If you spend any time cooking in your kitchen or if you like to grill outside a lot, chances are you either already own or are looking for a good solid pair of kitchen tongs. If you’re looking, then you’ve come to the right place because today I’m going to talk a little bit about what tongs are, what they’re used for, and I’ll also talk about three or four of the most popular brands on the market today and give you an idea of what you can expect to pay for them.
What exactly are kitchen tongs?
Tongs are gripping tools, or pincers as some people call them, with long handles that allow you to reach into your oven or into your grill and flip your meat easier then by hand or with a spatula. They allow you to get a hold of what you’re trying to flip which is especially convenient for things like chicken or fish.
There are really two different kinds of tongs out there and the difference is primarily in length. Shorter tongs are usually skinny and are used to flip over things like bacon while the more regular form are the long thicker armed tongs that you use when grilling outside.
If you’re anything like me, you use these just about every day for something or other. I once used my tongs to fish something out from behind my heater down in the basement that had fallen behind the grate! Yes, they have a million and one uses and that’s why no kitchen should be without them.
Today I’m going to talk about three specific tongs, namely:
- Imusa 12 Inch Food Tong
- Progressive International 9 Inch Silicone Gripper Tongs
- Oxo Good Grips 12-Inch Stainless-Steel Locking Tongs
Imusa 12 Inch Food Tong
At six dollars these are a very bare set of tongs with no bells and whistles whatsoever. There are no fancy grips for your hands or on the tongs themselves. No, this is just a purely utilitarian set that has a locking ring that allows you to easily store them and is dishwasher safe. I would only recommend this one if price is an essential component of your choice.
Progressive International 9 Inch Silicone Gripper Tongs
At $10 this is a stylish option that comes with different colored hand grips and oversized grippers on the tongs themselves. They’re a little shorter, being only 9 inches instead of the regular 12 but sometimes you need a smaller set and this one fits the bill. The silicone grips and tong parts are safe for nonstick cookware which is a great component, and they are dishwasher safe as well. Based on 17 customer reviews, I give this a solid 98% A or 5 out of 5 stars.
Oxo Good Grips 12-Inch Stainless-Steel Locking Tongs
Finally, at $12 this is really the industry standard tong and the one that I highly recommend everybody own. It’s made of brushed stainless steel so you know it will last forever. It locks in a closed position that allows you to easily store it in any cabinet work or. It has cushioned non-slip handles and also thumb rests which make it very easy to handle and control. It also comes with a large hanging loop that you can hang on your wall if you like. Finally, it’s dishwasher safe which is very important to me! Based on 124 customer reviews, I give this a solid 99% A.
So there you have three basic options to choose from when it comes to Kitchen Tongs, and all of them are incredibly reasonably priced. If your kitchen isn’t equipped with at least one set of these, then you’re not a serious chef! Run out and buy a pair today.
