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Avoid oven burns with rack guards

Just about everyone has brushed up against a hot oven rack while cooking. That type of burn has become preventable, though, with Jaz Innovations Oven Rack Guard.

Thursday Bram
Thursday Bram is a freelance journalist of over five years experience. She has worked in real estate and property management, learning the hard way the difference between the appliances that people like and the appliances that actually work in a home. Thursday currently lives in Maryland.
Thursday Bram
The Oven Rack Guard Jaz Innovations

The thing about ovens is that they get hot--really hot. In general, this is a good thing, considering it's very hard to cook anything in a cold oven. But, if you're anything like me, you've brushed a hand or arm across some part of your very hot oven during your cooking career. Personally, I hate that, and I'm more than willing to do whatever it takes to limit that experience.

A friend who does a lot of baking recommended that I look into oven rack guards, specificallyJaz Innovations Cool Touch Oven Rack Guard. They look like little pieces of cloth that you simply place on your oven rack and, in a way, that's exactly what they are. But the Oven Rack Guard is made from Nomex--the same fabric used to make firefighters' gear. This fabric slows the heat transfer from the hot oven racks to your skin, protecting you from those nasty burns.

I'm more than willing to pay the $20 asking price for an Oven Rack Guard. They're easy to install--they just snap on to your oven rack. They're fine in ovens at 500 degrees Fahrenheit and you can toss them in the clothes washer when they get dirty. Though, ignore any bright ideas about leaving them in the oven and running a cleaning cycle to clean them.