7 Smart Ways to Use Exam Gloves in the Kitchen

Sneak Preview: Exam gloves are an indispensable tool for mess-free, hassle-free cooking. Whether you’re handling raw meat, peeling beets, or kneading sticky dough, these gloves make the job easier and cleaner. Here are seven creative ways to use exam gloves in your kitchen.

Costco exam gloves for cooking uses.Pin
Notice that the label on this box shows they are safe to use around food.

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Exam gloves are right up there with hot pads and paper towels in my kitchen essentials list. These disposable gloves make messy or challenging tasks simple, clean, and more enjoyable. Plus, they’re inexpensive and easy to find.

“I have arthritis in my hands and handling cold hamburger meat really makes my hands ache. So when I am making out hamburger patties, or mixing & shaping a meatloaf, I pu on a pair of the “dr. gloves”. They keep my hands from getting cold & achy, & make for really easy clean-up.”–SHERRI

1. Open Stubborn Lids

opening jar with exam gloves.Pin

Gloves improve your grip on tight jar lids, making them easier to open. Especially handy as we age and hand strength diminishes!

2. Prevent Burned Fingers

Gloves provide insulation for tasks like handling hot meat, turning out muffins, or peeling freshly cooked potatoes. While not a replacement for oven mitts, they’re great for quick, precise tasks.

The corn on the cob you see below was cooked in the microwave per the instructions seen here, so that cob is HOT! You could use hot pads to hang on to the shucks, but they are awkward. Exam gloves make the job easy.  

handling hot foods with Costco exam gloves on.Pin

The little tart shells in the picture have just come out of the oven and without gloves, they would be difficult to handle.

3. Shield Pastries or Candy From Body Heat

working with a pastry shell and pressing it into a moldPin

When working with pastries that tend to be difficult as they get warm, put on gloves to protect the food. Perfect for rolling cookie dough into balls, making candy, pie crust, or making ice cream balls.

4. Protect Hands from Odors

chopping garllic with gloves on.Pin

Avoid lingering smells from garlic, onions, or fish by wearing gloves. Simply toss them when you’re done for fresh, clean hands.

5. Provide a Barrier Against Natural Toxins

cutting jalapeno peppers with gloves onPin

Handle hot peppers without risking burns or irritation by using gloves. A must when chopping jalapeños or other spicy peppers. You need them for these Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno and Cream Cheese Chicken Bites.

6. Avoid Staining Fingers

gloved hands squeezing orangesPin

Tasks like peeling beets, squeezing citrus, or polishing silver can stain your fingers. Gloves keep your hands clean and stain-free.

7. Good for Sticky, Slimy, or Gooey Tasks

stuffing shells and pulling meat off the bones with gloves on.Pin

From mixing meatloaf to stuffing pasta shells, gloves make sticky tasks less messy and more tolerable. Hands-on tasks have never been easier!

FAQ About Exam Gloves for Cooking Uses

What kind of glove is best?

I prefer exam gloves over food-handler gloves (the clear, one-size-fits-all kind you see in restaurants and schools). They fit more snugly and allow better tactile manipulation. 

Look for food-safe, powder-free gloves made of nitrile or latex.

Where can I buy exam gloves?

Exam gloves are available at Costco, Amazon (paid link), or any local pharmacy. Be sure to check the packaging for food-safe labeling.


📌Bonus Tip:

Kids love playing with gloves! My grandson insists on wearing them every time he visits. For extra fun, fill gloves with water, freeze them, and use them as creepy decorations for Halloween punch.


kids having fun with disposable glovesPin

More Ideas from Readers

“So glad you confirmed that I’m not a crazy person like my family thinks…they make fun of my gloves but I’m the one who doesn’t have raw meat, bits of dough or rotisserie chicken under my fingernails! Another fun use at Halloween…fill with water, add red food coloring (or whatever color matches your decor), close it up and freeze it. Create a Halloween punch, remove the glove from the frozen “hand” and let it float in the punch bowl..creepy!”–DENISE

“I like the gloves’ protection when I’m skinning tomatoes for canning. They really do protect somewhat from the heat of the water the tomatoes are sitting in and when using them for other foods in the kitchen, I also wash my “hands”, gloves and all with soap and water.”–GEORGIE

“Your picture of Kent with the gloves reminded me of a cute trick my grandkids really liked when they were pre-school age. I had a macaroni box with the cellophane window in half of the box. When I had used about 2/3 of the contents, I discovered that when I turned the box upside down, the remaining macaroni “disappeared” in that little window. I called it the “magic box”, and they loved to get in the drawer pull it out. (Of course I did have to tape the box shut.) That macaroni was about 2 years old when I finally threw it away.” SIS


Final Thoughts

Exam gloves are an inexpensive yet invaluable tool for tackling messy, smelly, or tricky kitchen tasks. Try them out, and you might wonder how you ever cooked without them.

