Tovolo Kitchen 11", Charcoal Cooking Tongs

I'm going to reserve the 5th star until a few months of use have passed. I received this today and I really like the thicker solid construction more than the other kinds whose tips can bend quite easily and look cheap. These are very sturdy.The mechanism idea is really smart. They stay closed in the locked position so that they don't fish-hook out eight other utensils when trying to remove it from the drawer, making you scream or growl as everything goes flying, and there is no slider locking wring to slip accidentally closed while trying to use them, also making you growl.However ... I just now washed it the first time to put it in my drawer, and the bottom grey plastic lock that pushes in to lock them would not pull back out!! It appeared to be permanently stuck, and if all I did was continue to try to pull it out from the outside it would have been. I had to carefully try to put pressure on the top of that piece from the inside between the two prongs while gently pulling it from the outside, and without pinching my fingers. That rattled me as I wonder if the hardware pieces are going to last, get permanently stuck, or break. It could have been that I jammed it in place too hard, but hey, if I did that reflexively, others will too, so it "might" be a design flaw?? Or a lemon? Maybe a tad bit of hardware grease or lubricant will keep it from happening again? I don't think it would be too slippery loose using that since it does seem to have a very tight fit, which is what caused me to push hard in the first place.I pushed it back into place gently, just until it stayed so that it hopefully won't happen again, so you might want to remember to do that too if you purchase these.I do recommend them as I believe you will like them. Nicest design I've seen yet. But know I've only owned them for three hours. Lol

Nice size, easy to handle, and well made!

I really liked the design and at first thought it was a great product. I bought the small one so reaching the locking/unlocking mechanism was easy. I’ve had it for about a year and it has had very little use but the locking mechanism no longer works and the tongs do not open.

Surprisingly high quality for mini tongs. Just what we needed.

Easy to operate, and love the stand to keep work surfaces clean and the tongs from becoming contaminated during cooking. Sturdy construction.

Clumsy to use. Threw it away.

Just a handy tool to have in kitchen

These are great, buy them

The locking mechanism is clunky and they don't grip as well as I would have liked. It's too bad because I really want to order more. I'll just keep the one I ordered, not worth sending back.

At first, the locking feature looked like a great idea. But when you need to click it a dozen times to unlock it properly… it suddenly became not such a great idea. The clickling mechanism is so-so… you gotta have the right touch for it to unlock properly. My wife gave up and thought it was broken. Then, I tried a few clicks and boom it worked again. Anyways, not the best I bought.

Like a lot of other people I like to work close-in when sauteing, mixing, and plating. These tongs are perfect for that style of cooking. One hand operation, simply tap the hinged end on the counter to open or lock. Once you get used to doing that it will become a natural motion. A well made and stylish device.

These are the best small tongs I've found, and I've tried many. I agree with the other posters that the locking mechanism fails sooner than later, but I've found a trick that makes this bearable.Don't lock the tongs in the locked position. Leave them in the open position, and trust me, you won't find a better tong of this size.We run them through the dishwasher, use them practically daily, and we can't find a tong that better grips food, feels more solid in your hand, or has the features this one does.

It didn't last! I used it a total of 5 times and the lock mechanism doesn't stay open to pick anything up, it just closes and you have to manually open it with your fingers. Invest in something better!