Best bbq tongs UK: Top heavy duty and long grill tong sets compared and reviewed

Specification: Overall length: 43.18 cm ,Handle Material: Silicone, Handles lock: Yes, Dishwasher safe: Yes

I’m starting out with the professionals choice – the Weber Premium Tongs. Why? Quite simply these guys bbq more than any others out there. Day in day out they are refining their products through their own personal testing. And just like them, when I used these tongs I instantly felt the difference, even when compared to the best bbq tongs choice. These are far better in the hand, more strength, no folding when picking up bigger bits on the bbq. In short these are actually the best bbq tongs in the UK at the moment but aren’t my top choice as overall due to the cost. And actually, that’s the only reason you aren’t buying these.

The rubberised handles make the grip both comfortable and solid. They really do feel good in the hand. If you compare them to my best overall pick for value, the Harmiey Kitchen Tongs, there’s no contest. That’s no slur on Harmiey either, pound for pound they are great, the Weber is just more pounds and therefore greater in this case 😀 Going back to the handles. I don’t know if you’ve ever bought cheap ones that delaminate and feel ‘sticky’. That is most definitely not these, though I haven’t put them in the dish washer, I always hand clean. I will say people have reported dishwashing to be no problem too if you prefer.

The tong release is a simple ring, and very easy to operate. Given the length it’s much better with two hands though I would much prefer to be able to shuffle my hands a bit and release them, not really the case with these but with that said, the ring is a really nice touch. Otherwise I end up hanging my tongs wherever I can, they fit lovely onto any hook:

The serrated edge of the tongs gives a much better grip, and slightly curled up stops you damaging meat stuck to the grill so easily. All in all an excellent choice for the professional. You’ll be forgiven for thinking these are not the best quality when you pick them up. The weight will surprise you – they are light, but they are also super sturdy and that’s when you realise you’ve got the right tongs! It’s the age old adage of getting exactly what you pay for.

This isn’t just my opinion either! There are literally thousands of positive reviews online with a handful of dissatisfied customers only.

Pros:

• Stainless steel construction that is not just rust-resistant, but also durable.
• Bevelled edge in spatula easily slides under food
• The serrated cutting edge on the spatula to test if the food has been cooked
• Scalloped heads on tongs to pick large cuts of meat with ease.
• Tongs remain closed with locking tab for convenient storage.
• Dishwasher safe
• Non-slip and soft handles for a comfortable grip.

Cons:

• Need two hands to release the lock to use the tongs
• Some say too large!

Specification: Overall length: 16 Inches ,Handle Material: ‎Silicone, Handles lock: No, Dishwasher safe: Yes

Next up is the HINMAY 16-Inch Stainless Steel Barbecue Grilling Tongs. These are a very nice scissor variety of tongs and yes in my opinion they do foldd a bit when turning meat and are a ‘bit’ flimsy but honestly, as far as scissor tongs go, these are the real deal. They pickup drumsticks, burgers, pork chops, and other mid sized meat very very nicely. Where they start to fail is with a large steak or if you’ve butterflied out a leg of lamb forget it. You want prongs and solid bbq tongs for the larger meat like that.

Before we get into the review I’d like to point out I noticed some type of oily residue on the stainless steel section, presumably from the manufacturing process. You should always wash bbq equipment when buying new but even more important to pay attention in this case. I used Washing up liquid and that was cleaned up in no time. I don’t know if this is something they could clean in advance maybe in future upgrades to manufacturer process? I don’t think they are worried about rust in transit and storage as these are stainless….

Given the length and weight my opinion is these are definitely sturdy enough and are worth a buy. In my opinion, they are arguably the best bbq scissor tongs in the UK at the moment. I like the plastic handle believe it or not. All too often the metal handle doesn’t feel solid enough. The plastic seems to help solidify them, especially when you compare them to the cheaper more basic HINMAY Stainless Steel Scissor Tongs 16-Inch Extra Long Grilling Tongs. Again, it’s that old get what you pay for thing going on again.

Being stainless they clean up nicely too. Since I last reviewed these, you’ll not they’ve got a better rivet which looks like it’ll hold together better, stopping them becoming loose as quickly as older models. Well done to them for identifying that weakness and fixing it.

