Easily the tackiest, ugliest thing that I love in my kitchen is the Ove'Glove. It's actually uglier than its name. I have to wonder what made me buy this "As Seen on TV" item but guess what — I use it. All. The. Time.
Oven mitts, in flower patterns, are a standard item but they make them out of old-school fabrics. Then there are the silicone mitts that are space-age and work great, except that holding anything is like working in a space suit. Yes, nothing better than having a hot roast chicken sliding across the floor. But hey, my hands aren't burned!
The Ove'Glove is a glove made of heat-resistant Nomex and Kevlar, space age fabrics used in firefighting gear. The outside is printed with slip-resistant silicone lines. It fits either hand and is reasonably comfortable. It does what you would hope: lets you handle hot pots with better dexterity and grip appeal than the oven mitts Grandma gave you.
I found mine at the local pharmacy (remember when drug stores only sold drugs?) and they're all over the web, including at Amazon.
There are some other brands now but sadly, they are not as homely.
They would be interesting for grilling when you really have the flames jumping.
In NC I think they would be useful for pig roasts. Where you have to turn the pig between two large grates.
Posted by: Glenn Fuller | April 13, 2010 at 04:56 AM
I love it, too! My wife makes fun of me. :)
My best use - pulling hot ears of corn off the grill and shucking them. Works great for that, since it's really freaking hot, but also you need the dexterity to pull off the husk.
Posted by: Josh | April 13, 2010 at 06:34 AM
Glenn -- probably yes but you do have to be careful because they're cloth, and hot juices would soak through.
John -- Yes, definitely! I have used mine for exactly that and you're right, works great.
Also right on the wife thing. I like to think she's laughing with me, not at me. Or at least, at the glove and not at me. ;)
Posted by: Moe Rubenzahl | April 13, 2010 at 08:48 AM
Ove'Glove is great for taking from the oven that hot pan of baked Alaskan salmon you caught with your Propeil Pocket Fisherman.
http://www.ronco.com/index.aspx
And who needs $100 cutlery when you have a Chop-o-Matic in your kitchen!!! Still need a good whisk, though, since I see they no longer make that electric gadget that scrambles eggs right in the shell.
Posted by: keith carlsen | April 14, 2010 at 07:53 AM
I like how that fits your hand and fingers so well. So many gloves are so bulky that you can barely feel what you're touching. I'm definitely going to look for one of these.
Posted by: Carolyn Jung | April 16, 2010 at 05:47 PM