I'm a pro baker: These oven gloves ($22 a pair) offer much more control than mitts

As someone who used to bake for a living, I'm always being asked about my favorite mixer, pie pan or rolling pin. But, if I may, I'd like to give a little shoutout to an unsung kitchen hero. After all, where would we food preppers be without the humble oven mitt? (In the E.R., probably.) In my opinion, the best oven mitt out there isn't a mitt at all, but a glove: the Ove Glove, to be precise. Unlike a cavernous mitt, this nifty invention allows you to move your fingers individually for better control, and my family's been using it for years.

I don't know about you, but when I have to carry a piping-hot (not to mention, heavy) Dutch oven or casserole dish, I want to feel as in charge as possible — that means ensuring I have a strong grasp, and the Ove Glove hasn't failed me yet. Covered in nonslip silicone grippers, it gives my pots and pans something to stick to, and being able to move my fingers around handles and edges provides so much more stability than awkwardly clamping down on them with a clawlike mitt and hoping for the best.

Upon first glance, it might not look like it can handle the heat, but the Ove Glove can endure temperatures up to 540°F. I've found that I can hold hot cookware for a long time — from oven to table or longer — before my hands start to heat up. And it comes in clutch for more than baking; use it to protect your hands while grilling, poking at logs in a fire or even working on your car.

My qualms about these kitchen lifesavers are minimal but just so you're aware: They can feel a bit itchy, and unlike mitts that you can quickly slip your hands into, these take a little more time to put on. I also wish they came up a little higher on my arms, as the forearm area is among the most vulnerable when it comes to oven burns. Otherwise, I recommend them wholeheartedly.

Nearly 8,000 impressed users are so in "glove," they gave this pair five stars.

"These work so well to hold on to hot pans and move them around without getting burned," shared a longtime loyalist. "The grippies are awesome and the gloves fit nicely for small or large hands. This is our second pair. The originals lasted at least 15 years, and we use them every day."

"I have used the Ove Glove for more than 20 years and highly recommend it," raved another. "I like its ability to keep my hand from burning, whether I'm pulling out a pot from the oven or adjusting a grate on the grill. If it begins to look rather gnarly, then just throw it in the washer. It retains its heat protection and grip, even after several washings."

"I’ve held a screaming hot cast iron pan and didn’t feel a thing," reported a third home cook. "Highly recommend. ... Must-have for daily cooking."

Some Amazon customers did have a few notes, like this mostly satisfied shopper who wrote, "These work well and allow finger movement to let you feel what you're doing in the oven. Very heat resistant. My only complaint is that they put tags inside the wrist, which are annoying when you put the glove on and off. I'm afraid to cut them off and end up with a sharp edge. But the gloves work so well, I recommend them anyway! [They're] slower to put on than traditional over mitts, but allow for much better precision in the oven."

"[I] use the gloves daily," said a five-star fan. "[They] fit great and make picking up hot things so easy. If I have one complaint, it would be that they take so long to dry when washed, but I solved this by buying a second pair!"

While we're on the subject of kitchen safety...

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The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.