As much as I love the rush of making a big investment purchase, I’ve found that it’s often the little things that are the most rewarding. Whether they’re practical kitchen items, like a new spatula set, or little luxuries, like a fancy candle or bath salts, these simple pleasures not only make your home feel more comfortable, polished or tidy, but also make you feel fabulous.
Welcome to HuffPost’s newest series, Simple Pleasures. Each month, I’ll be writing about the one purchase that made me happiest over the last few weeks, producing a much-needed hit of shopping serotonin. Today, we’re talking about one of the kitchen’s most undervalued, yet much-needed objects: oven mitts and pot holders. Specifically, Food52′s Five Two silicone oven mitts and pot holders.
It can be easy to overlook these hardworking kitchen essentials. Often tucked away until they’re needed, oven mitts and pot holders come in all kinds of materials (though if you were raised in the ’80s and ’90s as I was, they usually call to mind ragged puffy fabric and loud prints). But it’s time to say goodbye to ugly, worn-out oven mitts and gloves.
Food52′s silicone set is just as utilitarian and hardworking as it is aesthetically pleasing. I picked them up without giving them much thought because I desperately needed to replace a tattered pair, and am surprised by how delightful I continue to find them. Not just because they’re as pretty as can be, but also because they are devastatingly functional.
Both the mitts and potholders have hidden magnets as well as hanging loops, so you can stick them onto appliances like the oven, fridge or dishwashers for easy access. The high-quality cotton and silicone offers heat protection up to 650 degrees, which is key when you are prone to burning yourself, as I am. I was worried that this would cause them to feel rigid or inflexible, but I’m pleased to report that isn’t the case.
I love that the gloves protect your wrists and forearms as well, because I’m always knocking around inside the oven in ill-advised ways. The potholders have little pockets that make gripping hot pots and pans easy, safe and mess-free. They’re also super easy to clean, which is a must if you’re a messy cook.
Treat yourself to a little joy today and pick up this lovely set at Food52. It’s an easy way to upgrade a kitchen must-have that will brighten up the space, make cooking easier and safer and put a smile on your face.
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Promising reviews: "High quality, great looking tooThese were recommended by a friend, and I really couldn’t be happier. These oven mitts are much nicer, better looking, and more heat tolerant than the padded KitchenAid mitts they replaced. Highly recommended!" — brymstarr
"I love these mitts! Not only are they long enough to protect my arms but they're heavy enough to do the job right. Also, the silicone will help to keep them relatively clean. Just wipe them off. But the best part is the magnets! I can just sort of aim toward my range hood and they stick! I really hate searching around and reaching around for my mitts!" — Kathleen
"They mitt/pot holders work great for many purposes. They are small enough to store easily and I love that they have small magnets in side to help keep them together. The color is also really nice and modern - exactly like they look in the picture." — Monisha S.
Before You Go
