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Chopsticks can be a household staple not just for eating, but also for cooking and plating food. So it's important to have some durable ones that are comfortable to hold and easy to maneuver — and it doesn't hurt if you like the way they look. We scoured the web to find our top picks, brought some home and took them for a test drive to find the very best chopsticks you can buy.
Available in different materials, lengths and shapes, chopsticks can vary in how they look, feel and function. No matter what pair you buy, however, they will be a step-up from the disposable wooden chopsticks that you may find at many restaurants or with your take-out. (We don't recommend reusing those as they can warp, splinter or even grow mold.) To find our favorite pair that you can use again and again, pros in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab tested chopsticks at home and noted how well they picked up and held on to different types of foods like rice, noodles, tofu cubes and kimchi. We also assessed if they were comfortable to hold and if washing removed any of the finishes. Read on to find our experts' favorites, highly-rated online options and our top-tested picks. Looking to equip your kitchen with the best gear? Don't miss our guides on the best utensil sets, chef's knives and more essential kitchen gadgets.
With over 27,000 five-star reviews, these are some of the most popular chopsticks on Amazon. Made of fiberglass, these Hiware chopsticks are heat-resistant and can be used in hot foods like ramen, though they are a bit heavy. They also have a non-slip textured design at the tips that helps to grip food, plus they are dishwasher safe. Our experts love that you get 10 pairs per pack so you're never scrambling to find one. The large quantity also makes them one of the lowest-priced chopsticks on this list.
If you've never used chopsticks before, it can be tricky to figure out how to hold them, but this set is designed with guides that show exactly where your fingers should go. There are two removable silicone rings for the index and middle fingers, as well as small nubs to illustrate where to rest the other fingers. The tips are also slightly serrated, which according to our Kitchen Appliances & Innovation Lab Director, Nicole Papantoniou, helps to better grasp food, though the serrations might be too sharp for some soft foods like silken tofu. They also come in both left and right-handed versions so it fits appropriately.
If you’re looking for chopsticks for kids, try these training chopsticks from Plum Garden. They have fun animal toppers to hold the chopsticks together and three silicone rings to guide children's fingers. As kids become more comfortable using them, each ring is removable — as is the topper, which transforms the chopsticks into the traditional style. All of the different parts, however, make them difficult to clean. Still, these have over 3,500 five-star reviews on Amazon, with many reviewers noting how much their kids love them.
These extra-long cooking chopsticks from New York City institution, Pearl River Mart, will help keep your hands and arm away from heat and food splatter. The 14-inch long style allows for some distance from the stovetop, while still giving you control as you cook. Made of bamboo, these have thin tips for greater precision, especially when used to artfully arrange foods on a plate. Keep in mind that long, thin chopsticks tend to be more difficult for beginners to handle.
The distinctive octagonal shape of these chopsticks helps prevent them from rolling off the table. They are made of Mala wood and are covered with a smooth lacquer coating, but they have enough texture to help keep food from slipping. The thin, pointy tips are textured to aptly pick up small morsels of food or delicate pieces of fish, according to our Lab experts. At about eight inches long, these chopsticks are on the shorter side, but work well for those with small hands. Just take note that these are not dishwasher-safe.
Unlike most wooden chopsticks, these stainless steel ones are dishwasher safe and will likely last for a very long time. Though some find stainless steel more slippery to hold, the textured tips to help keep food in place. Because they are hollow on the inside, they are not heavy. Nearly 2,000 Amazon reviewers gave these a five star-rating, with several reporting that these chopsticks are great quality and easy to clean.
If you’re looking for ultra-lightweight chopsticks, try this titanium pair. Over 2,300 reviewers gave these five stars on Amazon with a few noting that these are the lightest chopsticks they’ve used. They also come with a slim aluminum case so you can take them wherever you go, plus they're dishwasher safe. They come in five colors, but a few reviewers say the coating has a tendency to scratch or wear off.
