We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. What to Buy Kitchen Tools The Best Kitchen Tongs, According to My Tests The favorite versatile, all-around essential tool that both professional chefs and home cooks swear by. By Jennifer Zyman and Stacey Ballis Stacey Ballis Stacey Ballis is a novelist, cookbook author, and food writer with 20 years of experience. She has authored a cookbook called "Big Delicious Life," in addition to ghostwriting, recipe development, and recipe testing for chefs. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on February 28, 2024 In This Article Expand In This Article Our Top Picks ReviewsHow I Tested Kitchen Tongs Factors to Consider FAQ Other Kitchen Tongs We Tested Our Expertise Photo: Food & Wine I don’t know if it is a leftover habit from working the line after culinary school, but I love kitchen tongs. I use them daily and consider them one of the best kitchen utensils in my collection. I own all sorts of styles and sizes, even a set of mini gold ones for charcuterie platters and takeout. I use kitchen tongs so much that one of my friends has even pointed out, “You and those tongs.” Why? They're like a natural extension of your hand, better than most kitchen utensils for various tasks like tossing pasta and turning large cuts of meat like pot roast in your Dutch oven. Tongs enable me to easily grab, turn, lift, and toss when cooking. And since many are around 12 inches, it keeps my hands away from the heat. In order to find the best tongs out there, I tested various sizes, materials, and designs. I used them in different dishes, incorporating them into daily weeknight meals. Favorites easily emerged, so read on for the results. Our Top Picks Best Overall: Joseph Joseph Elevate Stainless Steel Tongs at Amazon ($33) Jump to Review Best Silicone: Misen Silicone Tongs at Amazon ($14) Jump to Review Best Stainless Steel: OXO Good Grips 12-Inch Tongs at Amazon ($11) Jump to Review Best Splurge: Rösle 12-Inch Tongs at Amazon ($32) Jump to Review Best Overall Joseph Joseph Elevate Stainless Steel Tongs PHOTO: Amazon $33 at Amazon Pros They have a silicone tip that won’t melt and a kickstand to keep counters clean. Cons You have to reach a bit when using these with deeper Dutch ovens. These Joseph Joseph tongs are 12 inches with a stand, angled silicone tip, rubberized handle, and a closing lever. The tip of the tongs is angled, making it possible to get into the corners of the pans. Not only is the silicone heat resistant, but it also is delicate on any cooking surface. These are also relatively light but still very strong. When I first saw these tongs, I didn't think I would love them as much as I did, but they performed so well and quickly became the tongs I preferred out of my drawer full during testing. In addition, the little stand is helpful to keep the tongs off the counter, and I also appreciate how the lever for closing the tongs is smooth and does not stick. Many models started sticking after multiple washings, giving Joseph Joseph another advantage. Dimensions: 12 inches | Material: Stainless steel and silicone | Dishwasher Safe: Yes Food & Wine / Jennifer Zyman Food & Wine / Jennifer Zyman Food & Wine / Jennifer Zyman Best Silicone Misen Silicone Tongs PHOTO: Misen $14 at Amazon View on Misen.com View on Sears.com Pros They are durable and can handle large cuts of meat. Cons They may feel too large and unwieldy for smaller hands. Misen’s Silicone Tongs are sold individually or as part of the brand’s excellent utensil set, which I own (and love). These 12-inch stainless steel tongs have a silicone tip and rubberized handle for comfort. Compared to other kitchen tongs I tested, these were bulkier and heavier. That could be a detriment for some people with mobility issues, but these were my go-to if I was handling heavy pork butts or even flipping a chicken I was roasting in the oven. They did the job and were surprisingly gentle, not tearing the crispy skin I worked so hard to achieve with my chickens. These were incredibly durable and easy to clean, and they did the job no matter the task. The price is also surprisingly right for a brand of its caliber compared to other more expensive brands that did not perform well. Dimensions: 12 inches | Material: Stainless steel | Dishwasher Safe: Yes Food & Wine / Jennifer Zyman Food & Wine / Jennifer Zyman Food & Wine / Jennifer Zyman Best Stainless Steel OXO Good Grips 12-Inch Tongs PHOTO: Amazon $11 at Amazon $14 at Wayfair $15 at Sur La Table Pros They are so well-balanced in hand and easy to maneuver. Cons They don’t have any protection on the tip, so they will scratch enameled and nonstick surfaces. The Oxo Stainless steel tongs are standard-sized at 12 inches. They have the classic black rubberized handle covering the handle for comfort. I already owned these — they are a great set of kitchen tongs for many reasons: They are light enough for anyone to handle but have excellent gripping capabilities, whether you are cooking a ribeye in a cast iron pan or emulsifying carbonara at the end of the recipe. The tip is made of stainless steel, like the tongs. While I don't use them with anything nonstick or enamel because they will scratch such surfaces, they are my go-to when cooking on my stainless steel or copper pans. Dimensions: 12 inches | Material: Stainless steel | Dishwasher Safe? Yes Food & Wine / Jennifer Zyman Food & Wine / Jennifer Zyman Food & Wine / Jennifer Zyman Best Splurge Rösle 12-Inch Tongs PHOTO: Amazon $32 at Amazon $22 at Sur La Table Pros These tongs are great for high-heat cooking, are easy to use, and are long enough to ensure safe reaching. Cons The shape of the paddles can cause the metal to bend over time. I’ve owned a smaller version of these Rösle tongs for years, and these sleek and glossy tongs did not disappoint. Though they may seem too lovely to use daily, they are incredibly durable. And because they are so attractive, you can easily use them on the table, serving or mixing a salad. These also have excellent gripping capabilities, and the tension closure makes snapping the shut during