Cheap, Disposable Gloves Make Carving Turkey a Breeze

There’s one tool that chefs around the world use and most of us don’t keep in our kitchens, but we should. This inexpensive disposable product can be found in grocery stores, drug stores, and online — and once you’ve got it in the house, you’ll surely use it for everything from pumpkin carving to turkey carving. Can you guess what it is?

Whether you choose latex, nitrile, or vinyl pairs, disposable gloves make turkey carving easier by protecting your hands from the slip of the still-warm turkey, while also keeping your hands clean. Gloves are also ideal for turkey prep — keeping the raw turkey juices contained while you brine, butter, or stuff your turkey, too.

If a box of 100 gloves makes you nervous, consider their many uses: Wear them to handle raw meat and then trash them for better food safety at home. Use gloves when cutting spicy peppers to protect your skin. Gloves for pumpkin carving are also a treat for those who abhor the squishy flesh.

You’ve probably seen chefs wearing black or blue nitric gloves at food events or in open kitchens, and these are indeed a favorite for their thickness and durability, but they will cost you more than a box of latex or vinyl gloves. I say stay away from the thin poly gloves that make you think of lunch ladies — these ill-fitting gloves aren’t insulating at all and are prone to tearing.

You can order your gloves online or pick them up at a restaurant supply store, or even your local Costco. In a pinch you can usually find gloves in the pharmacy area of your grocer or at the drug store too.

Buy them: GREAT GLOVE Vinyl Food Service Glove, $12