Royal Blue Long-Cuff Silicone Mitts

Royal blue is the one colour in this range that never disappears into a kitchen. Against stainless steel, white subway tile or a pale worktop it stays a distinct object, which sounds trivial until you are hunting for a mitt with a pan already coming out of the oven. Underneath the colour is the standard 13.7-inch silicone build.

The shell is a single moulded piece of BPA-free silicone with a ridged pattern over the palm and finger pads. Those ridges are the working part of the glove. Smooth silicone slides on ceramic; ridged silicone catches it. The difference shows most on a heavy lidded pot, where a slip is not just a dropped dish but a lap full of boiling liquid.

Inside, a quilted cotton liner carries the insulating job and gives the mitt its comfort. The combination is deliberate: silicone for the barrier, cotton for the padding. A mitt made only of silicone conducts too readily and feels clammy; a mitt made only of cotton soaks up whatever it touches.

At 13.7 inches the cuff sits well past the wrist bone. It is the length most home cooks want, because it protects the part of the arm that actually contacts a hot rack while staying short enough to shrug off in a hurry. Cleaning is a wipe for the outside and a machine cycle when the lining needs it, with the listing asking that the pair be air dried afterwards rather than tumbled.

The short version

• Saturated blue stays visible against steel, tile and pale worktops
• Ridged silicone palm holds ceramic and enamel that smooth gloves drop
• Quilted cotton liner supplies the padding and the insulation
• 13.7-inch cuff protects past the wrist and comes off fast
• BPA-free silicone; wipe the shell, machine wash and air dry the pair

Who it suits

Specification