What to Look for in a Good Pair of Grill Tongs
Grilling starts with the right equipment. When you are looking for the best grilling tongs, Cook’s Illustrated invites you to pay attention to three important points: length, strength and grip.
Cook’s Illustrated tests eight different pairs of grilling tongs by storing coals in a charcoal grill, grilling whole chicken and whole ribs, and serving up a delicious grilled meal. They found the best pair to be the OXO Good Grip 16 ” Locking Pliers . Here are the criteria they used and what you should look out for:
- Length: Cook’s Illustrated suggests that your grill tongs should be about 16 inches long. This provides ample space away from the hot grill, while still giving you the leverage you need to turn food over.
- Durability: Your tongs should be of medium strength and heavy. Too weak and you will not be able to lift large pieces of meat to turn them, too strong or heavy, and you tire your hands trying to hold on to food.
- Gripping: Make sure the grill tongs can grip a wide variety of foods. You need to be delicate enough to maneuver small or thin objects like asparagus, while still being able to open wide enough to grab onto large pieces of meat or whole vegetables. The best ones had gentle, jagged curves that made it easy to pick up items.
Aside from these three areas, make sure the tongs are evenly aligned and that the locking mechanism can be easily unscrewed with one hand (in case your other is full of food). Play carefully with your tongs before using them to make sure you have the perfect pair.
Grill Tongs Review | Illustrated chef