Insulating a pan handle

How about some sort of silicone? Perhaps in the form of a cord or string or whatever.

For a pan not to be used in the oven, ordinary string would likely be fine. But in the oven, no.

Several such products on Etsy - though probably many other sources.

My first thought as well. Though finding decent gaunlet type oven gloves can be a bit of a challenge.

Was sort of thinking that cotton string would do, ignition temp of cotton is > 200C and a casserole dish isn't like to be used at that temperature, Not sure how long it would last though with repeated heating/washing cycles.

Perhaps small dia stove rope would be better? Quick google indicates that 3mm dia is out there.

Ah ha! That?s exactly what I want. 99 pence?s worth of the stuff winging its way to me now.

Many thanks.

Tim

e stuff winging

Not sure I'd want an unbound fibreglass handle. A padded cotton sleeve that slides on & off easily would work.

NT

Yes anything that is added to it would spoil the look. The other option is make it into a feature somewhere in the house and do the real cooking with something more modern and less likely to burn you! I often wonder if the folk in the old days had asbestos hands. You could just use a cloth to pick it up, I do this for hot things, but the cloth needs to be non flammable if you cook on an open flame. Brian

How would you make it stay attached though? Brian

I'm leaving that for the OP to work out, be interesting to hear what he come up with. I know what I'd do. B-)

This doesn't sound that different to other cast iron posts and pans which must present similar difficulties. However - as its a loop handle are you sure you're not supposed to push something through the loop - quite possibly the sort of implement that regularly turns up on "what were these used for" queries. and lift the lid that way ? For a one off use I'd be tempted to use a large screwdriver or similar but ideally you need a heel at the end which would both fit through the loop and by engaging on the lid be useful in levering the lid on and off. Two pieces of wood in other words.

michael adams

...

Well of corse there are any number of ways of lifting a pan lid off but sometimes when I?m in a hurry I forget that the handle gets very hot, even when used over the lowest flame on the hob if it?s been on a while. Just be nice to be able to pick it up safely by hand.

Tim

Better still make something based on the proper thing:

That's nature's way of telling you that you are an old dog. DAMHIK :((

Depends on the size of the loop but on my cast iron casserole with a loop handle adding any significant thickness to the handle would pretty well guarantee the back of my fingers touched the (marginally even hotter?) body of the lid.

If all else fails there's high temperature paint and a "HOT" stencil ;)

t...

That is one of the reasons I really appreciate induction hobs. Virtually no spill of heat up the sides. Recently used a gas hob a few times and that h as re-confirmed I would never voluntarily go back to gas.

True, but on the lowest gas setting on the smallest burner the lid is only really getting heated by steam inside the pan. I?m sure after an hour on an induction hob the lid would probably be just as hot.

Tim

The lid would be - but the side handles are much hotter over even a very lo w gas ring.

I regularly cook a soup using one particular large pan with small D handles . On induction, I can pick the pan up by them even when it has been cooking for an hour. Over gas, I had to progressively move it from large, to mediu m, to small burner (on lowest possible flame) in order to achieve a very ge ntle simmer. And the D handles were too hot to willingly touch let alone pi ck up the pan.

The cord arrived today. It?s very soft and silky but of course it might still be irritating.

Wondering about oiling it and putting it in a hot oven to create a sort of ?varnish? to seal the fibres.

Tim

'ere:

Lodge Hot Holder-Red Heat Protecting Silicone Cast Iron Skillets with Keyhole Handle, 5-5/8" L x 2" W

More information:

Thomas Prufer

Much better quality than oven mitts at a muchly similar price: welders' gloves, i.e. Weldas gauntlet, and get a lined one, like "Weldas Tig Gauntlets Large"...

Thomas Prufer

I have a Mastrad Orka which works for me. I always put it on my left-hand and use a tea-towel for my right, if anything else is needed.

My original Orka did eventually split but the new one seems more sturdy.

Hum, never having done any welding (did woodwork at school) I've always assumed welding gloves where just to protect from hot spatter, sparks etc rather than enable you to pick up and hold with your whole hands and carry something fairly heavy with a surface temp well over

They might be a bit too "industrial" for the management.