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67 Comments

  1. I and defiantly a fan of using exam gloves, I do household cleaning for a living, and my hands dry out quickly. I have up to 3 boxes(I use them in other areas of my house besides the kitchen). They are helpful for anything from moxing meatballs/other sticky food, preparing raw meat to handling hot peppers. Also them to clean the house, in the garden and miscellaneous tasks I get boxes of long cuffed nitrile gloves.

    1. Hey Kyla,

      High five for exam gloves. I get mine at Costco. Haven’t seen the long cuffed ones before. Just this week I was using them to pick very hot meat off the bones of a chicken or turkey. Have a great week.

      1. I get mine from Amazon. Just used a couple separate sets(one to pull hot brisket and the other to clean the bathroom) I hate it when water gets into your glove(s), I prefer the long exam gloves over the yellow household gloves.

        1. I’ll look for them. Thanks, Kyla.

  2. Ralph Zuzolo says:

    Great and creative ideas for using disposable gloves in the kitchen, especially opening jars. I would add that instead of costco consider a sites like ours With coupon codes you can get a case a gloves for about what you would pay for two boxes.

  3. I love your idea for tough-to-open jars – I will try that!

    I just started wearing vinyl disposable gloves, and they have saved my hands. I used to keep them on hand for the occasional jalapeno chopping – just touch your eyes once and then try putting your contact lenses in the next day – and that’ll cure you of that! hehehe. I thought to try the gloves more regularly because (embarassingly), I have to wear Mavala Stop nail polish or I’ll bite my nails, and I noticed that I could taste it when I shredded chicken or ham. I finally thought of wearing gloves, and it did the trick, but it also solved a problem that had been plagueing me for years – super dry, cracked hands.

    I cook from scratch up to 3 meals a day, and while I’m not really obsessive about germs, I do wash up at the obvious points – before emptying the dishwasher, after handling raw eggs/meat, or taking out the trash, and plus they just get really dirty and require frequent handwashing during cooking. As a result, my hands have been a hot mess for a while. I tried all sorts of awesome tips that helped – vaseline and cotton gloves at night, wearing dishgloves when handwashing dishes, and Eucerin Original lotion – but they were still always looking really beat up.

    Disposable gloves have immediately restored my hands. Almost overnight (just like it happens when I’m on vacation and not cooking), my hands are fine again. And gone are the micro-cracks and cuts (which were a result of having dry skin) that I worried were letting in e-coli or salmonella when I was handling raw meat. My skin is completely restored.

    I put the disposable gloves on before I start my food prep and wear the same pair until I sit down for our meal. I’ve noticed absolutely no problems working with heat, washing them repeatedly, and they even fit under larger kitchen gloves, though I don’t find that I need those anymore. I then put on another pair before I start cleaning up. I’ve tried two different brands, and the difference was enormous – the key for me was getting a tight enough fit. My current box is too loose, so water gets in them when I’m washing my gloved hands or doing dishes, and this makes them really annoying to wear. They still work fine and the water isn’t damaging my hands, but between the looseness and the water, I have to fight the urge to take them off all the time – lol. This is just from a slight difference in fit; they’re still tight enough to work in. This current box is also powdered and I don’t care for that. So I would advise that the fit is really important.

    1. I agree with you Sonya, fit is very important for the task in hand(pun intended). I hate the powdery reidue left on you hands. I do cleaning every day, used to have pwderd latex gloves(the place used to get them were on size fits all) I know get the long cuffed(not the yellpw dish gloves) exam gloves from another source and the fit is wonderful(I am between a size small/medium).

