To glove or not to glove, that is the question

I watched an episode of Master Class at Johnson & Wales and noticed some chefs wearing plastic gloves and other chefs not wearing them. What's your thoughts on wearing gloves while cooking? Personally, I wash my hands frequently and eschew the glove thing, but what about you?

I do the same in my kitchen, but think chefs should wear gloves.

[Jenise]

No need for them. But I'll wear them during service when I'm plating food for large groups and require my assistants to do the same.

Fanny Cradock (very famous UK TV cook of the 50's & 60's) always wore gloves when preparing pork because she was Jewish.

Huh, I thought this was going to be about proctology.

I think gloves are stupid and in fact probably contribute to cross contamination. I never wear them. I wash my hands after handling each different foodstuff - every time without fail.

Agreeing with Chef! Unless gloves are changed at every time one touches another pot, pan or sauce ladle, they will become no more or less bacteria impacted than the naked hand.

Considering the interest in health matters these days, I'm just waiting for someone to say that chefs have to wear surgical masks. Of course if we require chefs to wear gloves and surgical masks we must then demand that they at least start every session in the kitchen with sterile surgical greens.

Best
Rogov

Gloves don't have fingernails and usually aren't as textured as fingerprints. I think they provide fewer hard to clean areas for bacteria to hide. But even with gloves on, you still have to wash the hands to avoid cross-contamination. That being said, I think Chef's right--if you are practicing good hygiene anyway, it doesn't make a difference whether or not you wear gloves.

I only wear gloves when working with very hot chiles.

-Paul W.

Lik Paul, I wear gloves when working with chiles, or making meatballs or shaping hamburgers. The latter to protect my manicure. I wash my hands often when prepping foods. I always do my produce prep first, then wash my hands with hot water and soap before I start working with meats, fish, or foul, and wash afterwards. Oh yea, and I wash my hands before and after handling my dogs veggies and meat.

Gloves don't have fingernails and usually aren't as textured as fingerprints. I think they provide fewer hard to clean areas for bacteria to hide. But even with gloves on, you still have to wash the hands to avoid cross-contamination. That being said, I think Chef's right--if you are practicing good hygiene anyway, it doesn't make a difference whether or not you wear gloves.

I only wear gloves when working with very hot chiles.

-Paul W.

You're right, but that's a double-edged sword. Fingernails and fingerprints help grip items better.

I've seen clerks wearing gloves who must think they have magic properties because they handle money (and many other contaminating-type activities) without taking the gloves off or otherwise washing them.

Gloves can be useful when peeling chiles, although my friend who has so far peeled and frozen 270 pounds of green chile this year never wears gloves. He thinks that stash will hold him until about a month before the next year's crop is harvested. We still have $15/30-35 lb sacks of green chile here, and the roasters are going full steam.

I agree with Chef and Rogov. People put gloves on and then touch EVERYTHING without thinking. I wash my hands often, always after handling any protein. I could see putting them on in an assembly line set-up if that person was going to make 400 meatballs, not touch anything else, then be done, take the gloves off--and if the same person was going to handle anything else? New set of gloves...

The only time it really works is if someone puts on new gloves, makes a sandwich, tosses gloves then dons a new pair for next sandwich...

Blech.

Of course, I think they are required now, right?

No gloves, constant and frequent hand and arm (and knife) washer here.

Gloves can help prevent spread of a disease from a infected person, but then folks don't wash as often. If I'm sick, probably Janet is too, and there are so many other opportunities for infecting each other, gloves are pretty useless.

One exception: if I have a cut on either hand, I use gloves, wash and disinfect as usual.

I've seen clerks wearing gloves who must think they have magic properties because they handle money (and many other contaminating-type activities) without taking the gloves off or otherwise washing them.

Yes, that practice causes me to cringe inwardly.

-Paul W.

I have one disclaimer, too. I once had a bad staph infection on my hands. I took a soft tissue antibiotic for it (Keflex). Got it from a cut filleting salmon and then boning chicken. But, I was the guy in the restaurant. I had to be there. I wore gloves the entire time I was in the building and I rarely touched anything. Just directed. Other than that, no gloves.

No gloves, constant and frequent hand and arm (and knife) washer here.

Gloves can help prevent spread of a disease from a infected person, but then folks don't wash as often. If I'm sick, probably Janet is too, and there are so many other opportunities for infecting each other, gloves are pretty useless.

One exception: if I have a cut on either hand, I use gloves, wash and disinfect as usual.

Clarification: I had hepetitis many years ago, and can no longer donate blood. I've assumed I might be able to infect other people even now, so I'm really careful to prevent my blood from coming in contact with anyone.

I always do my produce prep first, then wash my hands with hot water and soap before I start working with meats, fish, or foul, and wash afterwards.

How curious. For me, the produce prep always results in my having heaps of cut-up things in bowls, on plates, and just generally everywhere. Hence I do the protein prep first so that I still have room to maneuver on the counters.

I think Marco Pierre White said something like he has 10 tasting spoons on his hands. Gloves take away a certain sense that connect us to food. Gloves can be useful for boning fish, peeling garlic etc. but for me that is about it, oh excuse me I forgot about peeling beets, and maybe using squid ink, other than that I rarely ever use them. I have always used a bleach bucket, and a sink. I do think gloves are funny when you see a dishwasher go to the bathroom and come out still wearing his GLOVES! just my observations at restaurants I no longer eat at.

[Jenise]

Clarification: I had hepetitis many years ago, and can no longer donate blood. I've assumed I might be able to infect other people even now, so I'm really careful to prevent my blood from coming in contact with anyone.

That's good. I don't have any such issues, but if I have a cut of any kind I do use a fingercot or a glove. That's just smart but a good courtesy--I know what I'd think of seeing someone else handle food with a cut.

Clarification: I had hepetitis many years ago, and can no longer donate blood. I've assumed I might be able to infect other people even now, so I'm really careful to prevent my blood from coming in contact with anyone.

That's good. I don't have any such issues, but if I have a cut of any kind I do use a fingercot or a glove. That's just smart but a good courtesy--I know what I'd think of seeing someone else handle food with a cut.

If one has an open wound it would be sheer folly not to wear some protection while butchering raw poultry or fish.