Customer Reviews

All-Clad Stainless 9-Inch Locking Tongs

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

This is the perfect tool for moving and turning over items (such as meats) because you get better grip and leverage than you would using a spatula. I also use it for manipulating items in large bowls when I'm marinating, coating, etc. The "locking" feature helps save space when storing in my drawer. The only drawback I've found with the relatively "flat" ends of this tong is that with some items, especially slippery things like raw chicken thighs, it's hard to get a good grip. So I wish they would also come out with a version which has more rounded ends for better grip capability.

These All-Clad 12-Inch Locking Tongs are great. I have been using Amco locking tongs (8-in., 12-in., 14-in. sizes), but I like this 18/10 gauge stainless steel better than their 18/8 gauge. I use the lock mechanism when leaving them in a sink, setting them beside the range, drip drying them in the dish drainer, and storing them in a drawer. I use the tongs everyday for almost any kind of cooking, except for when I use a nonstick pan. Then I use Calphalon nylon tongs. I'm glad All-Clad is making utensils now.

These are really quite beautiful and well made tongs. The finish and weight are first rate. The problem is, at least on the set that I bought, that the spring rate is too high. I found them fatiguing after a very short period of use, and it's not as though I lack hand strength.

In contrast, I recently bought a set of the Oxo tongs, and they are much, much more usable. Not quite as nicely finished, but they also lock and are sprung much better. I think they were a bit less expensive as well.

I'm an All-Clad fanatic. I have their pots and pans, their measuring cups, and most of my cooking utensils are All-Clad. All of them have exceeded my expectations in its quality, design, and utility, except this one. Thank goodness I didn't pay for them (I got this as a bonus gift to buying bunch of other All-Clad pots and pans) b/c unlike other All-Clads, they are NOT worth the price! The locking mechanism is not designed well -it takes a little more effort than my other tongs to lock and unlock during cooking, which might not seem much, but it becomes a huge nusiance when you use it as much as me. But what's most disappointing is that the end of the tongs are so flat (my other tongs curve inward slightly so that it will hold onto food better) that unless I use extra force to hold onto the food, it just slips out (talk about hands cramping!). Like others have commented here, it looks beautiful, but in terms of getting things done in the kitchen, it fails miserably.

These are in a word, horrible. They simply do not work. The "teeth" are
flat (no curvature) to clamp/bite into food. You have to exert extra
force on the handle to keep food from slipping out of tongs. Judging
by the workmanship I'd say these were made overseas. Clearly not up
to All Clad's standard of craftmanship. I bought the Rosle brand to
replace All Clad's tongs, the Rosle is far superior. I use All Clad's
cookware but some of their tools leave much to be desired.

I own a lot of All Clad. These are certainly as beautiful as the rest, but not as well designed. With that said, I like them. These do take some getting used to -- they are heavy and the spring mechanism does not work as smoothly as the one on the OXO tongs (I have those too.)

When I first go them, I hated them because for the reasons listed above, I found them difficult to operate. Now, I've thrown out other tongs to keep these and my OXO version. (I use the OXOs in my nonstick skillet.) I guess the gym is really paying off because now I don't find them that difficult to use and I actually enjoy them. I look at this as a sign of progress because I've always been accused of having weak hands and wrists.

If you are looking for good quality tongs that are the easiest to use, I recommed the OXO tongs over these. If you don't mind sacrificing some ease of use for beauty these are fine.

These are probably the most beautiful set of tongs I have ever seen. They have a mirror-bright, high polish and they are so sturdy and well-made that they should last a lifetime and then some. They are so good-looking that you should not keep them hidden away in the kitchen. Put them out on the table or buffet to serve up your gourmet delights.

The locking mechanism is clever but a bit too difficult to handle if you have arthritis or other difficulties with pain and weakness in your hands and fingers (speaking from experience, here). Because the locking mechanism is difficult to move from the locked to unlocked, and vice versa positions, it could prove too difficult for anyone with painful hands. The weight of these tongs could also be a problem. If you must hold and manipulate them for a prolonged period of time, like a lengthy cooking session, they could prove to be too heavy. My fingers and thumb joints get rather painful from holding these heavy tongs. I gave up trying to unlock and relock them whenever I need to. I just keep them in the unlocked position and keep a rubber band around them when I have to keep them closed to store them in a drawer.

I hate to give these wonderful tongs a 4-star rating instead of a 5 as they otherwise deserve. But a word to the wise: If you have any hand pain or grip problems, you might want to look for some less well-made (and much lighter!) tongs.

when i compared the utility of the all-clad tongs against tongs sold by a competitor (and which i'd been using ~seven years) i found the all-clad spring mechanism and head design presented challenges (who knew kitchen tongs could be challenging??). i have no doubt these tongs are designed for longevity (and did i say they are beautiful?), however, i found the heavy-duty design demanded more strength than my small, aging hands and fingers could muster. three differences were readily apparent: weight, the strength required for managing the spring action, and the straight-lined design of the tong heads. the weight of these, when compared against my lighter-weight tongs, alleviated previous fears of tong buckling while lifting and turning a thick cut of meat; however, the all clad straight-lined head design (compared against the curved-inward design of the other tongs) forced me to grip extra hard just to keep a cut of meat from slipping out away from the pressing tong heads. in fact, the first few times i used the all clad tongs, due to this slippage, i dropped a pork roast onto the cookstove surface while attempting the transfer to a serving plate. there were other occasions where the food never completely made it out of the pan before slipping back in, sometimes splattering hot liquid along the way. at some point, i simply began using both hands to grip the tongs whenever transferring something large or extremely hot to a serving plate. i was glad to see another reviewer mention this slippery "quality" because i had grown very frustrated with myself. i finally packed the tongs away in a kitchen drawer with the notion to use them only when i need to keep some distance between myself and sources of heat (i have the 12 inch tongs) but, the truth is, i may never wrestle with them again! final thought--had i purchased the tongs i would have returned them as they were too cumbersome compared to my other tongs. however, they (together with a splatter screen)were a free gift with an all-clad purchase. i rate the tongs "3" based on the heavy duty design (longevity) and would encourage others to give the tongs a try for that reason, but, only if you have a strong hand and finger grip or are able to return them if you're not satisfied. the splatter screen, by the way, is the best functioning splatter screen i have ever used. the mesh is closely woven.

I have owned a set of All-Clad Stainless 12-Inch Locking Tongs for over a year. This is a gorgeous set of tongs if anything intended to be functional may be so described and the same may be said of all of my All-Clad cookware (14 pieces not including lids and utensils). Construction and operation are impeccable. They are perfect for such delicate tasks as turning bacon.
Where they fall short is in grasping hard objects. The business end is not sufficiently cupped to grip non-yielding surfaces. Consider, for example, an actively resisting blue crab. I quickly discovered that my old set of Adcraft 15.5-Inch commercial grade tongs did the trick. Solution, keep a set of All-Clad Tongs handy for bragging rights, but keep a more practical set for when the task demands it! Really, can we ever have too many kitchen gadgets?

The tongs look very nice, but in general are not as good as others that I've used. The tongs flex quite a bit and as a result, make it difficult to pick things up. I prefer AMCO brand tongs, which are much sturdier and cheaper (if that is an issue).