Redditors Say Beware This Dollar Tree Kitchen Item

Dollar Tree stocks a variety of essential kitchen tools, from colanders and graters to cutting boards and strainers. Many of these affordably priced items are just as good as costlier options sold in specialist stores and look virtually identical. That said, not every kitchen product makes the grade. For instance, oven mitts are one Dollar Tree kitchen item shoppers should beware of, according to Redditors.

In a thread discussing the quality of Dollar Tree's kitchen department products, one commenter said, "I don't like the oven mitts, personally. They don't protect from the heat enough. I like silicone gloves or mitts," while another warned, "Be careful with the oven mitts and potholders. They are pretty thin and you could burn yourself."

Dollar Tree stocks several styles of oven mitts, including larger ones that cover part of the forearm, to mini versions that protect only the hands. The commenters on Reddit don't mention which DT oven mitts in particular are too thin or unsuitable. However, in the review section on the Dollar Tree website (under a listing for a larger-style home collection oven mitt), one reviewer posted several words of warning: "Please do not buy these oven mitts unless [you're] using them for decoration. These are too thin and will burn your hand. An additional towel, etc., would be required to protect your hand from being burned. I have bought several and have been burned from each one."

It isn't only Dollar Tree's oven mitts that have a bad rep online. The pot holders, which are often sold with the mitts, have also been given several poor reviews. For example, one shopper said, "I had one of these catch fire on the stove (my bad), but what made it worse, burning particles fell on my hand and stuck to my hand, causing a [second-degree] burn. I couldn't get it off my hand. Even when cooled, it stuck to my skin. I couldn't remove it [without] removing the skin. Maybe they should consider a flame-retardant material."

Dollar Tree's oven mitts and pot holders are "made up of thick cotton, which provides adequate protection from excess heat," according to the store's website, but given the negative customer reviews, they appear to be simply not thick enough to handle the job. Purchasing thicker, high-quality oven mitts is definitely worth the investment to protect your hands from getting burned. However, even when using superior gloves, never use wet oven mitts! As water is an excellent conductor of heat, the fierce temperature of a hot pan or baking dish can get inside the mitt and cause third-degree burns. You should also toss out old oven mitts because they can harbor germs and become threadbare over time.