Customer Reviews

KitchenAid Cook's Series Silicone Tipped Tongs, Red

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

There have been some complaints that these tongs are slippery with some foods, and yes this is true. When I tried to handle a piece of raw steak, it was very slippery, and even when cooked, it was still a little slippery. So for wet or raw meat like this, you would probably be better using a more conventional pair of nylon or steel tipped tongs. For fish filets, those are very delicate, and I would recommend using a fish spatula or turner instead of any kind of tongs to avoid damage to the food. The scalloped edges of some tongs, particular steel tipped tongs can cut or rip the food.

However, now let me highlight a sample of jobs where these tongs work fine or excel at:
- Salmon burger patty (cooking on the grill from frozen, normally would use a turner for this, but just wanted to test out the tongs)
- Small corn tortillas (toasting on the griddle)
- Cooked ground beef (for portioning onto tortillas above for tacos - other loose items like fried onions would be fine too)
- Bratwurst sausages
- Spring rolls
- Gyoza dumplings
- Toasted sub sandwich
- Grilled veggies

Finally there's also a class of jobs that nylon and steel tongs CANNOT touch where these tongs truly shine, and that is manipulation of food containers, i.e. a hot cooking vessel that you can grip by the sides, or the lip/rim. For example, handling ramekins cooking in a hot water bath...these tongs grips them super securely, where as non-silicone tongs have no chance getting a grip. As a test, I gripped a heavy glass beer mug WITH a full pint of liquid inside using these tongs, and at no point did it feel like it was going to slip.

A couple other positives:
1) The tips are soft and will not damage food, so they are great for say gently handling the spring rolls, gyozas or other appetizers (e.g. pastries, bacon-wrapped scallops)
2) The silicone is more heat-resistant than nylon (both materials safe for non-stick), so you don't have to worry about the tips getting slightly melted by a hot pan or grill than can happen with nylon. They are also great for manipulating both food and pans in the toaster oven.

The tongs are 10" long, which is a pretty good size, in that it is long enough to keep a safe distance from heat, but small enough to provide fine control compared to 12" tongs. They open 6.5" wide, which is comparable to the OXO good grips 12" tongs that I have. Made of quality stainless steel, and very well constructed, I don't expect they will break down anytime soon, but I'd probably recommend not putting them in the dishwasher as that harsh environment may wear out the spring/moving parts. Wiping down the silicone tips by hand-wash is very easy. They are so useful that I have hung them on a hook on the wall, so they are accessible at all times, which is high praise since I have a great number of high quality kitchen gadgets that I frequently use, but that I don't feel compelled to leave out (knives/small kitchen appliances not counted). Previously to buying these, I already had three pairs of OXO good grips tongs (various sizes and nylon/steel tips), which I will continue to use, but I have found these new tongs invaluable and will now cover a good share of duties.

My biggest complaint about these tongs is that the silicone coating makes most things really slippery and hard to pick up (especially raw meat, such as chicken breasts). Other than that, they are nice and sturdy and well made and the locking mechanism works easily, just the slippery-ness is a big issue.

I chose these tongs because they didn't have "teeth". I wanted them more for serving than for handling uncooked meat and poultry. I have other tongs for that purpose. These tongs are well-shaped for picking up a warm croissant or a cold slice of roast beef. I like the "soft grip" that it provides without leaving teeth marks. It is also handy for "digging" into a large container of chips or cookies, keeping hands out of the container. Nice and thoughtful like, without leaving a few germs behind for the next snack-starved hungry person.

As the above reviewer states, these are well constructed, but "grabbing" is a tong's main purpose and the silicone - as nice as it is - makes grabbing a slippery job with marinated, wet, etc., food. Do yourself a favor and get the non silicone tipped versions, also by KitchenAid. Yah, that means more clean up, but if it doesn't work, you must revert.

These are nice sturdy quality compared to others I have tried. Would very much recommend them to anyone who wants tongs for their non-stick cookware or any cookware/serveware.

These tongs are great for picking up foods in hot oil, great for chicken cutlets. They store easily since they lock together

I liked the silicone grabbers but these tongs didn't hold up well. The spring mechanism busted after just a few months. That's also what happened to my other tongs. I am on a mission to find a more durable tong...

Just be aware that these tongs are very very small.

They work well and are a great price.

I love these tongs. This purchase was my second pair. (I use the other ones so much, it seems like their always in the dish washer!) Good grip and heat resistant. I highly recommend them.

This item fits with the KitchenAid name -- you get what you expect and it is very durable and easy to clean. I always shop for the kitchen with KitchenAid in mind.