With all the cooking tools and gadgets I have, I’ve never actually owned a good pair of metal tongs.  For one reason or another I’ve always had a small collection of cheaply constructed metal tongs of varying lengths.  Most of us have owned tongs like this at one time or another.  You know, the ones with the tips that easily become misshapen and cut into anything they touch.  The ones that when put into the utility drawer, spring wide open preventing you from opening the drawer afterwards.  I don’t know how many times I’ve done this very thing fully knowing what would happen but doing it all the same.

But then about a year or so ago my wife was shopping with a gift card at some high-end store or another.  After she had made all her purchases she realized that she still had a small balance on the card and didn’t really think it would be used once she left the store.  So, looking around for something in the $15 - $20 area she went to house wares where she spotted the KitchenAid 12” Silicone Tipped Tongs. I’m sure she could picture me screaming obscenities at a drawer stuck closed by a sprung pair of tongs.  She bought them.

KitchenAid 12” Silicone Tipped Tongs

These tongs are constructed of a relatively heavy gauge of brushed stainless steel and are tipped with generous pads of perforated, soft but firm silicone.  They are hinged with a heavy-duty spring mechanism and have a push/pull locking tab that can also be used to hang the tongs.  I focused on the locking mechanism long before I even considered the usefulness of the silicone tips.  I immediately threw the tongs into the utility drawer and then opened and closed the drawer a few times and smiled.  Apparently Veronica anticipated me and started to laugh.

With their 12” length and silicone tips I find the KitchenAid 12” Silicone Tipped Tongs equally at home in our kitchen or at the grill.  The silicone pads can withstand temperatures up to 500F degrees.  So gripping a chicken breast or thigh, or a pork chop or grilled vegetable without slicing or puncturing it is child’s play.  I’ve long retired my barbeque fork for this very reason.  Once punctured, a grilled piece of food loses its moisture content quickly assuring a dried out result.  The KitchenAid 12” Silicone Tipped Tongs grip firmly but gently.  Since the silicone pads are quite soft, they’re ideal to use in a non-stick sauté pan.

When I use them on foods braising in the oven, the perforations on the silicone pads allow cooking liquids to drain away allowing for a good hold of the item being handled.

Cleaning
The KitchenAid 12” Silicone Tipped Tongs are easily cleaned in warm soapy water followed by a rinse.  But, since they are rated dishwasher safe, most times I simply lock them and toss them in the top rack of the disheasher.  I do tend to go over the black silicone pads with a sponge because it’s not unusual for them to pick up a good deal of burnt debris that’s hard to see on their black surface and sometimes escapes the cleaning ability of the dishwasher.

The KitchenAid 12” Silicone Tipped Tongs come with a limited lifetime warranty from KitchenAid.  I haven’t had the need to test the warranty service.

Bottom Line
I’ve since bought a second pair of these tongs to keep at the grill station on our back patio.  If you’re looking for a high quality heat resistant pair of tongs that can be used safely even on your non-stick cookware look no further.  I highly recommend the KitchenAid 12” Silicone Tipped Tongs.  I have no idea why it took me so long.

Now go cook something good tonight
 
Rudi

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