Tongs

This article is about the tool. For the secret society, see Tong (organization).

Silicone-tipped locking tongs designed to withstand temperatures up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit

Long handled locking tongs designed for outdoor grilling

Tongs are a tool used to grip and lift objects, of which there are many forms adapted to their specific use. Some are merely large pincers or nippers, but most fall into three classes:

1. Tongs which have long arms terminating in small flat circular ends of tongs and are pivoted close to the handle, as in the common fire-tongs, used for picking up pieces of coal and placing them on a fire.
2. Tongs consisting of a single band of metal bent round one or two bands joined at the head by a spring, as in sugar-tongs (a pair of usually silver tongs with claw-shaped or spoon-shaped ends for serving lump sugar), asparagus-tongs and the like.
3. Tongs in which the pivot or joint is placed close to the gripping ends, such as a driller's round tongs, blacksmith's tongs or crucible-tongs.

Tongs are commonly used as a kitchen utensil, as they provide a way to move, rotate and turn the food with delicate precision.

According to Pirkei Avot, a classical Jewish text of the third century of the common era, the first pair of tongs were created by God right before God rested in the Seventh Day. The reasoning is that a blacksmith must use a pair of tongs in order to fashion a brand new pair of tongs. Accordingly, God must have provided humankind with the first pair of tongs.

See also

• Fire iron
• Food preparation utensils
• Forceps
• Trongs
• Tweezers
• Food portal