Thank you for your review Haley. The side handles will get hot because the heat is being transferred from the cooking food. This especially happens when boiling water. There isn't a heat break on the cast stainless steel side handles (like on the long handles) so the metal to metal connection will allow heat transfer from the pans to the side handles. We always suggest using protection when touching any handles during cooking. We hope that the even heat distribution, the faster reduction from the Windsor shape and the sealed rims will overshadow this and give you years of great cooking.