How to Organize Oven Mitts and Pot Holders

The big idea behind getting organized is that every item must have a home—which is why it’s so tricky to organize oven mitts and pot holders. There’s just no natural place to store these very useful and necessary tools in a residential kitchen, so they often end up crammed into a drawer with cooking utensils, tossed on top of a stock pot, or stuffed in a grimy basket a little too close to the stove. And unless you’re rich with under-counter drawer space (lucky!), the most sensible solution is to hang your oven mitts and pot holders. But where? And from what?

The answers to those questions depend on your kitchen: Its setup, surface materials, and whether or not you’re willing (or allowed) to put a few holes in the wall. That said, if you’re ready for something semi-permanent, your oven mitts can actually look really nice hanging in your kitchen.

When considering possible locations for your oven mitt storage, keep in mind that you should be able to easily grab one while standing at the stove. If that means drilling into your beautiful backsplash, a mounted hook or rack may not be an option. Luckily, there are plenty of no-damage oven mitt storage and organization solutions for renters and those who don’t own power tools.

But before you decide which method is best for you, consider another big theme in home organization: less is more. Take an inventory of what you have and decide how many oven mitts and pot holders you truly need. Unless you use pot holders as trivets with regularity, one cook can’t really use more than two at a time, and even if you keep a spare set on hand, six pieces is pushing it. If, during this process, you find that your oven mitts have been used to death and need to be replaced, check out our picks for oven mitts and pot holders that actually protect your hands from extreme heat.

Ready to give your oven mitts a real home? Here are six ideas and 21 products for storing and organizing oven mitts and pot holders in any kitchen.

Mounted hooks

Mounted hooks are the best solution for storing and organizing a small collection of oven mitts and pot holders—if you don’t mind drilling into the wall, that is. Unlike adhesive and magnetic hooks, mounted hooks offer more options in terms of design, whether you want something industrial, whimsical, or timeless.

Mounted wall racks

Mounted wall racks are another great semi-permanent option for organizing your oven mitts and can even create more general storage space in a small kitchen. Horizontal racks outfitted with S-hooks are a handy place to hang oven mitts as well as utensils that may take up too much room in a crock or drawer—think mesh sieves, spiders, and extra-long tongs.

Adhesive hooks

I’m shocked every time someone tells me they hung a curtain rod or picture frame with Command Hooks (I don’t trust them that much) but adhesive hooks can absolutely handle the weight of an oven mitt or two. These small single hooks are easy enough to remove if you want to rearrange your storage, and they’ll stick to just about anything if you want to put one near the stove and tuck a few more into a cabinet or closet.

Magnetic hooks

If your kitchen has more metallic surfaces than wall space, or if you want to keep your oven mitts on the side of your stove or fridge, strong magnetic hooks are a perfect no-damage solution. There’s no installation required and you can reposition or remove them whenever you want.

Under-shelf hangers

These slender racks are another great no-damage option if you have a row of cabinet space to spare. They slide onto a shelf to provide hanging storage below, and while they’re meant to hold coffee mugs, they’re perfect for out-of-the-way oven mitt organization, too.

Over-the-cabinet hooks

These handy hooks hang on a kitchen cabinet door. They’re most often used for storing dish towels, but they can also provide quick access to an oven mitt or pot holder when it’s time to get that lasagna out of the oven.