302410 Sun Jul 24 19:50:28 -0700 2005 11 29 Not About Food 0 1692866 Reading the "Looking for Dish Towels" post got me thinking. I could use some new pot holders and oven mitts. I do not like the silicone kind(although people rave about them, I have one and just don't feel comfortable with it). So, if you have pot holders that are reliable and hold up well, please let me know. I'm ready to buy!!! Thanks Sun Jul 24 19:50:28 -0700 2005 0 sue 1 1692870 I just ordered 4 new potholder mitts made by John Ritzenthaler (Ritz Kitchen Linens) to replace mine that are 15 years old. Kitchen Collection carries them at something like $3.65 each. These are square like a regular potholder but double thick with a pocket in the middle so they work as a potholder or mitt. They came quickly and are 100% cotton terry and very durable. The terry on my old ones is fine it is just the binding that is comng apart. Sun Jul 24 21:16:41 -0700 2005 1692866 0 Candy 1 1692871 I just found some all cotton pot holders at Target, a dollar each. I've also found some nice, heavy weight, double layer all cotton ones (made in Turkey) at a 99-cent store. Been wash many times and still look like new. I'm certain that you could find ones for a lot more, but your food and kitchen experience will still be the same. Sun Jul 24 22:10:36 -0700 2005 1692866 0 BluPlateSpec 1 1692873 [grin] My best oven mitts - indestructible, washable, apparently fireproof - were purchased from, I kid thee not, Pampered Chef. This is not a joke. I have two of them and use them daily. I also have an oversized potholder, but it's too big and its ends tend to droop down into whatever I'm carting in and out of the oven. Link: http://www.pamperedchef.com/our_products/catalog/product.jsp?productId=161&categoryCode=BAKBAS Sun Jul 24 23:37:50 -0700 2005 1692866 0 MkeLaurie 2 1692881 I saw these at Bad Breath & Beyond a couple of weeks ago, and bought a flat pocket/potholder and a silicone Orka instead...and I really wish I hadn't! The Orka feels like you've got your hand stuffed into a rubber boot, and the flat pocket mitt isn't much better; I find I'm mostly just using my ragged old mitt and even raggeder homemade potholders. I think the BB&B price was about the same as Pampered Chef's. Mon Jul 25 12:28:45 -0700 2005 1692873 0 Will Owen 3 1693001 I tried an Orka on once and, for some reason, the image of having a breast implant stuck on my hand popped into my head and I couldn't get it out. I got the giggles and put the Orka back on the shelf. Wed Jul 27 14:17:46 -0700 2005 1692881 0 MkeLaurie 1 1692877 I prefer the silver-lined (asbestos? teflon?) oven mitts, although they're becoming much harder to find. They seem to last way longer than just the plain terrycloth lined ones. I don't like the Orkas; my hands feel like they're not gripping the dish. Mon Jul 25 11:30:22 -0700 2005 1692866 0 Linda W. 1 1692889 Not long ago I replaced all my (old, worn out, singed, etc.) pot holders and mitts with the Kitchen Smart ones Bed Bath & Beyond sells (I think it might be an in-house label). They're made from thick fabric, and the palm sides have polypropylene (sort of like neoprene) patches that are textured and grip very nicely. They're very heatproof, like silicone, but very flexible so you can get a good grip, and they can be machine washed. The pot holders are rectangular and have a pocket so you can use them like a mitt, as well. I'm very happy with them. Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/37315#173625 Mon Jul 25 16:06:46 -0700 2005 1692866 0 Caitlin McGrath 2 1692921 [Kitchen Smart ones Bed Bath & Beyond sells] I love those. I tried the Orca thing too, and it was awful - perfectly heatproof, but so bulky it was hard to grip things. The main thing I need a good oven mitt for is taking the NASA-hot big cast iron skillet out of the oven loaded down with beef - the one time I tried it with the Orca, I felt like I was going to drop everything. The Kitchen Smart ones aren't quite as heat-proof as the Orca (my hand feels warm by the time I set the hot skillet down, though not even close to painfully hot), but the maneuverability is worth it. (And I'm stealing "Bad Breath and Beyond" from an earlier poster - I like that.) Tue Jul 26 11:27:30 -0700 2005 1692889 0 Bob Geary 3 1692928 You're welcome ;-) Tue Jul 26 13:28:34 -0700 2005 1692921 0 Will Owen 1 1692977 Thanks for all the great suggestions. I did buy a Kitchen Smart mitt from BB&B, and, so far I like it. It's comfortable to wear and I feel protected. Did not feel that the pot holder was as comfortable,so I didn't get it. Thanks again. Wed Jul 27 09:57:01 -0700 2005 1692866 0 sue 1 1693033 I made myself a bunch of pot holders out of multiple layers of washed wool. they stay cool. since they wool was washed and dried multiple tiles before I constructed the potholders..I can just toss them in the wash. wool is a terrific insulator. Thu Jul 28 12:21:04 -0700 2005 1692866 0 sarah