Customer Reviews

Tom Douglas by Pinzon Stainless-Steel Pronged Kebob Skewers, Set of 2

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

 

 

My other half laughed at my excitement over these super nifty kebob skewers...but I had the last laugh after he tried them for the fist time. Sure, shish-kebobs are not exactly a high excitement item nor are they something you prepare every day of the week...which is why it's important to have a good set of kebob skewers available - make it fun rather than frustrating.

This set does exactly that. Well designed to address the most common kebob problems including...

1. Rotation Rage - y'know what I'm talking about. Twirling tomatoes, precarious pineapple chunks and mushroom that slide in slow motion right off the skewer. All fixed thanks to dual prongs.

2. Short Stacks - face it, short stacks are a mans worst nightmare. Few things are worse than a lot of veggies with tiny chunks of meat...much less when the skewer is only a few inches long. Full sized skewers assure a hearty meal.

3. Pain - Whether burning your had on metal handles or stabbing yourself while trying to tug/chew food off the skewer, pain is a typical outcome associated with shish kebobs. Pain free food is simple with a ergonomically correct handle that stays cool to the touch and the (very smart) addition of a pusher to easily remove food from the prongs.

Bottom line - the most fun, least hassle shish keebob skewers I've ever tried!

These are average quality skewers however around this price range (13) Amazon has a wide variety of alternatives which would include 4 to 6 skewers instead of 2. Some recommendations include Outset QS78 Forged Stainless-Steel Skewers, Set of 4 or Steven Raichlen Best of Barbecue SR8025 Signature Stainless Steel Skewers, Set of 6 (3/8-inch Wide). Both of these suggestions as well as this particular Douglas set generally prevent food from spinning around a single circular prong.

The wood looks nice, but its a bit clunky and can sometimes limit flexibility in the grill and prevents them from going in the dishwasher. I would also say the quality of the wood on my set is merely OK with lots of indents and dents and the metal itself does not have a tremendous amount of luster. This doesn't impact performance but doesn't warrant a price premium either.

It's easier to cook all sides evenly with these two-prong skewers, because food won't rotate around a single axis when trying to turn during cooking. The sliding center ring keeps the prongs separated at an even length, and also helps push the food off the skewer once the food is ready. The product is well-built and the wood did well in the dishwasher, though it's likely the wood will degrade a little over time with many washings. I only wish the skewers were at least 2" longer.

These are quality skewers. I use them primarily for shrimp and they do an excellent job. The ends are sharp enough to pierce the shrimp with little effort. The design keeps the shrimp from falling off. There is a small coin-shaped disk that can be used to help with removal of the food.

They work equally well for other types of food. These are the best skewers I have ever used.

I know, I know, you don't see what makes these so special. It's just a stick for meat and veggies to go on, right?

Well, yeah. But I really liked these a lot more than I thought I would and will probably be buying several.

The wood handles are quality. I have run mine in the dishwasher a few times (top rack) and they look new. That's critical to me. If it can't survive the dishwasher, I don't want it.

Each skewer is two long prongs. They are at a slight angle, which provides just enough tension to keep food in place without stressing delicate food (stretching or compressing it). This sounds ridiculously picky, but that's the basic requirement I have. Hold the food in place without destroying it.


the little coin thing you see in the picture, near the handle, slides up the prongs up to a little catch on the end of the prongs. This catch is no problem for food to go over, and the coin thing makes getting food off a skewer a lot easier than expected. I haven't had any problems.

I have some much more primitive skewers that don't hold meat in place and are harder to remove meat from. You'd think it would be one of the other. I'm really pleased with this great design and the quality of the product build. Buy these!


If you spend the money on decent food for grilling, you should have some nice skewers! They have enhanced the experience for me. I don't know who Tom Douglas is or what Pinzon is. I just think this is a quality product.

I have tried numerous skewers over the years: flat, round, wood, and metal, with varying success. I have burnt bamboo skewers and had food slide of and into the fire during dinner parties. I really need some good skewers. Here are my initial thoughts on these:

Pros:

The prong tips are sharp enough to pierce meat and vegetables, but not so sharp they are a danger in a drawer. They came shipped with plastic tip protectors, which look like they are designed to be thrown away and if not will certainly get lost. Plastic straws work well as covers.

The prongs are big enough to hold heavy cubes of meat.

The skewers are round, but because there are two of them food doesn't stay in one spot when you try to rotate it, a problem with some single-prong round skewers.

There is a disk that is supposed to help push the food off the skewer and little bumps near the front that appear to be designed to keep food from slipping off. The success of these features is dependent on what you are cooking. Some foods will stick to the skewer and some (like tomatoes) will always try to escape. Never trust a tomato.

They feel solid and are said to be dishwasher safe (but hand washing is recommended). They are too new to determine how well they will hold up over time, but they look like they will last a long while.

Cons:

It is difficult to use these with a closed grill if you want to cook four sides of a kabob. When sideways the skewers keep the top propped open. Things with only two cooking surfaces, like shrimp, would work well.

The prongs are too big for the smaller chunks or strips of meat that I would normally cook on two sides. Bamboo skewers just work better for thinly sliced meats like satays.

Because I normally use skewers for big chunks of steak (which I want cooked on four sides)or strips of chicken (which won't fit very well on these large skewers) these skewers won't be the first ones I reach for. They are excellent for the right applications. If you are a big shrimp griller, these would be great.

I've used several times now. I thought they would be great with 2 prongs in that things would not turn as on a single prong which is the nice part - things do not turn. My problem was getting things on the skewers. Maybe it's me but I stuck my fingers numerous times getting the meat on the skewer and my mushrooms kept breaking off. I haven't tried jumbo shrimp yet - maybe that will be easier to get on the skewers. It takes a little practice but the food comes off the skewers fairly easy with the 'pusher' piece at the back & a little coaxing on the front end.

First, let me confess that these are the only skewers that I own other than using disposable bamboo skewers.

What I like: wood handles (to reduce chances of burning hand), metal disc to push the food off easier, double prongs to prevent unweidly food rotation when trying to turn food, and finally think prongs.

These are well thought out prongs that are nice to use compared to bamboo. I am curious to see how the wood will hold up over time. My competing method, disposable bamboo skewers, allow me to put the whole skewer into the grill but obviously I wouldn't want to do that with these unless maybe I had some aluminum foil under them (which I still may not want to risk).

I'd also like to try a single prong skewer that is flat and a bit wider to compare but for now these will do!

There are some really good aspects of these skewers. They appear to be well-constructed, functional, and easy to use. The twin prongs work well to hold the ingredients without spinning. Other skewers, even those with flat blades, usually have some rotation. I usually notice this when flipping the skewers, after the ingredients have cooked a while. With these, the food stays put even after flipping the skewers several times.

Removing the food is a breeze with the pusher. I really like this feature and have managed to avoid poking myself so far. The solid wood handle also helps a lot. With all metal skewers, I'm usually holding the (hot!) end with a fork and trying to slide the food with another fork. On these skewers, I still slide the pusher with a fork, but the food pretty much goes where I expect it.

A few minor points: the steel is not high quality--a magnet clings easily to the prongs and pusher--so they may rust or corrode; there are no instructions beyond the basic insert included with all Tom Douglas products; and in this price range I would expect a cover or carrying case. Otherwise it's a very nice product.

The skewers impressed me right out of the box with the comfortable, good looking wood handles and the thick 1/8" stainless steel prongs. The usable food stacking length is 10" for a generous single serving. The points are sharp enough to make loading a snap and I greatly appreciate the stainless steel sliding disks to make removing the food quick and easy. I think they are an excellent value.