The best barbecue mitts

Are plain cotton $5 barbecue mitts just as good as the high-tech models that sell for $33? asked the editors of Cook’s Illustrated. Or “does advanced technology equate to advanced performance?” To find out, we lined up eight popular mitts that met “two core requirements”—heat resistance and manual dexterity. In the first evaluation, testers were asked “to hold mitt-clad hands 3 inches over a 600-degree grill” for as long as comfortably possible. In the second test, they flipped zucchini slices with tongs and reached into the back of the grill “to manually turn potatoes.” Since flare-ups are “a common occurrence in the outdoor kitchen,” testers also briefly inserted each mitt directly into the fire. These two relatively inexpensive mitts received the highest ratings:

Grill Life Leather Grill Gloves ($13.99) “Highly recommended.” Hands and arms were kept cool and well protected. “Nice control when picking up food with either tongs or handle. No flare-up could hurt them.”

Charcoal Companion BBQ Mitt ($8.95) “Recommended.” Made with treated cotton, these mitts kept hands cool and “performed well in dexterity testing.” Once this mitt got wet, though, “it stayed wet.”

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