I had seen these interesting looking Silicone oven mitts on television and in the kitchen stores, but I had never actually picked one up. Well I ended up getting one of the IsI Orka oven mitts for Christmas, so I was able to give it a thorough testing. First off, the oven mitt just looks cool. It’s a nice addition to the look of any kitchen and it comes in a variety of colors so you can be sure to match your kitchen’s color scheme. The first problem I had with the Orka mitt was that there is no real good place to put it. It has a little hole in it so you can hang it up, but I think that the hole is a little small and on the wrong side of the mitt. The hole is on the thumb side of the mitt which is a problem because the mitt curves in toward the thumb. If the hole was on the other side of the mitt it could be hung up easily as that side is mostly flat. Because of this little problem, I have to keep my Orka silicone mitt in a basket on top of some tea towels. I think that using the mitt during every day tasks is a tad bit cumbersome. What troubles me is that fact that the thumb is directly opposite the rest of the fingers which makes wearing the mitt a little akward. The palm of the mitt is covered with ridges which allow you to get a better grip on items if you are able to grab on to them. I also have trouble grabbing pan handles and cookie sheets with the mitt. While the silicone that makes up the mitt is flexible, I don’t think it flexible enough to be safe in the kitchen. For example, I find it to be impossible to pick up a potato with my Orka oven mitt, that is something I may want to do with an oven mitt. One advantage that the Orka does have over other oven mitts is that you can pick up some really hot stuff with it. I use the Okra to take my cast iron pan out of the oven after seasoning and I don’t even feel warmth on my hand. You can reach into boiling water or rearrange food on a grill with no negative effects. So the Orka does have that going for it. The mitt comes clean quickly with soap and water. However, after doing so I tend to see it gather dust more quickly. Overall, this is decent oven mitt, but it costs $20 and it is hard to maneuver. Definitely not worth it.
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