Pros:

• New stronger rivet joint
• Really long
• Very sturdy as scissor tongs go
• Easy to clean
• Well priced
• Can pickup single portion food items without them folding no problem

Cons:

• No good for larger meat will fold and twist

Specification: Overall length: 12 / 16 Inches, Handle Material: ‎Silicone, Handles lock: Yes, Dishwasher safe: Yes

The Cooking Tongs for Kitchen Grill & BBQ offer a distinct advantage when compared to some of the single tong setups in this review. Having 12 and 16 inch options for less than some single prices really gives you options. That’s why when looking at the price tag, I’m voting these best overall long bbq tongs as the price justifies the selection.

Despite being budget bbq tongs they are pretty well made, sturdy enough to turn most meat and definitely more sturdy when compared to any scissor style bbq tongs. They have a decent soft grip and clean well because they are stainless right down to the tip. The horrible silicone tipped tongs should be made illegal! These have the rubber handles and I dare say they’ll perish in time when you put them in the dishwasher but for the price they hold up well mid term. When I reviewed these a couple of years back they were just starting out and there aren’t many negative reviews since.

One thing I did notice was the spring to lock the tongs isn’t stainless. That means it will rust and as we know the weakest part on the tongs is always the lock mechanisms. You’ll also have to watch for some sharp edges if we want to be picky as well. Price wise though, it’s not bad at all and an excellent product overall, especially if you’re looking for cheap long bbq tongs. If you’re doing light work on the bbq you can easily get away with these.

Pros:

• Super long
• Extremely well priced
• Proven for a couple of years now
• Pretty decent soft grip

Cons:

• Spring isn’t stainless on the clasp
• A bit on the lightweight side

Specification: Overall length: 9 / 12 Inches, Handle Material: ‎Silicone, Handles lock: Yes, Dishwasher safe: Yes

You’ll notice I ranked the Harmiey Kitchen Tongs best value. I think that’s a fair assessment when compared to the other lower cost options; two sets of tongs for under a tenner that hold and help you turn meat well enough on the bbq is a bargain. They aren’t the best though, not by any means, they just represent the best value for money and area bargain hunters dream.

Let’s talk about why they aren’t the best overall aside from price – they’ve got decent enough handles, a sensible tong lock mechanism that operates well enough, and are probably in the same quality bracket as the Cooking Tongs for Kitchen Grill & BBQ when compared directly for quality. So what you get is decent tongs at sensible money.

They are pretty sturdy and the mock mechanism has the hook first thought of on the Weber model. It really is handy having this hook and I hope more of the tongs in this review adapt that loop in future models, it really is a simple upgrade that makes a difference.

Having 9 and 12 inch tongs gives you the flexibility to choose bbq temperatures without scorching your arm too, or in my case I’d use the 12 inches on the bbq and 9 for salad as I’ve always preferred a longer set of tongs anyway.

Pros:

• Best value and cheapest bbq tongs in the UK
• Pretty well built
• Stainless steel
• Thousands of positive reviews online

Cons:

• Not as sturdy as they could be
• Sharp edges on some

Specification: Overall length: 16 Inches, Handle Material: ‎Plastic covering, Handles lock: No, Dishwasher safe: Yes

The HINMAY Stainless Steel Scissor Tongs 16-Inch Extra Long Grilling Tongs are just not as good as the Hinmay bbq tongs, but they are cheaper. They bend far more easily and I suspect, though cannot confirm, these look like the older design without the newer better rivet. So what you get is pretty much the same value for money if you look at it from an overall perspective and I really like them, they are definitely right up there for the best value bbq tongs.

There’s nothing wrong with these scissor tongs. Fundamentally scissor tongs are always floppy and difficult to use on heavy meat – they score super on smaller stuff like chicken thicks, corn on the cob, for this purpose they are in their element. They really are easy to release the food without damage and you can turn food fast, meaning any flare up easily negated. That’s the true value of scissor tongs style when compared to normal tongs.

These are dishwasher safe and if you’re new to this style, say bye bye to burnt hands – they really work well. It’s just a matter of knowing what you can and cant flip with these. How can you go wrong for two sets under a tenner?