Known for her tidying up expertise, Marie Kondo is helping “spark joy” with these stylish chopsticks embellished with vertical blue lines, which she says represents a flowing waterfall. They are made of cedar and they're dishwasher-safe, according to the brand. Take note, these chopsticks worked well to pick up food when we tested them at home, but because of the fine tips, they may be harder for a beginner to use. They also come in two other blue designs.
Our experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, as well as the Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen, have decades of experience testing products for every kitchen task, from microwaves to espresso machines. In addition to extensive online research on popular and highly-rated brands, we gathered our editors' top picks and road-tested a few pairs of chopsticks at home.
In testing, we use chopsticks to pick up various types of foods and see how well they can grasp, noting the shape of the tips and if they have any features like grip-promoting grooves. We also note if they are comfortable to hold — assessing whether the handle is slippery, if the shape digs into fingers or if they are a comfortable size and width to easily hold. Finally, we wash them according to package instructions to see if any finishes come off to check for quality and durability.
As with the handle of any kitchen tool (think: kitchen tongs), shorter gives you more control, but longer offers greater reach. Longer chopsticks might be better for cooking, but shorter ones are better for eating. Plus, those with small hands might prefer short chopsticks. In our experience, 8 1/2 to 10 inches seems to be the sweet spot for most people.
Chopsticks are a multi-purpose tool. Not only can they be used to eat your favorite foods, but you can wield them to flip bacon in a pan, make scrambled eggs or even eat Cheetos (or similarly messy snacks) to keep your fingers clean.
You can use wooden chopsticks to remove toast from a toaster or place them on top of a pot of boiling water to prevent it from boiling over (the wood repels the water bubbles). Chopsticks with distinct square edges can also be used as a trivet.
Metal and plastic chopsticks are generally dishwasher-safe: Place them securely in the basket so they don't slip through and block a spray arm from rotating. If they are placed upright in the lower flatware caddy, check that they don't block the middle spray arm, advises Home Care & Cleaning Lab Executive Director Carolyn Forté. Wooden chopsticks can swell and warp with prolonged exposure to moisture, so we recommend hand-washing them with warm water and gentle dish soap, then dry them immediately or let them air-dry. Do not soak them.
Hand-washing several at a time? Bunch them up in your hands, add a few drips of gentle dish soap and rub them between your two palms to create friction and lather them all up in one go. Rinse them under a running faucet or in a tub of water.
Short answer: No. They are not necessary for cooking and eating with chopsticks, but they can add an extra element of décor to your table or kitchen — and they make great gifts for any frequent users of chopsticks. Chopstick rests are small accessories that come in all shapes — ranging from simple dishes to elaborate animals — that have grooves, holes or dips meant to hold your chopsticks in-between bites. They also solve the problem of chopsticks rolling off your plate or the table. They are nice to have (especially these high-end origami cranes or whimsical ceramic cats), but certainly not necessary.
Jamie (Kim) Ueda is a contributing consumer products analyst with over 17 years of experience testing and writing about tools for cooking and eating, including the best woks and dinnerware sets. Growing up in a household that used chopsticks regularly, she has been using them since she was 7 years old to eat and cook. She also dines frequently at restaurants that use chopsticks.
Samantha MacAvoy is the Assistant Editor in the Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen where she has tested and reviewed dozens of kitchen gadgets, from retro refrigerators to bread knives. She has two much-loved pairs of chopsticks at home that she uses for sautéing noodles, flipping bacon and shoveling rice, among other things. For this story, she consulted with Jamie and conducted her own extensive research.
Jamie Kim is a consumer products expert with over 17 years of experience in areas of product development and manufacturing. She has held leading roles at both mid-size consumer goods companies and one of the most notable and largest apparel brands in the world. Jamie has contributed to several of the GH Institute Labs, including Kitchen Appliances, Media and Tech, Textiles and Home Appliances. In her free time she enjoys cooking, traveling, and working out.
Samantha (she/her) is an Assistant Editor in the Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen, where she writes about tasty recipes, must-try food products and top-tested secrets for home cooking success. She has taste-tasted hundreds of products and recipes since joining GH in 2020 (tough job!). A graduate of Fordham University, she considers the kitchen to be her happiest place.
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