The Nacho Conundrum

One of our merry forksters writes, "What kind of fork is the best to use on nachos? I'm always screwing that up." Ah, the nacho problem. We've been there, done that, and we're here to help.

Here's the problem in a nutshell for the unenlightened: You serve up a awesome platter of steaming, cheesy nachos, and everyone is happy, right? Sure. Maybe. Until they try to hoist your fabulous fare onto their plates with . . . a spatula? Tongs? A SPOON??!

All of these solutions result in a huge mess, wasted food, injuries, and lawsuits. A fork is always the right answer, obviously, but which one? A lot of people forget that nachos are primarily two-dimensional food. Without getting into a lot of physics here (ha!), what I'm trying to say is that you're basically trying to serve 2D ("flat") food to 3D ("lumpy") people. This requires a utensil with the right amount of leverage and lift, but, most importantly, torsional attitude. Two words: TWO TINES. I know you're thinking "barbecue tools," but hold on a second, cowboy! All a fork needs to be a fork is two tines. Count 'em. Two.

The two-tined fork is perfect for serving the nacho chip. Secure the tines on both sides of the chip, twist slightly, and lift the nacho free from the serving (base) plate to the receiver plate in one smooth motion. Repeat. Simple as that.

In the two-tined world, there aren't that many choices, so I'm going to make a quick recommendation with the American Metalcraft 11" Mirage Two Tine Fork. It's a good value from a reliable forkery and should solve most of your nacho issues. Take the usual precautions with a reduced-tine-pitch implement and keep the tines down at all times and you should be fine. For sanitary and safety reasons, keep the nacho fork away from your mouth.

NEXT UP: Fork Safety!