The 4 Best Marshmallow Roasting Sticks of 2024, Tested & Reviewed

When I was a kid, I spent a lot of time camping with my parents and Boy Scout troop. Toasting marshmallows was a regular occurrence on these trips and any stick on the ground was good for roasting marshmallows. Most of us went for a simple, straight stick that would get the job done, but there were overachievers who tried to find multi-pointed ones to toast as many marshmallows at a time as possible. But, being Gen X kids, when we finished roasting marshmallows, the sticks took on their real purpose: FLAMING SWORDS! A disinterested grownup would glance over at us and yell something about keeping the fire in the pit before returning to their card game. 

It makes sense that companies now make actual tools for roasting marshmallows. They’re more sanitary than sticks plucked off the ground and less flammable—important! I recently tested nine top-selling marshmallow roasting sticks to see how well they performed. None of these were like anything I encountered in my childhood (well, maybe one was), and they included the highly functional, the high-end, and the borderline absurd. 

The Winners, at a Glance

This set of four roasting sticks had wide, U-shaped heads with two sharp tines, making double-roasting marshmallows or securely holding a hot dog easily. There’s plenty of space between the tines for even flame exposure.

This set of eight vibrantly colored sticks accommodates large groups or comes in handy when you need 16 toasted marshmallows, stat.

Made from rigid stainless steel, these sticks have molded handles and sharp tines for double-marshmallow roasting. I really liked using them. The set also came with a cool, knife roll-esque storage bag.

These simple pointed sticks held marshmallows and hot dogs firmly, released them easily, and required zero cleanup besides throwing them in the fire. 

The Tests

• Marshmallow Tests: Since each marshmallow roasting stick is presumably intended for its namesake, the first test was to toast marshmallows. I built a fire and threaded each stick with the maximum amount of marshmallows it could fit and toasted them until perfectly golden. I noted how easily the marshmallows threaded and unthreaded and how well I could rotate the sticks for even toasting. I repeated this test, holding the sticks closer to the flames to char the marshmallows.
• S’mores Test: I repeated the first toasting test, but this time attempted to deftly place the toasted marshmallows onto squares of chocolate that sat atop graham crackers to form the confectionery sandwiches we call s’mores. This test had a point: to judge the ease and accuracy of each stick.
• Hot Dog Test: The sticks that proved themselves worthy in the previous rounds moved on to the final test: hot dog roasting. I poked one hot dog onto each of the winners and held them over the fire. Again, I judged the sticks on how easy they were to rotate.

What We Learned

Safety Features Could Hinder Usability

If marshmallow roasting sticks are intended for kiddos, safety is, of course, a concern. I found this especially true with the metal options. Some of these had U-shaped tines, directing the point back at you and reducing their stabbiness. While safer, this presented two issues. The first was that the end of the food, especially hot dogs, were a few inches behind the stick’s end, which meant I had to put more of the stick into the fire when roasting. The second was that, while marshmallows easily slid on and off, I had to thread hot dogs lengthwise, which was hard to do if the stick’s tines were thicker.

Longer Marshmallow Roasting Sticks Were Generally Better

Longer sticks allow you to stay further away from the flames, but this may backfire (ha). The Solo Stove sticks were just over three feet long, but when standing over the fire pit, they were more awkward to hold at a steeper angle to reach the flames. However, this length would be ideal for sitting around a campfire and roasting ‘mallows. For this reason, all of my winners are at least 30 inches long. 

Not Every Stick Was Great for Both Marshmallows and Hot Dogs

In some cases, the stick was too thin to support the hot dog’s weight easily or required threading it lengthwise. Look for sticks with two widely spaced, front-facing tines for the best hot dog results.

The width between the tines was also key for even heat exposure. If the tines were too close together, the marshmallows touched and resulted in untoasted bits. I found the best sticks had tines that were at least two inches apart.

The Criteria: What to Look for in Marshmallow Roasting Sticks

If you want safer sticks with backward-facing tines, expect to put more energy into threading, unthreading, and even cooking. Besides that, look for sticks that are longer (especially if you plan on using them around a campfire) and decide if you want to be able to toast more than one marshmallow at once. I found the double-tined, U-shaped models with plenty of space between the tines were best. 

Our Favorite Marshmallow Roasting Sticks

What we liked: This set of four telescoping sticks had pointy tips and toasted marshmallows very well. With wide spacing between their tines—allowing heat to flow all around the marshmallows—and comfortable, rounded grips, these are all-around great sticks. They have hollow wooden handles with small plastic pieces that you can spin with your thumb and forefinger to turn your marshmallows or hot dogs without actually having to rotate the handle.

What we didn’t like: The painted grips are likely to chip.

Key Specs

• Materials: Wood, plastic, stainless steel
• Minimum length: 9.75 inches
• Maximum length: 33.5 inches
• Number in set: 4
• Number of tines: 2
• Care instructions: None specified
• Price per stick: $6.70

What we liked: This set of eight telescoping sticks is great for large groups. I don’t remember the last time I needed 16 toasted marshmallows in a recreational setting, but you can rest assured knowing that you can produce that many at a time. The dual tines were spaced far apart for consistent heating and dual marshmallow roasting, and they held a hot dog firmly and vertically, allowing it to cook evenly.

