Choosing pot holders for safe cooking and a pretty appearance

Choosing pot holders for safe cooking and a pretty appearance in the kitchen!

Many savvy cooks often overlook the importance of pot holders, saving ones which have seen better days. These essential kitchen tools do not last forever! With repeated washings, even the heavy duty cotton type’s linings become thin and can easily result in injury, either by a burn to your hand or a catastrophic situation caused by dropping a pot of boiling hot food. Pot holders also acquire stains that eventually ruin the appearance. So, both for safety’s sake and a clean looking kitchen, replace your pot holders as necessary. Here are a few pointers on choosing ones that last and recognizing the signs that indicate a replacement is in order.

When you go shopping for a new selection, do not succumb to the temptation of cheaply made and cheaply priced items. They will not last long and you will end up spending more in the long run. Such cheaply manufactured pot holders may not be up to the task on it is first use! do not get burned like this! Pay a little more. You can do an experiment right in the store to see the difference between the quality and poor performance holder.

Find the cheapest and most expensive holders and take each one in your hand. Rub the fabric between your fingers with each. This simple exercise will prove the point. You needn’t necessarily buy the most expensive, but you want to choose ones which have a thick and sturdy feel.

As for appearance, inspect each for the quality of the fabric covering. Cheap pot holders, made of low thread count fabrics, may sport a bright and cheerful pattern today, but will soon look faded and dingy. To determine a rough approximation of relative thread counts, just run your fingernail across the fabric. If the fabric seems to stretch slightly with this test, the fabric is of a lesser quality. Choose pot holders which stand up to the fingernail test, where the fabric stays firmly in place.

If you have got a choice in sizes of square pot holders, always opt for the larger. Although it may cost a few cents more, it pays you back in kitchen safety.

Some cooks seem to prefer the square type to the exclusion of mitt styles. However, you should purchase sets of two square types and one mitt. That mitt can save you from a painful burn, when you are reaching inside a hot oven. In addition, the mitt should always be used when barbecuing over the grill.

that is the long and short of it. Now all you need to decide is which design suits your fancy!