What is used to handle hot objects in a restaurant setting?

[Shalmanese]

Most home cooks seem to prefer oven mitts or hot pads when removing hot items from an oven but I don't think I've ever seen them in a restaurant setting. It was my impression that restaurants just use kitchen towels to handle everything. Is this correct?

[weinoo]

Side towels. Dry.

[minas6907]

Yep, 2nd dry towels. Oven mitts are not very manly, its difficult to scream at the wait staff when your wearing mittens.

Edited December 16, 2011 by minas6907 (log)

[chileheadmike]

Side towels. Dry.

Yup, we were always issued two. One wet for wiping down and one dry for hot stuff. I always managed to "find" some extra though.

I've picked up a hot pan with a wet towel more than I care to admit.

[Lisa Shock]

For baking there are beige double-sided terry pads, kind of like two towels sewn together, that have elastic band sewn on one side. We get them at the restaurant supply store.

[Dexter]

(Front of house guy here, so forgive the terminology-failure) - in our bakery, they have these silicone-rubber half sized gloves. They look like orange pac-men with dozens of nub teeth. Not a traditional "oven mitt" but definitely a variation on the theme.

[Karri]

Fingers.

[Edward J]

31 years in commercial kitchens and I have never used ovem mitts yet.

Dry towels, or oven pads, which are thick-ish terry cloth pads.

The main reason is speed.

You need to get one cookie tray out of the oven, I can get it out and on a cooling rack with pads or cloths loooong before you have mitts on.

[Broken English]

Side towels. Dry.

Yup, we were always issued two. One wet for wiping down and one dry for hot stuff. I always managed to "find" some extra though.

I've picked up a hot pan with a wet towel more than I care to admit.

I couldn't have survived like that, I'm a hoarder. Currently I have around 40 hidden on and around my station.