Sometimes it’s the little things that make life easier – like herb shears. Small and unassuming, this amazing little kitchen and garden tool makes quick work out of cutting up herbs quickly and efficiently.
A set of herb shears are like the item you never thought you’d need, until you finally tried it and wondered what you ever did before you had a pair. Cutting the delicate leaves off herbs with a knife can be messy and cumbersome. A sharp pair of shears not only makes it easy, you don’t need a cutting board and can clip the amount you need directly into the bowl or pot you’re using.
Herbs shears are versatile, too, and you can use them to cleanly cut other food items like lettuce kale and collards, and the green tops from scallions. Some herb shears are also used to cut paper and for art projects.
We feature five herb shears you can purchase online. Read on to find the ones that best suits your needs.
Top Pick Best Basic: JOFOUO Herb Scissors Set with 5 Blades and Cover
You usually use a knife and cutting board to cut the fresh herbs you use in your favorite recipes. Doing so always creates more work – washing the cutting board and knife. If you’re thinking of a better way to get that job done, switching your knife for herb shears is an affordable way to reliably cut herbs and vegetables into precise pieces with less mess to clean up.
These herb shears are designed with five sharp food-grade stainless steel blades that are joined together with three rivets so the two parts won’t easily come apart. The non-slip handles are made from TPR (rubber material), which makes for a comfortable feel, a solid grip and ease of use.
The multi-blade shears cut through food faster than a regular one-bladed scissor, and are ideal to use on fresh mint, rosemary, sage, cilantro and parsley. The blades are easy to clean using the included cleaning comb; just run it through the gaps in the blades to remove any residue from the herbs and leaves.
To protect the blades – and your fingers – when the shears are not being used, it comes with a protective cover.
Pros:
- Shears with five stainless steel blades
- Comes with a cleaning comb
- Cover to protect the blades
Cons:
- Works best on delicate herbs
Top Pick Best Set: Chefast Heavy Duty Kitchen Shears and Herb Scissors Set
Having the right tool for the job is the first step to successfully completing any task, whether it’s in the kitchen or any other part of the house or garden. This set of heavy-duty kitchen scissors and herb shears covers all the bases when you’re looking for an effective and efficient way to cut through a variety of items.
This versatile duo is an affordable option to cover all of your needs. The herb shears have five, three-inch-long blades, sharp enough to snip everything from cilantro to tarragon and green onions. Large rubber coated handles offer up a secure, non-slip grip. You can use them in the kitchen while you’re cooking, or in the garden directly on your plants as you collect the fresh herbs as you need them.
The sharp kitchen scissors are ideal for cutting through chicken, fish and almost any type of meat, which is easier, cleaner, safer and more precise than using a knife.
Convenient extras included with this set are a comb cleaner to remove any residue that may stick to the blade of herb shears, a cover for the blade when it’s not in use, and two jute drawstring bags to store the herbs you cut fresh from the garden. As well, the kitchen scissors come with a cover to help retain the sharpness of the blade.
This set makes an ideal gift for the chef in your life.
Pros:
- Set includes herb shears and kitchen scissors
- Comes with an herb bag, blade cleaner and two blade covers
Cons:
- There are some items in the set that some people may not want or need
Top Pick Best Versatile: SASACIA 2 Packs Herb Scissors Set
This versatile two-pack gives you two options: a three-blade and five-blade herb shears so you can choose the best tool for the task, reducing the wear and tear on each of the herb shears.
When you have a thicker bunch of herbs or food to cut, like a few green onions, you would want to use the herb shears with five blades for a more efficient, and quicker cutting job. For thin hot peppers or single stems of herbs such as parsley, cilantro or dill, you can use the shears with three blades. Both shears have soft grip, non-slip handles so they are comfortable to hold and work with.
Also included with this set of herb shears is a multi-functional shred silk knife that can be used to turn some vegetables into long, thin strips to suit various recipes. It also has a peeler attachment, and a pointed end that is useful to remove the ‘eyes’ from potatoes.
Two cleaning combs make it easy to remove residue from the gaps in the blades and these herb shears are so versatile you can also use them to cut paper for arts and crafts projects. And when you’re done, the handy covers protect the blades from harm and fingers from getting hurt.