    2. I used latex gloves(hated the smell) then switched to nitrle gloves. The nitrle glives amhave a way better fit.

  4. thanks. I used to use the cloves in all cooking periods I can add one good job for it I used for longtime ago peoples can wash and clean their asshole easy and better and healthier than using bare hand. hope that is helpful. with respect

    1. I mean gloves sure 🙂

  5. Nadine Pekar says:

    These gloves sound wonderful. Are they easy to slip on and off or do you have to tug and pull to take them on and off?

    1. If your hands are completely dry and you buy the appropriate size, they are not difficult to put on.

  6. As long as they’re vinyl and powder free, you can use them with food. But if there is powder, no good.

  7. Melanie Klinge says:

    We sell a wide variety of exam gloves at affordable prices. We ship anywhere within the 48 contiguous United States. Check us out!

  8. So glad you confirmed that I’m not a crazy person like my family thinks…they make fun of my gloves but I’m the one who doesn’t have raw meat, bits of dough or rotisserie chicken under my fingernails! Another fun use at Halloween…fill with water, add red food coloring (or whatever color matches your decor), close it up and freeze it. Create a Halloween punch, remove the glove from the frozen “hand” and let it float in the punch bowl..creepy!

    1. Hi Denise,
      I’m filing away the Halloween idea. That’s great. Thanks for taking the time to share.

  9. Just found your blog and I’m enjoying it. In the winter, when my skin gets extra dry, I put lotion on my hands and then put gloves on before washing dishes, cooking, etc. I used to avoid using lotion because I didn’t want to get it on everything I touched and have to wash it off when I needed to do things in the kitchen (especially touching food). Now I can moisturize whenever I want without worrying about that.

    1. Great idea Jennifer. Thanks for adding to the conversation.

  10. randchinkle says:

    Just found a reference to your website on Susan Voisin’s Fat Free Vegan Kitchen. I’ve really enjoyed “looking around” and reading the comments from other readers, especially the one from the lady with the omnivore husband.
    Since my husband and I are Vegan, we cannot use all of your recipes, but some can be adjusted. And the ideas, such as this one, about using gloves is inspired.
    Also enjoyed reading your suggestions about kitchen utensils. I have some of them, and especially like my pastry scraper. I use mine primarily to scoop us my chopped veggies to transfer them from the cutting board to the pan.
    Thanks for having such an interesting, useful website.

  11. I have arthritis in my hands and handling cold hamburger meat really makes my hands ache. So when I am making out hamburger patties, or mixing & shaping a meatloaf, I pu on a pair of the “dr. gloves”. They keep my hands from getting cold & achy, & make for really easy clean-up.

  12. leighmarker says:

    I have to agree w/Angie above-I hate the thought of touching chicken with my bare hands.
    We also use them when putting up bushels of chile, life saver for burning your skin while peeling and de-seeding them.

  13. I LOVE using gloves to cook, especially when making meatloaf. Can’t stand touching raw meat and wearing the gloves makes that job absolutely simple — with no mess. YAY!

  14. I like the gloves’ protection when I’m skinning tomatoes for canning. They really do protect somewhat from the heat of the water the tomatoes are sitting in and when using them for other foods in the kitchen, I also wash my “hands”, gloves and all with soap and water.

    1. Georgie,
      Good idea about the tomatoes. I’m amazed how much gloves help when you need to handle hot food.

  15. Your picture of Kent with the gloves reminded me of a cute trick my grandkids really liked when they were pre-school age. I had a macaroni box with the cellophane window in half of the box. When I had used about 2/3 of the contents, I discovered that when I turned the box upside down, the remaining macaroni “disappeared” in that little window. I called it the “magic box”, and they loved to get in the drawer pull it out. (Of course I did have to tape the box shut.) That macaroni was about 2 years old when I finally threw it away.

  16. I use them for dying my hair and when using cleansers. I also keep a pair in my purse when visiting family to help wash dishes if they serve a food I can’t stand. My husband wears them when handling garbage bags.

    Hadn’t thought to use them dismantling a chicken but I will tonight. 🙂

  17. I have been using these gloves for years. Started with mixing meatloaf, realized that most raw meat, egg, and general “messy food” handling would be safer and easier to clean up when I use gloves. Dismantling a supermarket roasted chicken is my latest favorite use. Also want to say that I will frequently wash my hands (still in gloves) when moving raw foods around or switching to new cutting boards. They fit so well that you can “clean up” and move on to a new job without wasting many pairs on one meal.

