Glove review-JOMAC

Charleston Dave

These JOMAC gloves



just arrived from Grainger and it got me to thinking about how to review gloves.

Lots of Eggers use gloves to move heated accessories and food. These gloves seem to fall in three categories: (1) inexpensive leather work/welding gloves, (2) silicone mitten-style such as the Orca, and (3) higher-end flame-resistant gloves with Nomex or Kevlar layers. One previous forum thread evaluated gloves with subjective impressions of how long the tester could hold a hot object.

Since the Egg community collectively owns a wider variety of gloves than any one of us does, I think it would be helpful to standardize a test method that would let us as a community share results. I propose these questions:

1. Flexibility: Can you pick up a coin flat on a table? A pencil?
2. Food safety: Does the glove make sense for direct food contact?
3. Cleanliness: How do you wash it?
4. Heat protection: How long will it let you hold a hot object?

#4 is the most difficult to standardize. Most gloves give a “temperature rating,” but it’s not clear whether this is the max temperature for the glove to be stable (not melt), or the max temperature to which your hand can be exposed to in the glove (and for how long). Different folks have different pain thresholds. I’d like to propose a test method that would let us share results and learn from one another. Here’s my idea:

Most Eggers have remote thermometers (Polder-style). Based on quick Internet research, it appears that a recognized threshold for pain is 130ºF. If we put the Polder probe inside a finger of the glove, then place the glove under a pre-heated object at, say, 400ºF, we can easily time how long it takes for the probe to reach the pain threshold.

Oven preheated to 400ºF for 30 minutes with enameled cast iron Dutch oven atop a baking sheet:



Glove then placed on the baking sheet under the cast iron, with probe placed in middle finger (Stike, there’s a joke there for you):





Stopwatch used to count seconds until 130ºF alarm is reached.

Using this test approach, here is my review for the gloves I just purchased from Grainger.

These gloves are marked “JOMAC TERRY By Wells Lamont,” with these features:
• claimed protection to 700ºF
• Kevlar shell
• virgin wool full lining
• extended 5-inch “duck gauntlet” cuffs

My results from testing these Jomac gloves are as follows:
1. Flexibility: Can’t pick up a coin. Can pick up a pencil with difficulty.
2. Food safety: Outside is woven, with a terry-cloth kind of appearance that sheds. Not ideal for direct food contact.
3. Cleanliness: No info from manufacturer. I suspect it could be machine-washed.
4. Heat protection: When placed underneath a cast iron Dutch oven preheated to 400ºF, the probe test gave a duration until the 130ºF pain threshold of 35 seconds.

Desert Oasis Woman

1. Flexibility: Can you pick up a coin flat on a table? A pencil?
2. Food safety: Does the glove make sense for direct food contact?
3. Cleanliness: How do you wash it?
4. Heat protection: How long will it let you hold a hot object?

Charleston Dave, I like your hypotheses, #4 being of particular importance to me personally, as being rather "tender fingered." Have also seared a mitt end or two . Your methodology is solid, albeit the random use of 130 degree egger tolerance, but since most eggers on this site are men, that probably is valid (but may not be generalizable[sp]). :evil: I do think a government grant may be in your future :evil: Even if that falls through, please keep us posted on your eggsperiment

NibbleMeThis

Wait....are you giving us the middle finger? :silly: :woohoo:

I want to get one of those infra red surface temp thermometers to measure how hot the plate setter gets when cooking indirect for a dome temp of 400. I have melted a few silicon and burned traditional oven mitts on a hot plate setter.

I'll have to do your test on the ove-glove that I got for a present.

Slotmercenary

so i conclude that if i want to rest my hand under a 400 degree dutch oven in the oven on top of a cookie sheet that is also 400 degrees for more than 35 seconds then these are not the gloves to use??

bitslammer

Nice review. I have a couple of questions about gloves that I'll throw out here.

I have 2 of the "Ove Gloves" that I got on sale at Meijers for $8 each. I've used them for everything egg related including pulling the plate setter to reload lump on a couple of cooks. I've never been burnt or felt any pain doing so, although I usually pull the plate setter and set it down in say 5 seconds or no more than 10.

These gloves are cheap, washable, and seem to work well. Am I missing something??? What would one need heavy duty welding type gloves for?

Chef in the Making

I think you did a great job however I would add one more item and that is their length. will they cover most of the arm to the elbow. I believe the length is imporant to protect from any unexpected flashbacks

Gunnar

I have this exact pair from Grainger. If I pull the plate setter during a cook; I'm lucky to spin 180 deg and set it on the table as I can feel the heat coming through the gloves. Not just the plate setter, but any object that is medium plus heat. This also hold true for the name brand leather gloves. I have finally settled in on the silicone oven mitts and find them to work very well. It could be the extra thickness in the ridges at the fingers/palm that make the difference.

Charleston Dave

The 130ºF figure came from internet research on pain thresholds. I've noticed that when I do sous vide cooking I can with some discomfort pull a bag out of the water when it's at that temperature, so that number seemed to make sense.

