Making wood handles for cookware

[Matt Lau]

I've noticed that a number of more recent pots, pans, etc have solid metal handles--for cosmetics, I believe. As a result, I've found that it's far too easy to burn oneself while cooking.

Would it be feasible to make simple wooden sleeves for the handles?

Please let me know if this would be just a stupid/dangerous idea.
Or if it isn't, if you have any tips regarding how to do this.

-Matthew

[Andrew Pitonyak]

Much depends on your intent and use

Bad idea if the pan is placed into an oven.

My Miele dishwash (that I will replace because the intake pump fails often) strips the finish off wood handles (I found out the hard way).

How will you secure the handle? I expect an adhesive to fail.

Is the handle sufficiently close to the pan that it will be exposed to the full heat of the pan?

I would be leery of this.

[Frank Drew]

Matt,

I've got a couple of older Le Creuset sauce pans with wood handles; they have a threaded rod all the way through with a hanging hoop at the outer end. Teak was their wood of choice but I've seen more plain woods used.

Andrew's right, I wouldn't use them in the oven or put them in the dishwasher. I bought one used that was slightly charred right at the pan end by, I guess, a too high flame on a stove top burner, so that's something else to consider.

As for adding a wood sleeve.... doable, no doubt, but those might be a fair amount of work to get them right. I'd just get one of the slide on rubber sleeves they sell for the purpose. I've even used lengths of garden hose.

[Matt Lau]

Thanks for the replies.

Since I never use the dishwasher, I take it for granted.
I also never place pots inside the oven.
My use would be for the stove--single handled pots or skillets that have a handle length of at least 8-10 inches.

I never knew about the slide on sleeves!

Could you please post a link?

[Bill ThompsonNM]

Google 'silicon pot handle cover' you'll get a lot of choices in silicon rubber

[Carroll Courtney]

They done away w/wooden handles due to bacteria,passing of germs from one cook to another,sweatie hands,etc.---Carroll

[Ted Calver]

Matthew...go to ETSY dot com and search for ManHandles....just the ticket for those hot handles :)