What we didn’t like: These sticks had molded grips, which were comfortable and easy to hold until I rotated the stick. Then the finger grooves protruded into my palm and felt clumsy. 

Key Specs

• Materials: Rubber, stainless steel
• Minimum length: 11.25 inches
• Maximum length: 45 inches
• Number in set: 8
• Number of tines: 2
• Care instructions: None specified
• Price per stick: $3.24

What we liked: To accurately describe these sticks, it’s best to paint a picture. You’re at a friend’s house for a dinner party cooked entirely in their well-appointed outdoor kitchen. As your host (who is now inexplicably wearing one of those really thick, cable-knit cardigan sweaters) prepares after-dinner cordials, they reveal the makings of artisan s’mores and provide these roasting sticks. They’re quite stylish: rigid stainless steel with molded handles and the Solo Stove emblem forged into the head. These sticks come in a professional knife bag-like carrying case and screw together to form a 36-inch toasting tool.

What we didn’t like: Because of their length these sticks are best used in a sitting position. 

Key Specs

• Materials: Stainless steel
• Minimum length: 36.25 inches
• Maximum length: 36.25 inches
• Number in set: 4
• Number of tines: 2
• Care instructions: None specified
• Price per stick: $14.74

What we liked: These roasting sticks are the antithesis of the Solo Stove offering. This is a big bag of 120 30-inch, five-millimeter-thick pointy sticks. I could leave it there, but why did I rate them so highly? They held onto marshmallows well, and sliding them off was easy. For security reasons—meaning I didn’t trust them not to fall off—I had to thread the hot dogs onto these sticks lengthwise. But, lacking further mechanisms, I just held the sticks over the fire, turned them periodically, and got well-toasted hot dogs. These sticks had the easiest cleanup of any I tested: I broke them in half, threw them on the fire, and, just like that, they were gone.

What we didn’t like: Although they were mostly smooth, a few strands of bamboo splinters came off after I threaded the hot dog. 

Key Specs

• Materials: Bamboo
• Minimum length: 30 inches
• Maximum length: 30 inches
• Number in set: 120
• Number of tines: 1
• Care instructions: None specified
• Price per stick: $0.19

The Competition

• The Wolf’em Stick: This was a cool idea, but the results didn’t pan out. For this stick, you had to hold the rod in one hand and turn its crank with the other. Between that design and the safety-oriented rear-facing tines, I found myself perilously close to the fire, rotating the stick any way that would work. To be fair, the Wolf’em’s primary purpose is to make dessert cups out of biscuit dough.
• Ajmyonsp Marshmallow Roasting Sticks: This was a fine set of five extendable roasting sticks. Nothing stood out about them, but they met the minimum job requirements.
• HigherHuman Safety S’Mores Roasting Sticks: This set took safety seriously. Rubberized grips kept the handle cool while rear-facing tines prevented stabbing incidents. They toasted marshmallows unevenly, though.
• Firebuggz Campfire Fishing Pole: Kids will love the novelty of these “fishing pole” roasting sticks for approximately seven minutes. They consist of a curved metal stick with a metal handle that emulates a bent fishing rod, a thinner metal shaft for the fishing line, and a jig that looks like a fishing lure at the end. I tried to master the instructions for “jigging” the stick to turn the marshmallows, but they burned before I could turn them every time. Marshmallows were hard to unthread and the “poles” tangled in the package for that authentic fishing pole experience.
• Rolla Roaster Marshmallow and Hot Dog Roasting Sticks: These blunt, double-tined sticks worked fine with marshmallows, but a distinct sag when loaded with a hot dog made spinning the specially designed handle cumbersome.

FAQs

What else can you use marshmallow roasting sticks for? 

As my tests showed, hot dogs are an easy answer. But really, you can cook fruits (charred orange or grapefruit halves are delicious), vegetables, or thin cuts of meat on these sticks. Your ingredients are only limited by the strength of the stick and the time you want to hold the food over the fire.

How do you clean marshmallow roasting sticks? 

Manufacturers provided scant cleaning instructions, so I created my own. First, understand that marshmallows consist of two sugars: Glucose (corn syrup) and sucrose (white sugar), which are whipped until frothy and then stabilized with gelatin to hold their shape. Water acts on sugar, and heat acts on gelatin, so I found that soaking the marshmallow sticks in hot, soapy water for five minutes removed all of the residual marshmallow with no scrubbing involved. You could scrub them without soaking if you like spreading sticky stuff around. As a rule, don’t soak any wooden handles, as it will speed up the deterioration of the wood.

Why We’re the Experts

• Greg Baker is a multi-time James Beard Award-nominated former chef from Tampa, Florida. 
• He’s reviewed knife sharpeners, charcoal chimneys, and more for Serious Eats.
• For this review, Greg tested nine marshmallow roasting sticks. He evaluated how easy they were to use, how well they toasted, and more.