Cuisipro 12-Inch Stainless Steel Locking Tongs

If you could only have one pair of tongs, these should be the ones. They are an all-purpose size (12 inches) and you can use their fairly precise tips to turn bacon on your BBQ grill - and many brands are not made with enough precision to do that. Okay - technically, you can turn the bacon anywhere, but that's where I do it, and my super long Weber tongs won't do - not enough precision. The silicon tipped Cuisipro's I've had for 10 years - while useful for non stick pans and other things - are not perfect for fine work on stainless steel cooking implements like my aformentioned bacon on the grill scenario. I have a bunch of cheaper serving tongs - too thin and/or short. No, these Cuisipro's are made to be used...often. Just the right tension on the spring. Easy to open with one hand - just push them against your body (okay, again, that's just my thing) and the spring slides up so you can open them. That's how you'd want it - one hand only when you need them ASAP. When the turning crisis is over, you can afford to use two hands to close them.Short story - I thought I owned these. Then one day the rusted, wire spring broke through the rubber insert on the handle and stuck inside my palm. And yes, that hurt. And yes - you guessed it - they were NOT Cuisipro's - just a similar looking brand. I examined my real Cuisipros (12 inch stainless with silicon tipped ends) and noted the spring was a wide piece of steel (not a convention wire wound spring) that had NOT rusted and couldn't break through rubber inserts - particulary because there were no inserts. The wide steel spring is a superior design, regardless of the handle. I could have fixed the old ones, but my sore palm would never forgive me and would always hesitate when I went to grab them.I quickly turned to Amazon to purchase a real pair of all stainless Cuisipros. I use them almost every day, toss these in the dishwasher, and they still look fine after 6 months - my guess is they will hold up like the others and still be in great shape after 10 years, also.It's like that knife you have - you know the one - the one you'd pick if someone said you can only have ONE knife to cook with. When the list came to tongs - this would be the ones you'd want.

I’ve purchased three of these (12”) now and all three have folded sides and are hand-friendly.I received these as a gift several years ago and they have been my go to from flipping burgers to frying fish to moving hot coals around on my grill. There’s no plastic or anything that cannot take extreme heat, just solid, stainless steel all around. No other tongs I’ve tried have matched the solid build, comfort and quality of these. These clean easily and can take plenty of abuse. Even the locking ring is comfortable to use.There’s something different about my original pair from years ago, purchased at Williams Sonoma. At first I thought they used a thinner gauge of metal because my original ones felt a little bit more substantial in-hand. A little heavier. A little more ergonomic. After weighing them and looking at them side-by-side, my old pair weighs half an ounce more and the folded, metal sides are a bit deeper. Still, they are the best option, so I purchased a spare for myself and two other pairs for family. For a few years I thought these were discontinued until I found this listing. I’m very happy to have a spare set, even though my original is going strong and will likely last my lifetime.

I've had several of these in my kitchen for many years and they are my go-to tongs. I recently purchased additional tongs for a relative. The lock keeps them closed when stored and is easy to operate without moving when you don't want it to.

One piece so no plastic parts that break off. Quality tongs with a good clip to keep them closed when not in use.

My favorite medium-size tongs finally bit the dust after 20 years. I’m SUPER picky about kitchen utensils, and can’t stand tongs that wobble, have silicone tips, have annoying self-closing features, and don’t come together for a good grip on food. Well, these tongs made it through the gauntlet…and with just a slight bit of pressure to bend the ends of the tongs to give maximum grip area, they are perfect. Sturdy, no wobble, no annoying sliding closure thingy, can pick up tiny pieces of food or a giant roast. Yay!

My previous "stainless" tongs failed because the hinge/pivot spring rusted and snapped. This will never happen with these tongs since the part that holds the tongs open is not a cheap coil spring, but a substantial piece of tensioned stainless steel that serves triple duty as the spring, a hanging loop, and a decorative element. I haven't bought a poorly built Cuisipro product to date. For those reviewing that have expressed dissatisfaction with the open U design with the handle, I'm not sure where the problem lies or what you may be cooking that is making your tongs so difficult to clean. The design makes for a light but strong product that doesn't hide food particles and bacteria inside a tubular channel. If you're a buyer and cook that recognizes both quality and good design, these tongs will not disappoint.

No complaints. Highly recommended

The locking mechanism is superb compared to 99% of alternate brands. The design has been updated to help avoid pinching fingers between the opposing sides during use. However a new problem has surfaced: the inner metal edges of the tongs have not been "de-burred" leaving them sharp enough to cut into skin easily. I hope they fix this because they have everything else in the designed perfected.