The Best Kitchen Tongs for Cooking and Serving

Photo: amazon.com

Owning a good pair of kitchen tongs is like having an extra set of heat-resistant hands while cooking⁠—they’ll also same your hands from messes and touching other people’s food. Tongs have multiple applications: tossing a fresh and crunchy salad, adjusting burgers on the grill, flipping vegetables on a baking sheet, and more.

The most important quality in a pair of tongs is grip strength: if the cook struggles to firmly hold the tongs and securely grip the food, the tool isn’t doing its job. Kitchen tongs need to be strong enough to hold food, but gentle enough to not destroy it. The best tongs can handle anything from delicately steamed vegetables to heavy grilled meats.

Cooks with nonstick pans must consider tongs with silicone or nylon tips so as not to damage their cookware, and all cooks should think about the length that will best fit their needs: tongs range from 6 inches to 12 inches, and while a 12-inch tong may be unwieldy for tossing salad, a 6-inch tong may result in burned hands if used on a grill. With these considerations in mind, we narrowed down the market to select the best kitchen tongs available.

Our Top Picks

Find the kitchen tongs best suited to your cooking needs in our list of recommendations.

Photo: amazon.com

BEST OVERALL: OXO Good Grips 12-inch Stainless Kitchen Tongs

The Stainless Steel Kitchen Tongs from OXO have a solid grip and user-friendly design. The 12-inch length is sufficient to reach and move food in a hot pan without catching hot grease splatters. OXO’s signature soft-grip cushions the user’s hand and protects it from heat while offering outstanding traction as the cook squeezes and releases the tongs. A strong hinge provides just the right amount of resistance during use—not so much that the user is quickly fatigued, but not so little that the user is doing all the work. The tongs lock when not in use for easy storage, and the brushed stainless construction is tough wearing and dishwasher safe.

Photo: amazon.com

HONORABLE MENTION: The Original Popco Tongs

The Original Popco Tongs are made of strong stainless steel, but also boast silicone tips for scratch-free precision cooking. The set includes 7-, 9-, and 12-inch sizes and are color coded: cooks can use all three pairs on different dishes without confusion. The tongs lock closed with a pull ring that also serves as a hanger for simple storage. Offered at a price cooks would expect to pay for a single set of tongs, this set has superb value: quality, versatility, and low cost all in one.

Photo: amazon.com

SILICONE-TIPPED PICK: Hot Target Set of 3 Kitchen Tongs

Some pans, particularly nonstick varieties, require soft tools to avoid scratching—this Hot Target set will help protect and preserve those pans. Constructed from commercial-grade stainless steel, these tongs are sturdy yet can handle gentler tasks with their soft silicone tips. The food-grade silicone heads are non-detachable, lowering the risk of bacteria creeping underneath. This Hot Target set comes with three tongs: a 7-inch length for close cooking or salad tossing, a 9-inch length for general use, and an 11-inch length for larger pans or grilling. The open-close mechanism is smooth and springy, and the single-pull loop locks the tongs closed for storage.

Photo: amazon.com

NYLON-TIPPED PICK: OXO Good Grips 12-inch Locking Tongs with Nylon Heads

For cooks who have pans vulnerable to scratching but dislike the soft feel of silicone tips, OXO offers these nylon tipped tongs. The nylon heads hold food firmly without damaging nonstick finishes. These heavy-duty tongs are heat resistant to an impressive 400 degrees Fahrenheit. OXO’s non-slip handle makes for easy grip and smooth maneuverability. The 12-inch length is ideal for kitchen applications and grilling. The tongs are dishwasher safe and lock closed for efficient storage when not in use.

Photo: amazon.com

STAINLESS STEEL PICK: DRAGONN 12-inch and 9-inch Kitchen Tongs

This heavy-duty set of 12- and 9-inch tongs from DRAGONN comes in useful sizes: the longer tongs are perfect for handling food on the grill, and the smaller pair is ideal for moving items in the oven and serving up dishes. Made from durable brushed stainless steel, the tongs are dishwasher safe and resistant to rust, so they can endure heavy use and continue functioning well. The nonslip handles are cushioned and include a thumb rest for a secure grip during use. These DRAGONN tongs lock closed and have a convenient hanging loop for storage.