Types of Tongs

Traditional salad tongs have one spoon and one spork to mix and serve helpings of salad as well as serve fruit, rolls, breadsticks, and pastries. Salad tongs are made of either plastic or stainless steel and are mainly reserved for front-of-house use. Plastic salad tongs come in a variety of colors and allow you to create a color-coded system within your establishment to avoid cross-contamination. 

• Great for restaurants, salad bars, catering events, weddings, and buffets
• Typically feature a one-piece construction for sanitary use
• Range in length from 6" to 11"

Ice tongs feature crow feet-shaped ends that help grab slippery single cubes of ice for cocktails and other beverages. This design also serves as a draining mechanism for liquids to ensure your craft drink or liquor isn't watered down. Ice tongs are also great for grabbing garnishes, sliced fruit, cheese cubes, and deli meat cubes. They are made of stainless steel to ensure a firm grip and easy cleaning.

• Great for bars, hotels, restaurants, and catered events
• Typically feature a one-piece construction for sanitary use
• Range in length from 5" to 9"

Serving tongs are designed to grab and plate a variety of foods like grilled meats, flaky fish, hors d'oeuvres, and baked goods. They are usually made from stainless steel and have a decorative look or finish since they are often used to plate food in buffet restaurants and banquet settings. Serving tongs also come in various arm styles based on the food that you are serving.

• Great for banquets, catering events, weddings, and buffets
• Typically feature a one-piece construction for sanitary use
• Range in length from 6" to 14"

Scissor tongs have two handles, thin arms, and thin, square metal ends. They feature either an all-metal construction or have metal arms with coated handles to ensure a firm, comfortable grip. Scissor tongs help grab bulkier items, such as steamed seafood, corn on the cob, or heavy meats, without losing your grip. They are also useful for serving soft dough items like dinner rolls, bagels, and pastries without denting their exterior.

• Great for restaurants, catering events, and buffets
• Typically feature a riveted, two-piece construction
• Range in length from 10" to 15"

Pasta tongs, or spaghetti tongs, are made of metal and feature long, tooth-like ends that make it easy to grab, toss, and plate slippery noodles. They are great for placing at your pasta buffet for guests to easily serve themselves large portions of any pasta type. Or, you can serve them with your shared pasta dishes at your bistro. Pasta tongs are also often used to toss and serve salads with ease.

• Great for banquets, catering events, restaurants, and buffets
• Typically feature a one-piece construction for sanitary use
• Range in length from 8" to 12"

Locking tongs are usually made from stainless steel and feature either a bar that slides over the handles or a locking mechanism at the top of the handle to hold them securely in place when not in use. Locking tongs are used the same as utility tongs are, and the added locking feature makes them convenient to store and conserve space in your utensil storage space. This design makes them easy to transport, making them great for catering companies.

• Great for restaurants, food trucks, kiosks, ghost kitchens, and caterers
• Typically feature a riveted, two-piece construction
• Range in length from 7" to 22"

Plating tongs, or precision tongs, are tweezer-shaped tongs that are used for the precise plating of delicate garnishes and food. They are made from stainless steel and feature either straight, curved, or offset ends to provide greater control for delicate foods and difficult-to-place angles. Some plating tongs are also great for gently pulling bones from fish without damaging the fish or breaking the bones.

• Great for restaurants, bars, hotels, and catered events
• Typically feature a one-piece construction for sanitary use
• Range in length from 6" to 12"

Flat tongs, or pastry tongs, feature paddle-like ends with either a smooth finish or a ribbed design for an enhanced grip. Because their ends don't come to a point, flat tongs won't damage the texture, glazes, or coatings of soft or delicate foods, such as rolls, baked goods, and flaky fish. They are made from either stainless steel or plastic, and the steel tongs often have a polished finish since they are often used to plate food in buffet restaurants and banquet settings.

• Great for bakeries, cafes, buffets, catered events
• Typically feature a one-piece construction for sanitary use
• Range in length from 5" to 16"

Utility tongs are general-purpose tongs that can be used as cooking tongs in the kitchen or as serving tongs in your buffet line or salad bar. These tongs are made with stainless steel and feature medium-sized, scalloped ends to ensure a firm grip on foods. Utility tongs are excellent for general kitchen tasks like flipping meats on the stovetop, handling veggies like asparagus, and grabbing food from the deep fryer.

• Great for all foodservice operations
• Typically feature a riveted, two-piece construction
• Range in length from 6" to 16"

Barbecue tongs are similar in appearance to utility tongs but are longer in length to protect operators from the hot flames of a grill while grabbing and turning meats, fish, and vegetables. The arms are often made of stainless steel to handle the high heat of grills and smokers while the handles are often coated with a non-heat-conducting material to protect a user's hands. To combat the long length, many BBQ tongs also have a locking feature with a hanging hole for easier storage.

• Great for restaurants, bars, tailgates, and BBQ joints
• Typically feature a riveted, two-piece construction
• Range in length from 16" to 21"

Pom tongs have lightly serrated ends that make it effortless to serve hard-to-grab or delicate foods. They are great for selecting slices of deli meat, candies, and garnishes as well as for grabbing fruit, vegetables, petite appetizers, and miniature desserts. They are made from stainless steel and have a polished finish since they are often used to plate food in buffet restaurants and banquet settings.

• Great for buffets, banquets, and catered events
• Typically feature a one-piece construction for sanitary use
• Range in length from 6" to 12"

Color-coated tongs are cooking tongs that feature coated handles of various colors, which allows you to easily create a color-coded system in your kitchen. They are used to designate specific colored tongs to specific food groups, such as red tongs with raw meat and green tongs with produce, to prevent cross-contamination and protect customers with food allergies.

• Great for all foodservice operations
• Typically feature a one-piece construction for sanitary use
• Range in length from 6" to 22"