As important as oven mitts and pot holders are, odds are you haven’t given them very much thought concerning where to place them. Don’t worry; hardly anyone ever does. But seeing as how necessary they are for keeping hot pots and pans from burning our fingers, countertops, and tables, perhaps it’s time to figure out where to hang them.
Ideally, your oven mitts and pot holders will always be within arm’s reach of the stove. So, the best places to hang them are:
- On the side wall of a cabinet
- On the side of a refrigerator
- On the backsplash
But your options for organizing oven mitts and pot holders are not just limited to hanging them up. In this guide, I’ll explain how to hang oven mitts and pot holders and where else you can store them.
What Are Oven Mitts and Pot Holders?
Have you ever tried to grip the hands of a hot pot, pan, or skillet? Unless the cooking vessel has silicone coating on the handles, you probably ended up with some pretty severe burns. That’s where oven mitts and pot holders come into play.
Oven mitts are simply mittens with thick padding. The inner padding is made of an insulating material that limits the transfer of heat from one end side of the mitt to the other. It usually comes with two finger compartments—a larger one for your index, middle, ring, and pinky fingers and a smaller one for your thumb.
Pot holders are simpler versions of oven mitts. They are made of similar fabrics and insulation pads, but they’re square or rectangular in shape. Pot holders are flexible, so you fold them over the handles of hot cookware to keep the heat from burning your fingers.
Regardless of which insulating tool you prefer, you should have plenty of them in your kitchen. And more importantly, you should store them properly to ensure the padding doesn’t break down.
Where to Hang Oven Mitts and Pot Holders
If you take a look at the openings of oven mitts or one corner of a pot holder, you’ll find a tiny loop of fabric. That loop is used to hang them on a hook to keep them off tables, countertops, and the ground. Virtually, you can hang your oven mitts and pot holders on any hook you have at home.
That said, it’s a good idea to have a set of hooks in your kitchen, and it’s important that you keep the hooks in places that give you easy access to the oven mitts or pot holders.
Those who spend a significant amount of time in the kitchen will most likely find themselves standing in front of a stove for the majority of the time. So, it makes sense to keep your oven mitts and pot holders near your range and at least an arm’s length away.
Here are a few handy places you can hang your oven mitts, pot holders, or any oven mitt alternatives:
1. On the side wall of a cabinet
If you have upper cabinets in your kitchen, then you should consider using the empty side space as a place to hang your oven mitts and pot holders. You can attach sticky hooks to the side of the upper cabinets, or you can permanently anchor hooks with screws and a drill.
I recommend the JINSHUNFA Wall Hooks that have a maximum weight capacity of 13 pounds each. These hooks are transparent, reusable, and waterproof, which are all important for storage and blending in with your kitchen’s décor. They are available in packs of 8 or 12.
Ideally, you will add hooks to the side of the upper cabinet located diagonally above your range. However, this is only possible if you don’t plan on installing a range hood, which is an essential tool for maintaining air quality in your kitchen. Check out my guide titled What Are the Range Hood Dimensions? to learn more.
2. On the side of a refrigerator
If your upper cabinets span the entire length of your walls, or if you have a range hood blocking the empty side wall of your upper cabinets, there are still other surfaces you can anchor hooks to. For instance, what about the side of your fridge?
Don’t worry—I won’t ask you to drive screws into the side of your refrigerator. Instead, you can use magnetic hooks, such as those manufactured by Elefama. These magnetic hooks can bear up to 100 pounds of weight each. They come with a swiveling mechanism that allows you to whisk away your oven mitts or pot holders with ease, and they’re coated in 3 protective coatings to prevent corrosion and slipperiness. They’re available in packs of 6 with a silver or black finish.
The only thing you need to pay attention to is the distance between your fridge and stove. In small kitchens, the fridge will be about an arm’s length away from the stove, giving you easy access to the oven mitts or pot holders. However, if you followed building codes and kept your fridge at least 20 inches away from your range, you’ll need to find another spot to hang your heat-resistant mittens.
3. On the backsplash
The last place I would recommend hanging oven mitts and pot holders is on the backsplash. The backsplash is the tiled portion of your kitchen wall directly behind the top of your range. It prevents greasy cooking splashes from permanently staining the drywall or concrete.
Since the backsplash is comprised of tiles, you’ll need to, yet again, use sticky wall hooks. Wash the backsplash with soapy water and dry thoroughly before attempting to stick the wall hooks onto the tiles. If there’s any grease between the adhesive side and the tile, the wall hook may slide down and drop your oven mitts or pot holders behind your range.
If you want to use your backsplash as a place to hang oven mitts or pot holders, I recommend placing them slightly to the side of the range. That way, you won’t have to extend your arm directly above boiling pots, open flames, or heat coils when reaching for your pot holders.
Other Storage Options for Oven Mitts and Pot Holders
While I recommend keeping your oven mitts and pot holders within arm’s reach at all times, it’s completely fine to leave them hidden somewhere you’ll remember. In this section, I’ll describe other handy places you can leave oven mitts and pot holders if you want to tuck them away.
1. In a bottom cabinet
The bottom cabinet is a great place to hide your oven mitts and pot holders when you’re not using them. Plus, you don’t have to lean so far to swipe them out from inside the undershelf. Simply stick a few sticky hooks onto the inner side of the cabinet doors. You can also leave your oven mitts or pot holders on the bottom of the cabinet if you’d like.
2. On an undershelf
The undershelf refers to the underside of the shelves inside an upper cabinet. All you need is a set of undershelf hangers, such as this 2-piece set from Better Houseware. They require absolutely no tools to install, and they slide right into place. You may need to use fasteners to keep them from wobbling around, though.
3. In a drawer
This is probably the most obvious place you would leave oven mitts and pot holders. If your cutlery drawer is large enough, just stuff your oven mitts toward the back. Pot holders can easily fit near the front of the drawer for easier access.
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