3 Best Kitchen Tongs of 2024, Tested and Reviewed
Whether handling heavy or delicate foods, the right tongs make a huge difference.
Our Top Kitchen Tong Picks:
- Best Overall: OXO Good Grips
- Best Silicone-Tipped: Food Network TUX Silicone Tongs
- Best Tongs Set: Allwin-Houseware Stainless Steel Cooking Tongs
Tested by Richmond Flores for Food Network Kitchen
The importance of having a good set of tongs should not be overlooked. Acting as an extension of our hands, the right pair of tongs make it possible to handle food in otherwise too hot environments, are strong enough to transfer a large cut of meat to your dish and are delicate enough to plate a serving of pasta with precision and finesse.
When shopping for tongs, it can be difficult to determine the performance of a set before purchasing, and there are a lot of factors to consider when deciding which are your best option. So, we went ahead and did the testing for you and ended on our top three picks.
While these were the heaviest of the bunch (weighing in at 6.3 ounces), OXO’s Good Grips tongs felt lightweight, balanced and sturdy in our hands. The soft grips added comfort and confidence while handing food, and the heat resistance of up to 600 degrees F made them ideal for grilling and searing. The arms of the tongs were noticeably thicker with a sturdy spring, making them strong without requiring added arm strength. All around, these features created the feeling of good control and therefore precision when handling both heavy and delicate foods. Plus, as an added bonus, they are dishwasher safe for easy clean-up.
If you’re deciding between silicone-tipped or stainless steel tongs, there are a couple things to keep in mind. The biggest case for opting for silicone is that they are safe for use on non-stick cookware. But, you also want to make sure they can withstand high temperatures, too. While these are Food Network’s brand, we can assure you that they stood out in testing due to their high temperature resistance of up to 500 degrees F and strength. While they are on the heavier side (weighing 6 ounces), they felt solid in hand compared to flimsier, lighter tongs, and they gripped the food without a lot of extra effort needed on our end, which totally justified the weight in our opinion. The tips on these tongs are also wide and flat, which we found made picking up food a little easier.
Not only were these the most budget friendly (the set comes with both 12-inch and 14-inch tongs), but they also held up in every step of testing. While most tongs we tested had similar build, appearance, feel and weight, we found Allwin’s tongs stood out in terms of grip strength. Any tongs that don’t require a lot of a flex on the users end is ideal. The 12-inch are perfect for everyday cooking, while the 14-inch tongs are the ideal length for grilling.
How We Tested
When selecting the tongs we tested, we decided to test 12-inch tongs, determining these to be our ideal length for everyday cooking. We took into consideration the overall heat resistance, material of the arms and tips of the tongs and the shape of the grips. We also looked at whether they had a locking mechanism for storage purposes.
We used each pair to dredge chicken cutlets in chickpea flour then used them to cook. We also used each set to lift a rotisserie chicken from its cavity to test for strength and control. Finally, we washed each set of tongs by hand in the dishwasher to see how easy they were to clean.
