Utility Tong

Chances are, these are the tongs you have in your kitchen. They are on the longer side, which makes it easier to grab and dish up just about anything you have in front of you. The ends are curved and spoon-like. Utility tongs are the go-to tongs in most instances, and if you only have one set of tongs in your kitchen, this is probably the way to go.

Most utility tongs will have what is known as a scalloped edge to the spoon-like end (it kind of looks like how you’d draw your fluffy clouds back in grade school). The scalloped end does make it easier to pick up certain items, such as some kinds of pasta, but because it doesn’t fully commit to being a set of pasta tongs (more on this later) it doesn’t work as well.

In general, you can get by with most of your cooking using utility tongs, and because there are so many uses for them, the size range will vary from half a foot to nearly a foot and a half in length. Many grocery stores and kitchen appliance stores sell a number of utility tongs sizes. These kinds of tongs can be made from either food-grade plastic or stainless steel.