What material is best for cast iron handle covers? I recently obtained* my first cast iron skillet with a lid.  I cleaned it up, seasoned it and am so far happy with the cooking results.

However, it has rapidly become obvious that I need some kind of handle cover, as juggling oven mitts and towels is not really cutting it.

I see that covers are generally made out of one of:


leather
fabric (like oven mitts)
silicone


Which of these materials is best for everyday cooking?  Unsurprisingly, leather seems to be the most expensive.  I also like the look best, though that's not a deal breaker.  Does leather justify its higher price here?



*My neighbor was moving and was about to throw the skillet in a dumpster!
I would go with silicone or leather. I used fabric mitts before and the one I used became brittle with the heat.

If you can "obtain" a silicone sleeve for the handle, that would save you the effort of putting on mitts every time you need to handle it. Test the silicone before you purchase it by putting a fire to it. If it burns, it's not real pure silicone.

Good luck!