I Found a Secret Use for My New Silicone Oven Mitts
Amazon
It was late, I was hungry, and the only thing that stood between me and the cheesy bliss of homemade pizza was the lid of a chili crisp jar. It was affixed so tightly that no matter how hard I gripped and puffed out my cheeks, I couldn't unscrew it. Chili crisp should only make you cry after you eat it, not before.
I relish living alone, but there are few times I want a roommate more than when I'm dealing with a stubborn jar. The only person around me at the time, my significant other, was trapped inside my phone on a FaceTime call, but that actually didn't render him useless. In full view of my kitchen, he suggested that I turn around and grab the silicone oven mitts my mom had just given me for the holidays. When I finally heard the *pop!* of the opening jar, it had never sounded so satisfying.
To buy: Gorilla Grip Premium Silicone Oven Mitt and Pot Holder 4-Piece Set, $18 at amazon.com
I asked for new oven mitts solely for their intended purpose, as the only set I owned had worn dangerously thin, and I already considered the Gorilla Grip silicone oven mitts a quality kitchen addition even before this moment. Their thick fabric safely insulates my hands from heat up to 484 degrees Fahrenheit, and because they're long at 12.5 inches, they protect my arms when I reach into the oven at any angle. The honeycomb-patterned silicone is there to help get a grip on baking sheets and potholders, but clearly, they grip onto other stuff, too.
It doesn't seem like Amazon shoppers have yet discovered this secret use: the words "jar," "lid," and "open" are nowhere to be found among its positive reviews. Still, hundreds have left five-star ratings since the mitts popped up on the site in November.
"Everything else I have bought from Gorilla Grip has been amazing so I thought I would take a chance. They are perfect," wrote one customer. "They have the traditional fabric lining but I have never even felt heat when taking pans out of the oven. If you happen to get food on them you can run them under the sink and it's like new again."
You can get the jar-opening oven mitts, plus a set of silicone trivets, starting at $18 on Amazon.
To buy: Gorilla Grip Premium Silicone Oven Mitt and Pot Holder 4-Piece Set, $20 at amazon.com