    1. Ubermeme,
      Glad you mentioned how nicely these gloves fit your hands. Not only is it safer when you are handling a knife, it is, like you said, easy to wash your gloved hands when necessary (like answering the phone.)

  18. I’m going to have to check the box I keep in the laundry room next to the guest bath. I doubt they are multi-purpose so I may have to switch because I love your ideas for use in the kitchen!

  19. Found you through the yummy life. I’m so excited to try making some salad-in-a-jar and found this post on exam gloves a happy bonus! Thanks for the great stuff you’ve got on your site!

  20. Paula,
    I have luckily, through what must be serendipity, found your blog and am thrilled, thrilled, thrilled. Thank you for all the time and energy you devote to making it easy and more immediately scrumptious for the rest of us!
    I have struggled with using throw away gloves because they rip so easily but, I have been purchasing prepackaged and colorful ones. Never thought to use good old exam gloves! Thank you!

    1. Hi Muddle,
      I have no trouble with ripping with the gloves I get from Costco. Glad you found me. 🙂

  21. Thrilled to see someone else using these. When I got married I was 100% vegetarian… My husband was 100% meat eater, red meat every day. I had never even bought raw chicken before!!
    I prep all our meat with these gloves on = my husband gets great meat dishes + I don’t spend all my time throwing up or scrubbing my hands. Perfect for mixing and rolling meatballs etc.
    Thanks for the other ideas.

  22. Okay, so I went to the garage and dug out my box of gloves from the painting supplies cabinet and put the box in the kitchen. Now if I can just remember where I put them when I get ready to paint again.

  23. Gr eat post, great ideas and an adorable grandson! I use these gloves for most of the same reasons you do. I also wear them when I make my homemade hamburger patties. I scoop up the required amount of meat with my measuring cup and pat the patties together with these gloves on. Works wonderfully and simply toss the gloves when the patties are packaged and ready for the freezer.

  24. In the hispanic kitchen, we love using lots of fragrant and colorful seasonings, such as garlic, herbs, annato, vinegar, “adobo” and “sazón” mixed together as a rub to apply inside and out the meat to be cooked to assure flavor in every bite, so I keep a box of these gloves for this purpose. Food is delicious, hands keep clean…Works great!!;)

    1. I totally forgot about using these gloves to apply a rub. You are so right. Thanks for the reminder.

  25. Great ideas, I have a box sitting in my kitchen drawer, left over from my now 24 year old sons last hs biology class, now I know what to do with them, never though about using them when cooking what great ideas.

    Thanks!

  26. Great list! I think #5 is incredibly important. I once had burning fingertips for 2 days after chopping up hot peppers (to my dismay no natural home remedies would remove the oils). Never again! I always wear gloves now!

    1. Connie,

      I made that mistake once too. But only once! Thanks for the confirmation.

  27. Some great ideas for using the gloves, I would have not thought of half of them, I can’t think of any more. Welll maybe I wouldn’t cut myself as much as I do, I tend to be a bit klutzy.

    1. Klutzy? I find that hard to believe. Have a good Labor Day.

  28. They are a must in my kitchen! I use them mainly for keeping my hands clean, and avoid cutting my fingers. Thank you for sharing so many purposes that I didn’t know of 🙂

  29. Michelle Taggart says:

    Love it! I’ve tried some of the heavier “kitchen” gloves but hated how big and thick they are for some of the small intricate things we do in the kitchen. I had not thought of using this type of gloves like this in the kitchen, but you can bet I will be picking some up. I especially hate it when I put something in the crock pot in the morning and can smell garlic or onion on my hands the entire day. Great post!

  30. Hi Paula! Fantastic post! I do wear gloves a lot in my kitchen, mainly for the same reasons you stated above, and I just love them! Not to mention that when you are in the middle of a messy job and your phone rings, you just have to remove your gloves, that is priceless 🙂 I saw the pics with the kids playing with the gloves, have you ever blown the gloves as you would baloons? They just love it =D

    1. Renata,
      I forgot about the whole phone thing but you are 100% correct.

      Will try blowing up the gloves the next time my grandson comes over. Great idea.

