The 5 Best Kitchen Shears (For Every Purpose)

Chicken scissors Getty 5/1/20

On the market for a new set of kitchen shears? You’ve come to the right place. We’ve scoured the internet for the absolute best ones you can buy. But first, let’s talk about why you really do need a good pair of shears in your life: 

Kitchen Shears vs. Regular Scissors

Cooking dinner shouldn't be complicated

yellow scissors Getty 5/1/20

Are kitchen shears just fancy scissors? Well, yeah—in a way they are. 

Plenty of them have extra features that make cooking easier (you’ll see that in a minute), but the most basic versions are heavy-duty scissors that are better able to stand up to tough kitchen tasks, like cutting through meat and bone. 

What Can You Do With Kitchen Shears? 

So many things. Like so, so many things. For instance: 

  • Break down poultry
  • Cutting bacon
  • Cutting herbs
  • Cutting vegetables
  • Opening food packages
  • Slicing pizza
  • Slicing quesadillas
  • Cleaning shrimp
  • Trimming pie dough

Related: The 7 Best Wooden Cutting Boards (For Every Cook) 

OK, let’s crack into it: 

Best All-Around

Wüsthof Come-Apart Shears

wustoff shears

Buy it! Williams Sonoma, $19.95 (were $30)

This Wüsthof product lives up to the hype. According to the company, these shears will do everything from “parting a whole chicken to cutting pizza to snipping delicate herbs.”

Reviewers say they’re sharp, easy to clean, and even easier to use. 

“I absolutely love these,” one reviewer says. “I have arthritis in my hands and I find it very difficult to open bottles easily. These are ideal. I am getting these as a gift to my sister, who is also elderly and is having difficulty opening bottles.”

“Why aren't all kitchen shears like this?” asks another. “I love it that they pull apart for ease of cleaning.”

Important details:

  • Stainless steel shears with slip-resistant polypropylene handles
  • Blades pull apart for easy cleaning
  • Notches in handles for cracking bones or opening bottle caps.

Honorable Mention

J.A. Henckels International Robust Kitchen Shears

ja henckles

Buy it! Bed Bath & Beyond, $15.99

Every cook needs quality all-purpose shears, and if you’re on the market for a pair, your search ends here. 

Granted, there’s not a lot of bells and whistles. But these are affordable, durable, and totally functional—what more does a home cook need? 

“These shears are nice and sharp and they operate smoothly,” according to one reviewer. “They hold up to every day abuse and go through the dishwasher!”

Another reviewer echoes the praise: “These shears are super durable, I use them for everything. I do not have any complaints at all, mine are still going strong despite being dropped, washed often, and used for a multitude of things in the kitchen.”

Important details: 

  • Corrosion-resistant no-stain steel shears with an easy-grip handle
  • Micro-edging provides slip-proof cutting
  • Notches in handles for cracking bones or opening bottle caps.

Best Poultry Shears

OXO Poultry Shears

poultry shears

Buy it! Bed Bath & Beyond, $24.99

These shears are for one purpose only—cutting poultry. Its curved, tapered blades allow you to easily access hard to reach places and are strong enough to slice through bone. 

Don’t take our word for it: 

“I often use the spatchcock method of cooking chicken and even turkeys,” explains a happy customer. “These shears made it easy to cut out the backbone, cutting through bone and cartilage.”

“These shears make cutting poultry a breeze,” raves another. “Its curved blade is sharp and the locking handles make this the perfect inexpensive choice.”

Important details: 

  • Stainless steel blades separate for easy cleaning
  • Spring loaded handle prevents hand strain
  • No slip design

Best Herb Scissors

OXO Good Grips Kitchen and Herb Scissors

Herb scissors

Buy it! Bed Bath & Beyond, $17.99

These scissors boast a very special feature: a built-in herb stripper. The nifty stripper, which is found on the no-slip handle, allows you to easily remove fresh, delicate herbs from tough stems. 

While we wouldn’t dare use these for tough tasks (like cutting through bone), reviewers say the OXO scissors are great for a variety of purposes. 

“These shears are wonderful! You can use them for just about anything in the kitchen,” according to one Bed Bath & Beyond customer.

“Got these as part of my wedding gift registry and I love them,” says another. “They are by far the most-used item in my kitchen. Great quality and durability. Highly recommend.”

Important details: 

  • Micro-serrated stainless steel blades
  • Non-slip grip 
  • Blades separate for easy cleaning

Best Seafood Scissors

Zyliss Seafood Scissors

seafood shears

Buy it! Sur La Table, $24

Specially designed for hard shells, these no-nonsense scissors have slim, curved blades that easily reach into the crab or lobster without damaging the meat. 

“They feature a cutting mechanism that drives more force than standard shears, and gently serrated blades that crunch and slice through even the hardest shells,” according to Sur La Table. 

“It works great,” says one 5-star review. “Well designed and good looking.”

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