Pros:
- Two shears, one with three blades, one with five blades
- Affordably priced
- Includes a shred silk knife
Cons:
- Some people may only want one herb shear
Top Pick Best Overall: VIBIRIT Herb Scissors Leaf Herb Stripper
We included these herb shears on our list for a number of reasons, the first and foremost being the quality of the five-blade, three-inch stainless steel blade, the sharpness of the blade and the large cushioned non-slip grip handle that makes each task comfortable and easy to do. The shears are constructed with heavy-duty steel rivets so there is no worry that the blades with separate with use.
Aside from the great herb shears that will handle almost any cutting job, this set includes a handy leaf stripper. With a range of holes of different sizes, you just insert leaves of kale, chard, collard greens, thyme, rosemary and other herbs or green to easily strip the leaves off the stems. As well, the curved edge can double as a kitchen knife for slicing foods like pizza. It comes with a cover to protect fingers from getting hurt.
You also get a sturdy plastic peeler with stainless steel blades that flips and locks to perform three separate functions: it will peel, slice and julienne vegetables like potatoes, cucumbers, carrots and apples. Finally, there is a cleaning brush to get rid of any specks of herbs that get stuck to the blade.
Pros:
- Quality, sharp five-blade kitchen shears
- Accessories include leaf stripper and multi-functional peeler
- Affordable
Cons:
- May contain items you don’t want or need
Top Pick Best Design: Fiskars Fast-prep Herb Shears
These herb shears from Fiskars have a unique design for snipping and cutting herbs that maximizes the power of your thumb and index finger to improve control. The spring-action design automatically opens after each cut to reduce hand strain, and the soft grip touch points enhance comfort and control.
The five-inch stainless steel blades make clean cuts – you can hold your herbs over the bowl, plate or pot you are using and snip precise pieces right where you want them to go. No need to dirty a plate and knife to get it done.
Small but mighty, the shears are engineered to put speed at your fingertips, with a forward hand position that allows you to make quick cuts at any angle.
The blade on these herb shears stay sharp through heavy use and the sheath keeps it protected while it’s stored away in a drawer. And when you’re done using the herb shears, just pop it into the dishwasher for a thorough cleaning.
Pros:
- Lightweight and compact
- Spring action makes it easy to use
Cons:
- Can’t be used for larger cutting tasks
Things to look out for:
Consider these things when looking for herb shears so you will choose one that best suits your needs:
The blade: Since herb shears are all about making easy, clean cuts, the blade is perhaps one of the most important factors to consider before choosing one for yourself. Herb shears can have one, three or five blades. They should be made from food-grade stainless steel and be sharp.
A single blade makes for fine cuts of thin or delicate herbs while multiple blades are more versatile and can be used for fine, medium or large cutting sizes. As well, some herb shears with five blades are sharp enough to use to cut paper and use for art projects.
The grip: Although you won’t be using herb shears for hours at a time, it’s still important to consider the size and comfort of the grips on the handles. Make sure they are large enough to accommodate your hand size. As well, grips that are coated or covered with a soft material, like rubber, have more give and will feel better in your hand.
Accessories: Although you can choose to purchase herb shears on their own, here are some useful accessories to consider.
Cleaning comb: A cleaning comb is really handy to have if you are using herb shears. If you are cutting herbs that are wet from being washed, chances are small bits of the herb will stick to the inside of the blade grooves. With a cleaning comb, you can easily run the tines through the blade, quickly removing any excess residue.
Leaf stripper: Some greens and herbs grow on stems that we don’t consume. Stripping off the individual leaves can be time consuming. A leaf stripper is a small handy device with holes measuring from 3 mm to 15 mm to fit various kinds of herbs and greens to easily strip the leaves from kale, chard, collard greens, thyme, basil and rosemary, to name a few. Once stripped, you can then use the herb shears to cut them to the size you like.
Sheath: Although the blades of herb shears are sharp, they are unlikely to cut your fingers. However, covering the blade with a sheath will protect the blade when the shears are not in use. Look for herb shears that include a cover.
Price: A pair of herb shears won’t set you back much financially; they are pretty affordable for most budgets. However, purchasing herb shears with accessories will be more expensive than if you just buy the shears on their own.