Pros:

• Super cheap
• Pretty decent for smaller objects
• Can be cleaned with a dishwasher
• Not bad stainless steel for the money

Cons:

• As with all scissor style tongs they fold easily under heavy weight

Overall it’s pretty hard to berate tongs this cheap! A definite buy rating for me

Specification: Overall length: 14 Inches, Handle Material: ‎Silicone, Handles lock: Yes, Dishwasher safe: Yes

The AOOSY Barbecue Tongs are probably a direct comparison and competitor of the Montain Grillers Cooking Tongs given they both give you a couple of sets and are similar in size. They both have the handy hook, in fact apart from AOOSY giving you two sets of 14 inch bbq tongs rather than the Mountains different lengths wise are pretty much identical.

The both have the same hook eye on the lock mechanism and soft silicone handles. It’s hard to draw them apart. I only give the Mountain the edge because of the different lengths they offer. Having two of the same is fine though and might actually suit some people more.

The mechanism releases and locks easily just the same as the Mountains too. One thing I do like about these is the thin tongs will hep you if meat is sticking a bit. You should be able to just about slide under and ease food away with minimal damage, not something you can do so easily with the most expensive versions.

Pros:

• Well priced
• Sturdy and durable
• Dishwasher friendly
• Good alternative to the Mountain Grillers

Cons:

• Hard to justify these over the Cheaper Harmier tongs

Specification: Overall length: 7 Inches, Handle Material: ‎Silicone, Handles lock: Yes, Dishwasher safe: Yes

The Walfos Tongs are another solid option and a bit better when compared to the cheaper Harmier and AOOSY options. Firstly the shaft is rolled into a tube so there’s no sharp edges, a nice touch that ensures no cuts whilst handing. They feel good in the hand and the non-slip silicone handles definitely give you a decent and comfortable grip.

The Walfos Tongs have a significant advantage over their rivals though, they come in 7,9,12, and 14 inch lengths allowing you to choose how you want to cook. Obviously the smaller the tong, the closer you are to the heat so I would recommend 12 inches as a minimum and have chosen them for the purpose of the review.

For your standard bbq setup these will be pretty reliable. There’s been the odd bad review of warping online but I would put this down to a one off dud more than the actual quality of the product. I would choose these ahead of the Mountain Grillers if comparing quality alone and not the price as well to give you some idea of where these fit on the food chain.

Pros:

• Good mid range bbq tongs
• Sturdy and durable
• Dishwasher friendly
• Nice quality stainless food grade steel

Cons:

• Neither the best nor cheapest – pretty mid range

Specification: Overall length: 12 Inches ,Handle Material: ‎Stainless Steel, Handles lock: Yes, Dishwasher safe: Yes

I’m a pretty bug fan of the Coideal Cooking Tongs. Why? Actually it’s what they don’t have! I really like the fact these don’t have the silicone handles which means you can actually put these in the dishwasher without fear of them becoming sticky and grubby. When you compare them to the other cheaper bbq tongs like the Mountains offering and the AOOSY’s you will prefer these in my opinion.

I like these because the lock mechanism works as you pull out the hook. This means opening you can give them a tap on the table one handed, great if you’re holding your beer and don’t fancy letting go 😀

At 12 inches they are the smaller end of ideal. I would have loved to see this model turned into 16 inches, I reckon they would be my favourite pick overall if that were the case. they’ve had a few negative reviews but overall I think this is one of the better buys myself for the money

Pros:

• Probably the best midd range bbq tongs
• Sturdy
• VERY dishwasher friendly
• Decent build quality

Cons:

• Few negative reviews online

Specification: Overall length: 15.7 Inches, Handle Material: ‎Stainless Steel, Handles lock: Yes, Dishwasher safe: Yes

I saved you the second best bbq tongs till last here in my mind. The RÖSLE BBQ Tongs have literally got a patent on their one handed open and close mechanism. You’ll probably remember me blabbering on earlier about the fact I love one hand tongs – well here’s your top pick!

Firstly, these are LONG, and I mean extra long, nearly 18 inches long in fact but amazingly still sturdier than all the other picks except for the Webers when compared. There’s just no way you’ll need bbq gloves with this pick.

Surprisingly for the length they are really solid at picking up decent sized cuts of meat too. The bigger surprise is the tong is quite thin so has the benefits of some of the cheaper models too whereby stuck food can be gently eased off the grill.

They are the second priciest in the review but I feel that’s well justified given the above and are definitely a buy rating.

Pros:

• Very durable
• Sturdy for flipping food
• Easy to clean
• Excellent quality

Cons:

• Only drawback is the price