  31. So many great ways to used these protective gloves. That cute grandson of yours is sure to come up with more great ideas too 🙂

  32. You need to show your grandson how to blow these up like a balloon!

  33. Oh, my. I thought I was the only one who does this. I like to use them especially when cutting up raw meat. After reading your ideas, I think I will be using gloves more often.

  34. Piper@GotItCookIt says:

    You’ve got all of them, I have the same box in my chicken. My favorite use is for ‘picking’ a roast chicken…. I can’t stand chicken under my fingernails!

    1. Same here Piper. Absolute necessity on Thanksgiving.

  35. What great ideas!! I have used them before when using household cleaners, but you have brought these little wonders to new heights. I am out to pick up a box TODAY!!! Thanks!

  36. I was wondering about these types of gloves the other day – and you’ve demo’d some great uses! (Although, I have to admit, I read the lead sentence about them wrong and had to go back after I didn’t find the punch line as to why you used them if they “were not” to be used in the kitchen….oh, I hate it when I misread things!) I think I’ll invest in some of these gloves! Thanks for sharing!

  37. Paula, WOW! Putting exam gloves on my list. I have never used them before because I didn’t realize they were food safe. I tried the plastic ones for like when I changed the kitty litter, but they always slide off my hands and are too slippery. Thank you for letting us know about this! Definitely going to try this!

    1. Hi Vicki,
      I’m not a fan of the plastic ones either. They seem almost dangerous when chopping things with a knife and are definitely not for fine detail work where they keep slipping around. Granted the exam gloves are more expensive but since I don’t really use that many, it’s worth it.

  38. I do exactly the same! Maybe we both see their advantages because we work with them on a daily basis? I am a biochemist and wear those gloves all the time during experiments, for a variety of reasons (mainly avoiding contaminating my samples with damaging enzymes from my own skin)

    anyway, I confess to bringing home a box from the lab and using for almost all the uses you mentioned, except one: pressing pastry dough. Will definitely do so from now on

    cool post, loved it!

    1. Sally,
      Yes, I think you’re right. After awhile, things just don’t feel right if you don’t have gloves own.

    2. Sally, you’re not the only one(along with Paula), that uses exam gloves daily. I use them at work every day, I do house cleaning for al loving, and have to use exam glove to avoid contamination from contamination and chemical exposure. It doesn’t feel rognt when you don’t have a say of gloves on.

      1. *I do household cleaning for a living, I use the glives to avoid contamination and chemical exposure. It doesn’t feel right when you don’t have a set of gloves on.

  39. Great post. I use the Nitrile gloves for washing dishes as I’m sensitive to latex. I never thought of them to help open jars. Thanks a lot.

    1. Thanks Donnella. My husband opens my jars if he’s around but often he’s not so this is easier than any jar opener I have.

  40. Clever ideas! I end up washing my hands a lot when I’m in the kitchen, so maybe I’ll need to try this out. Especially with garlic and onion – I feel like my hands smell like that too often! And I’ve definitely had the pepper seed hands in the eye; not fun!

  41. Tawny Marie says:

    I’m definitely all for this if they’re vinyl. Working in the medical field I know latex probably tricky since many have a sensitivity to it and I wouldn’t really want to handle food with them. But, LOVE vinyl gloves 🙂 Use them for dyeing Easter Eggs every year as well.

  42. The Café Sucré Farine says:

    Okay Paula, these are on my Costco list. I use these continually at the hospital but never would have thought of all these wonderful uses, thank you! You are so smart! Love, love, love your grandson! He is absolutely precious. I’m getting ready to have my first boy grandchild so I might need some “boy” lessons! 🙂
    Oh, and you could add a #8 to your list; they make really fun balloons for kids when you blow them up and draw faces on them with sharpies!

    1. Hi Chris,
      I have not tried blowing them up at home–only at work. 🙂 I know the grandson would love it. Somehow, I doubt if you need any “boy” lessons. How do you feel about late night football games? (instead of late-night teas, which is a fabulous idea, BTW)

  43. Crystal @ Crystal's Cozy Kitchen says:

    I keep a box of them in my kitchen too, although I have never used them for #1 or #2 on your list, I’ll have to remember & use them for those things as well!