The key is to pick a number that could be tested to by anybody, as opposed to a subjective "it was uncomfortable." We have some pro chefs here who probably are used to picking up hot pans with no protection at all. I'm sure I couldn't do that. If they tested by comfort level, they'd get a much higher number (more seconds) than I would, just because they're more used to high heat. That makes it hard to compare their impressions of gloves with mine, for example.

Even if you're "tender fingered," I'd expect you to prefer these gloves over a pair that tested to only 20 seconds @ 130ºF, even if you personally got lower figures (fewer seconds) from both. The test is designed to provide reasonably reproducible results useful for comparing gloves no matter who's doing the test. I also thought it would be interesting for other Eggers to test their gloves so we can learn from each others' experiences.

I do wonder if you would have some difficulty with these gloves due to their size and bulkiness. If women have smaller hands, that could be an issue.

Thanks for your comment!

Charleston Dave

Good point, John. Just giving the gauntlet as 5" is probably not enough.

The length from fingertip to end of cuff is 12-3/4" which on me comes up to mid-forearm.

For me, this leaves about 4" of forearm unprotected beneath the crease of my elbow.

Charleston Dave

swibirun wrote:

Wait....are you giving us the middle finger? :silly: :woohoo:

Actually, that was Stike bait. In retrospect I should probably have used the index finger. In holding a heavy object (like a platesetter) one applies more force with the index finger than the other fingers.

About the Ove Glove, I'd love to see somebody present a review of it here using this method.

I see from the online marketing that it's "rated" up to 480ºF, but as I said in the original post, I have no idea what that means. The price is about the same as the JOMAC gloves, $30-35 for a pair. They look to be shorter than the JOMAC gloves.

Please, test it and let us know!

Chef in the Making

thanks for the reply. My leather gloves and my silicone mitts are both 12 inches. sometimes when I am cooking real hot I will both pairs this seems to help a little but it can be bulky.

Charleston Dave

You got a good deal on the Ove Gloves. Most of the online sources run $30 or more for a pair and you paid half that.

I didn't have any gloves, so I picked these to purchase and thought if I shared my results and methodology other Eggers would benefit. I haven't tested or used the Ove Gloves and would love to see your results. They're stocked in retail kitchen stores, so they are probably in a lot more homes than these JOMACs.

I note the Ove Gloves have a short gauntlet. You might be more at risk of a forearm burn than someone using a longer glove that provides more forearm protection.

Desert Oasis Woman

The 130ºF figure came from internet research on pain thresholds
I withdraw my methodology objection thanks to your clarification and the research also decreases my concern about generalizing the results
good start; now everyone needs to send their favorite or worst gloves to you for testing---could be a business plan in this...

Charleston Dave

That would be a good conclusion.

Unless your personal pain threshold is above 130ºF.

I picked the cast iron because it has a high thermal mass and high conductivity, and the oven technique because it provides a good temp control for the test. The intention was to design a test analogous to holding a hot plate setter or cast iron grill, tasks that the average Egger might regularly do. I'd expect a ceramic plate setter to transfer heat more slowly than the cast iron. It'd be reasonable to do the test with a plate setter instead. Go for it!

I did try the test initially within the oven. I was expecting several minutes of protection (after all, the glove is "rated" to 700ºF, right?) so I was startled that the results were so poor, only 30-35 seconds. I wondered if heated oven air was swirling into the glove via the cuff and raising the probe temperature that way. Unfortunately, doing the test on the countertop gave the same results. I also tried holding the Dutch oven in my gloved hands and the results were surprisingly close. I guess my temperature pain threshold is close to the 130º figure.

Charleston Dave

Thanks for the info, Gunnar. Like you, I was disappointed in the performance of these gloves. The marketing seduced me, as I thought that gloves "rated to 700ºF" must be better than gloves rated to a lower temperature, right?

I think the design application for these gloves is probably very brief exposures to high temperatures, like a flashback situation. They are described as flame-retardant, so maybe that gives a clue.

Anybody that wants to test and report on silicone mitts, be my guest!

Charleston Dave

Thanks for the info, Gunnar. Like you, I was disappointed in the performance of these gloves. The marketing seduced me, as I thought that gloves "rated to 700ºF" must be better than gloves rated to a lower temperature, right?

I think the design application for these gloves is probably very brief exposures to high temperatures, like a flashback situation. They are described as flame-retardant, so maybe that gives a clue.

Anybody that wants to test and report on silicone mitts, be my guest!

Gunnar

We have a Grainger Store near us, but they don't sell to the public. When my wife told the clerk what they would be used for he laughed and sold them to her. Now I wish he hadn't. Live and learn....

jamespt

I was reading this thread and I really appreciate everyones input, especially Charlestown Dave.

I hope everyone puts there glove in this thread and comments.

I personally have a leather glove that was a gift and can barely remove the platesetter and place outside of the egg.
Info from package
15 inch extra long cuff
Ideal Holiday Gift
long cuff provide more protection over the lower arm.very soft and pliable for an easy grasp
100 % cotton lining inside for more comfort. HEAT RESISTANT
Easy Hanging Loop for Firplace decoration
Pair of grilling gloves made of high-quality black Suede leather

My conclusion: Good for use of tongs, bad for platesetter or coals.