Nylon Vs. Cotton Pot Holders

Availability

• Cotton is the most common material for pot holders. On one retailer's website, for example, cotton pot holders accounted for 90 percent of the offerings. Three products were made from silicone and no products were made from nylon, although a few cotton hot pads had nylon filling. Even the professional line of hot pads were made from fire-retardant cotton.

Heat Resistance

• Nylon fabrics are resilient and flexible, but they do not stand up to high heat as well as cotton. At high temperatures, nylon may shrink, melt or warp. These problems may not affect the function of nylon hot pads, but they will likely affect the aesthetics. Cotton fabrics may become slightly browned when exposed to high heat, but they will not melt or shrink.

Stain Resistance

• Cotton is the clear winner in this department, as well. Although nylon is designed to resist many stains, oil stains are difficult to remove from this fabric. In a kitchen setting, pot holders will inevitably become stained with oil or grease. Cotton pot holders wash well and can be scrubbed or treated with chlorine bleach, depending on the fabric.

General Recommendations

• Regardless of the type you buy, select pot holders with enough filling to provide insulation from the heat. The pot holders should be large enough to safely carry large pots or roasting pans. Dark fabrics or patterned fabrics hide stains better than light fabrics, and anything you buy should be washable. A long oven mitt is a good investment if you do a lot of grilling, roasting or baking.