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There’s nothing like barbeque straight from the grill! With metal skewers, you can make juicy kabobs, chicken yakitori, or vegetable skewers straight on the grill without having to assemble them after the contents are cooked all the way through. Metal skewers are able to conduct heat evenly, ensuring thorough cooking of the food.
We reviewed a ton of metal skewers based on factors like length, durability, heat resistance, and handability. Our top choice is the Cave Tools Metal Skewers because of their built-in slider discs, long length, and storage bag.
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The Best Metal Skewer Buying Guide
What Are the Different Types of Metal Skewers?
Metal skewers come in different styles. Let's have a look at how they differ:
Simple
These skewers feature a single rod and are ideal for food items that don’t need much support, such as garlic bread, drumsticks, wings, and thick sausages.
Double
Double skewers come with two prongs and are suitable for bigger cuts that require more support. These help keep the food items from spinning when placed on the grills and work best for chicken thighs, big meat pieces, or fish.
Triple
As the name suggests, triple skewers have three prongs. These provide a good amount of support for large food items such as chicken ribs, thighs, breasts, etc. Since these are more stable than simple skewers, these are easier to manage.
Choosing the Right Metal Skewers
To choose the right metal skewers, make sure you’re thinking about the following factors:
Handle
If you don’t want to burn your hand while grilling food, then you must pay attention to the handles of the skewers. Ideally, the handles should be heat-resistant so they can be easily grasped and moved around.
However, stainless steel handles, even heat-resistant ones, can get too hot to be managed. Some metal skewers come with wooden handles that are better in terms of heat resistance, but this feature can be hit or miss. Therefore, look for a handle with a shape that can be easily grabbed with a gloved hand or tongs.
Length
This feature comes down to two things: grill size and personal preference. For smart grills, it’s best to opt for skewer lengths between 8 to 9 inches. Whereas, for bigger grills, skewers measuring 10 to 17 inches would be more suitable. But, if you’re only going to use skewers for grilling smaller food items such as shashlik, chicken chunks, and vegetables, then shorter, finer versions would perform better.
Beginners tend to be better off with longer skewers since they give the user more space to maneuver without accidentally burning themselves.
Ease of wash
The last thing you’d want is to spend hours scrubbing stuck food bits off the skewers. To ensure this doesn’t happen, look for metal skewers that are easy to wash. Some skewers are dishwasher-safe and are much easier to clean as compared to ones that should only be hand washed.
Durability
Cheap quality metal skewers tend to rust easily, but that’s not the case for skewers made from high-quality metal. Not only are these rust-resistant, but also hold up to heat better. Even more, they are reusable, unlike bamboo skewers. Luckily, it’s not difficult to find premium-quality metal skewers at affordable prices. To be on the safe side, try to choose skewers that come with a warranty.
Gimmicks To Avoid in Metal Skewers
Non-stick coatings
Non-stick coating on skewers is not necessary since meat usually glides off metal skewers smoothly once it's cooked. Also, the coatings are usually not very durable and eventually break down, leading to food contamination.
Food pushers
Food pushers on skewers are not only unnecessary but also take up a decent amount of skewer space. Also, they can’t beat the convenience of removing the food with your tongs or fingers.
Flexible wire skewer
Flexible wire skewers can be a hassle to work with. These make it very difficult to turn the skewers over without the food rotating and don’t serve any function other than keeping the food items together on the grill. Furthermore, these are not safe to use and usually leave some parts of the food uncooked. Hence, it’s best to avoid grilling your food with flexible wire skewers.
Top Picks
Best Overall:
Cave Tools Metal Skewer
Best Anti-Spin Design:
Lanney Metal Kabob Skewers
Most Ergonomic:
Blue Donuts Metal Kabob Skewers
Longest Skewer Length:
Flafster Kitchen Metal Skewers
Metal skewers are more durable, sturdy, and versatile as compared to wood skewers. Where wood skewers are designed to be thrown out after a single use, metal skewers can last you numerous uses.
Is it safe to use metal skewers in an air fryer?
Yes, you can safely use metal skewers in an air fryer. Since metal skewers are heat-resistant, they don’t get damaged by being placed in ovens or air fryers.
Is it safe to use rusty skewers?
No, skewers that are coated with chromium, tin, or oxide must not be used since these can contaminate the food and make you sick. Always make sure you are using clean skewers.
