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If you pour time, effort, and love into your salads, consider investing in the best salad tongs money can buy. This often overlooked kitchen gadget can make all the difference — from helping to preserve delicate greens to scooping up the perfect ratio of ingredients. In the roundup below, I’ve selected salad tongs to meet a variety of preferences. In order to find the right one for you, consider a few key things.
Salad “Tongs" Defined
"Tongs” isn’t really the best term for this utensil, since traditionally salad “tongs” are made up of two parts: a curved paddle (essentially an oversized spoon) and an oversized fork. This is ideal for gently snagging leafy greens and scooping up larger salad items. However, some people prefer “salad hands” since these can allow for more control while tossing and serving salad, and sometimes they allow for bigger scoops. "Hybrid" tongs — which can function as salad servers or snap together to form tongs — are beloved for their versatility.
Materials To Consider
If you want to take the utmost care of your greens, avoid tongs with metal tips and opt for gentler materials. While many food blogs recommend wood above all else, eco-friendly bamboo, and easy-to-care-for plastic and silicone are also fine options, especially if you're shopping on a budget. If you decide you want a wood option for longevity (or for aesthetic reasons) look for a durable hardwood, like sustainable acacia. Just note that there will be more maintenance involved with wood options since they may require hand-washing and occasional oiling.
Handle Length
Unless you're going with salad hands, another factor to consider is the best handle length for your salad server, which correlates with the depth of your salad bowl. Keep in mind that your tongs will likely be sitting in the salad bowl between servings, so if the handles are too short that’s a recipe for messiness. Conversely, if the handles are too long that might translate into less control when serving.
Check out the best salad tongs on Amazon below; all of them are highly rated.
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1. A Gorgeous Pair Of Acacia Tongs For Elegant Serving
This beautiful pick by Lipper International is made of durable and luxe-looking acacia wood, making them ideal for special occasions and weekday meals alike. The serving pieces are 12 inches long, and include the traditional forked and spoon-like ends, making this a great option for deep salad bowls. It's worth nothing, however, that these servers are hand-wash only, and you'll want to treat them with oil from time to time to help maintain their classic look and overall longevity.
A helpful review: “Excellent salad servers. Love the color and shape. The handles are large enough for a deep bowl. For the price they're a great deal. [...]”
A Pair Of Artisanal Bamboo Tongs That Are Dishwasher Safe
This eco-friendly pick from Totally Bamboo comes with an impressive 4.7-star customer rating on Amazon, and it's ideal if you’re looking for well-crafted salad servers that don't require a lot of maintenance. They're made of solid one-piece construction and are welcomingly dishwasher-safe. The servers are 14 inches long including their spoon-like ends, and the handles are designed with ergonomics in mind. These servers also have little holes at the top of the handles so you can hang them in your kitchen — a nice extra that Amazon reviewers rave about.
A helpful review: “I own another Totally Bamboo utensil (noodle server) that I love, so came looking to them for salad servers and found they had them. They are very well made and pretty enough to use in any dining setting (formal or casual).”
A Hybrid Pair Of Plastic Tongs That Nest For Easy Storage
These multi-functional PortoFino tongs have one of the smartest designs on this list. They give you the best of both worlds because you can use each piece separately like a traditional salad server or connected together like true tongs, and they nest together for easy storage. They're made with ABS plastic, which is considered safe since it has no known carcinogens, and designed with anti-slip grip as well. They're 12-inches long and they're top-rack dishwasher-safe.
A helpful review: “Love these! I purchased them to replace cheap plastic ones that constantly kept breaking. Love that they come apart for tossing the salad and then join back together for one-handed serving, the joining mechanism isn’t a separate piece that could get lost, and dishwasher safe!”
Some Silicone Tongs That Are So Multifunctional
Like the pick above, these silicone salad tongs are a hybrid style, meaning they can snap together to work as tongs but come apart to work independently — making them ideal for anyone who wants a multipurpose kitchen tool. They also offer the convenience of being dishwasher safe — plus, they're made of LFGB grade silicone, meaning it’s passed strict standards for food safety. The tongs measure just under 12 inches, and they're nonstick and heat-resistant up to 500 degrees — meaning you could use them on the grill as well if desired. They're easy to store, too, since the two pieces can be stored on top of each other. With all this pick has to offer, it's no surprise these tongs boast a near-perfect, 4.9-star customer rating on Amazon.
A helpful review: “We needed a new set of tongs for salad, since we eat salad [three to four] times per week and our old faithful plastic ones finally cracked apart. This tool far surpasses any other salad tong I've ever used, and stores so easily! Super sturdy, and works like a charm. Can be used for much more than salad. I'm quite sure this will be the last tongs I will need to buy, as they are made very well.”
A Pair Of Acacia Salad Claws That Are As Fun As They Are Functional
These artfully designed salad hands by Ironwood Gourmet are crafted to look like bear paws, and will make quick work of salad mixing. They boast sturdy, one-piece construction for longevity, and they're six inches long and 3.75 inches wide, so using them to dish out your salad feels almost like using your own hands. Additionally, because acacia wood is naturally thick, it's virtually impervious to bacteria. Even so, you'll want to hand-wash these salad hands with warm water and soap and treat them with oil from time to time.
Also noteworthy: This is a sustainable pick. Ironwood Gourmet sources all their acacia wood from small farms, choosing to only use wood from trees that are at least 25 years old. The company also plants new trees to balance out their harvest.
A helpful review: “Received these as a wedding gift, and I absolutely love them! It feels more natural to me than holding long spoon handles. The wood is beautiful as well. I treat the wood with mineral oil every few months to keep it looking great, just like my acacia salad bowl and serving bowls.”