cooking painless. You can't use these with nonstick pans or they will scratch the surface, but these are great for stainless steel and other more durable metals. Since they are stainless steel, they are ideal for any high-heat cooking, like grilling, but they can easily be used for nearly any other kitchen task. However, the metal can bend and warp at higher temperatures over time. The 12-inch is a touch heavier than I would like, so keep that in mind when choosing your ideal size. Dimensions: 12 inches | Material: Stainless steel | Dishwasher Safe: Yes Food & Wine / Jennifer Zyman Food & Wine / Jennifer Zyman Food & Wine / Jennifer Zyman Food & Wine / Jennifer Zyman How I Tested Kitchen Tongs I use tongs every time I cook, so I tested these tongs with each and every dish over a month's time, whether I was searing a chuck roast for pot roast, turning chicken breasts in a pan, flipping fish filets in my air fryer, and more. I evaluated how they felt in my hand, if they were easy to clean, and how delicate they were with my ingredients — especially proteins. It was also important to me how these closed and stored in drawers with my other utensils. Kitchen tongs that opened on their own received poor marks, while those stored neatly and tidily did well. In short, the closure mattered, and that's helpful, too, if you like to travel with kitchen tools. Food & Wine / Jennifer Zyman Factors to Consider Material Most tongs are either metal or plastic; the tong head or gripping section can be of the same material as the body or encased in silicone. Metal-handled tongs will last longer than plastic, and most are dishwasher-safe. It can be helpful to have metal-tipped and silicone-tipped tongs in your collection since metal has extra grip for slippery and heavy things like steaks, while silicone will be gentler for more delicate items and safe for use with nonstick pans. Length Tongs come in every length from a 4–5-inch mini size to a full 14 inches long for use with grills. The length you choose should be comfortable for your grip and give you reasonable control for moving things around. Longer handles are great for grilling and smoking when you want to keep well back from the heat but are too long to be helpful on the stovetop. A set of tongs that is 10-12 inches is a good length for use on stovetops. Handle Comfort Finding a set of tongs with a good solid feel in your hand is crucial in controlling the tongs. Some have rubber, silicone, or wood handles for comfort, and others have ergonomically designed grips. Choose tongs that sit well in the hand, are appropriately weighted, and preferably have some sort of non-slip finish for safety. Frequently Asked Questions What are the different types of kitchen tongs? “Kitchen tongs come in many varieties, such as utility tongs (for general purpose cooking needs), serving tongs (to help with plating), barbecue tongs (longer handles for grilling from a distance), and salad tongs (to help scoop up salads), just to name a few," says food blogger Sapna Dalal of The Vegetarian Tourist. What are the best kitchen tongs? Dalal has her favorite. “I prefer tongs with silicone padded ends as I find it easier to cook with and have less food stick to the ends.” The general rule is that the best kitchen tongs are the ones that suit your personal style of cooking. If you do a lot of home cooking, you may want a variety of sizes and styles to play with, if you are more of an occasional cook, one set of mid-size tongs will likely be all you need. If you have nonstick cookware, get the silicone-tipped tongs Dalal loves to protect the surface. How should you clean and store kitchen tongs? “I clean tongs with dish soap and store them in the closed position in a drawer with other utensils such as spatulas, whisks, etc.” Many tongs are dishwasher safe and clean in the open position on the upper rack. If your tongs are all-metal and are not dishwasher-safe, be sure to dry them carefully before storing them to prevent rusting. Other Kitchen Tongs We Tested Strong Contenders OXO Good Grips with Nylon Heads ($14 at Amazon.com)These are great tongs if you want to protect more delicate surfaces. They are also very easy to handle and conduct while cooking various dishes. They are not as heat resistant as silicone, however. That’s key for us. GIR Tongs ($17 at Amazon.com)These felt stiff, even though they are an excellent silicone alternative if you want a heat-resistant angled tong. They are also easy to clean since you can pop them into the dishwasher. Misen Stainless Steel Tongs ($19 at Misen.com)There was only room for one of the best stainless steel tongs, which went to OXO. I liked these from Misen and found nothing wrong with them. However, the slightly heavier weight in my hand caused me to deduct points. What Didn’t Make The List Some higher-end brands disappointed me, such as the All-Clad Precision Nonstick Tongs. They are too heavy, and the silicone tip cracked after the first use and wash. The Material The Only Tongs would not stay closed in my utensil drawer, which was bothersome and enough to take them off the list. The Cuisipro Tongs felt lower-grade — especially its closure latch, which scraped along the metal as you pulled it closed. Food & Wine /Jennifer Zyman Our Expertise Jennifer Zyman is a Senior Commerce Writer for Food & Wine and a recovering restaurant critic with a culinary school degree and over 15 years of food writing experience. Her work has appeared in Travel & Leisure, Simply Recipes, Southern Living, Bon Appetit, National Geographic, Eater Atlanta, and Atlanta Magazine. Zyman wrote this story using her testing insights, research, culinary expertise, and experience using eleven sets of kitchen tongs over a month. In addition, Stacey Ballis, a freelance writer, recipe developer, and product reviewer, contributed to this piece. Ballis has been published in Food & Wine, Eating Well, Allrecipes, MyRecipes, Delish, and more. We contacted food blogger Sapna Dalal, The Vegetarian Tourist, to check in on her thoughts regarding kitchen tongs. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit