Gloves?
Neoprene oven gloves cannot be cleaned using typical cleaning methods. Using specific techniques for cleaning such gloves can result in inefficient cleaning of the gloves and can also destroy their structure. Therefore, using an adequate plan for their cleaning is crucial if you want to preserve their functionality and increase their lifetime.
However, before washing them, use a scraper to scrape off the harsh and apparent stains from the gloves. If you don’t do so, it can result in improper cleaning of the mitts. Make sure to use a plastic or specialized scraping tool to remove the stains. Never use a knife or metal tools for scraping. It can damage the gloves and cause harsh permanent lines on them. The following steps enlist the suitable method to clean the neoprene-coated oven mitts.
- Take a small tub full of hot water.
- Add three tablespoons of baking to the water and use a spoon to mix the solution.
- Soak the gloves in the mixture for about three hours.
- Take the gloves out of the solution and let them get dry under the sun.
Also, check the gloves’ label to check if any other required precautions need to be followed.
Check Also: How To Wash Oven Gloves?
Silicone Oven Gloves
Silicone oven mitts are new in the market and are getting popular daily thanks to their functionality. Like neoprene oven mitts, silicone oven gloves are heat-resistant and can endure scorching temperatures of up to 500 Fahrenheit or 260 degrees Celsius.
Silicone oven gloves are also thinner than cotton mitts and, thus, can turn over turkey efficiently. Moreover, they are also non-sticky and do not spoil the meat.
How to Clean Silicone Oven Gloves?
Once you have baked, grilled, and turned the turkey with silicone oven mitts and are done with its use, it is time to clean them. Unlike other baked goods, oven gloves can get dirty when dealing with turkey, which does not include holding a dish.
Cleaning silicone mitts are easier than neoprene since it is not as sensitive as neoprene and can endure getting cleaned from a washing machine. However, checking the label of these silicone oven gloves is recommended to ensure that you are washing the gloves correctly and not damaging the item.
But unlike gloves made with other stuff, silicone oven gloves can get greasy quickly. And oils and water do not mix. Therefore, you cannot get the grease from the silicone oven gloves by washing them in the machine. Thus, getting the oils out of the gloves is crucial; the greasy smell and oily feel can permanently reside there.
If you have a dishwasher, then place them in it. It is excellent to wash the silicone oven mitts in the dishwasher, as silicone is commonly used to make kitchen accessories. However, if you don’t have a dishwasher, clean it in a washing machine. But make sure that you don’t run the machine on its highest power. Only mild wash them; otherwise, you might damage the gloves. You can also put the silicone gloves into a dryer for drying purposes.
Why Are Cotton Oven Gloves Not Good for Turning Over Turkey?
In this list, you might have noticed that cotton gloves are suitable for turning over the turkey; nowhere is mentioned. They are too thick to provide a solid grip that is much needed to turn over the turkey.
Moreover, cotton gloves can get extremely dirty compared to neoprene and silicone oven mitts. And cleaning them properly requires more effort as well. Sometimes the oven gloves can also get extremely dirty, becoming permanent.
Besides these factors, cotton gloves cannot tolerate scorching temperatures like silicone and neoprene mitts. Though they are utterly insulated, their temperature range lies only 40 degrees Celsius. Cotton mitts are only preferred for handling pots and dishes. It would be best to have something more advanced like neoprene and silicone oven gloves for more complex tasks like turning over turkey and managing brownies.
Why are Oven Mitts Necessary?
If you want to know why oven gloves are needed, then here is the ultimate reason you must have oven gloves. Oven gloves are heat-insulated gloves designed to handle hotly baked and cooked objects, such as turkeys, pans, and dishes.
Typically used rugs and kitchen towels are not heat-resistant and do not have thick layers within their structure that can handle extreme temperatures. Moreover, they do not have the required grip to hold the dishes and pots efficiently. Using these inefficient tools, you might slip dishes and pots or burn your hands. Therefore, getting adequate means to avoid such incidents is mandatory. The proper tool to do so is oven gloves.
Oven gloves can be used to handle pots and dishes appropriately. They have insulated layers beneath their surface. They are also heat-resistant and can tolerate extreme temperatures easily. Moreover, their cover has excellent grip mechanisms that can adequately hold baking trays, pots, and dishes.
Furthermore, the stuff with oven gloves is made with stuff that can be washed and cleaned easily. They have prescribed instructions on their label that can be followed to clean the gloves. Moreover, tons of variations in the material can be used for making oven gloves. Some of the best oven mittens are:
- Neoprene-coated oven gloves.
- Silicone oven gloves.
- Cotton oven mitts.
- Oven mittens are made with synthetic fibers.
- Aramid fiber oven gloves.
Furthermore, oven gloves can also come in various sizes. Depending on hand size, you can choose your ideal oven mittens. Besides that, oven gloves also come in different patterns and designs.
Thus, next time you plan to turn over the turkey, make sure that you have oven mittens.