OXO Good Grips 12-Inch Stainless Steel Locking Tongs

The verdict

OXO Good Grips 12-Inch Stainless Steel Locking Tongs — about $18 at Amazon · 4.8★ across the Good Grips tongs line, 12-inch count unpinned — confirm at checkout · America's Test Kitchen's winning tongs, with scalloped heads that grip by feel.

The 9-inch sibling suits smaller hands and pans, but 12 inches is the all-purpose default: grilling, sheet-pan vegetables, salad tossing, and pulling things from the air fryer without reaching into heat. America's Test Kitchen picked this exact model as its winner, which is the strongest independent signal in a category full of lookalikes.

Specs

• 12-inch length
• Stainless steel construction
• Scalloped, uncoated heads
• Non-slip grips with thumb rests
• Pull-ring locking mechanism
• Dishwasher safe
• America's Test Kitchen winner
• Also available in 9- and 16-inch sizes

Blind details

Tongs are the closest thing to heat-proof fingers, and this is the pair to buy blind with confidence: the 12-inch length keeps hands clear of spatter, the scalloped uncoated heads grip food precisely (testers found coated heads slip), and the spring tension is medium — firm enough to hold a steak, light enough not to tire your hand. The non-slip grips and thumb rests are easy to locate by touch, and the pull-ring lock clicks closed for drawer storage, so you always know whether they're locked or open without looking.

Honest caveats: the 12-inch stainless rating count couldn't be pinned in this check — the 4.8★ figure reflects the tongs line (the 9-inch listing shows 4.8★ from 12,832 ratings), so verify the 12-inch listing's own count before ordering. Skip the nylon-head variant if you grill at high heat; nylon heads can melt, while these all-steel heads won't. Price has ranged from about $16 to $18 recently, so a dollar or two of movement is normal.

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Last reviewed: October 2026.