Best Kitchen Shears
A good set of kitchen shears is an essential tool for any home chef, yet many cooks don’t have one in their cutlery drawer. Instead, they struggle to cut through raw chicken, bones and other tough or fibrous foods with knives not made for the task.
Kitchen shears, sometimes referred to as kitchen scissors, are super sharp and strong, made of high-quality materials that make it easy to cut through tough kitchen jobs. But this simple-looking tool is also excellent for other uses, such as cutting herbs, cracking open nuts, opening bottles and in some cases, even acting as a screwdriver.
This handy kitchen tool can be made from a variety of materials, but mostly, they are made from a steel alloy. While stainless steel is great for corrosion resistance, kitchen shears constructed from carbonized stainless steel tend to have harder blades and last longer.
We feature five kitchen shears you can buy online. Read on to find the one that suits your needs.
Top Pick Best Versatile: Kershaw Taskmaster Shears
You’re a kitchen ninja, proud of your collection of gadgets, utensils and small and large appliances that help you create delicious meals for you and your family. You have a great set of knives for slicing and dicing, but you’ve realized that you’ve been struggling to cut fresh chicken into pieces. Even your best knife isn’t doing the job right. If you’re looking for versatile kitchen shears to help you make easy work of cutting up chicken, then you might consider this product.
The Taskmaster kitchen shears’ high-performance, stainless steel blades offer durability and dependability, with one serrated blade to cut through tough or fibrous materials with ease.
But these shears work with more than food; they are highly versatile and are an ideal coverall tool in the kitchen, office, yard or garage. Whether you’re preparing food, opening packages, trimming flowers or cutting cord, you’ll love using this more-than-kitchen-tool to get the job done.
And there is more. The handles on these shears feature a built-in nutcracker, jar opener, lid lifter, and there are even two screwdriver tips for tightening a loose screw. A non-slip plastic cover-mold on the handles makes them comfortable to use in any conditions, and the blades separate for simple cleaning and sharpening, securely locking together again for your next job.
Pros:
- Versatile
- Blades made from high-performance stainless steel
- Blades separate for easy cleaning and sharpening
Cons:
- More expensive than other models
Top Pick Best Value: ONEBOM Kitchen Shears 2 Pack
You love your kitchen shears; you had the same pair for years, but you lent them to a friend who lost them. Now you’re looking for something new that will be as good, or better than what you had.
If you’re looking for super sharp and durable kitchen shears, then you may want to consider these from Onebom. The blades on these kitchen shears are made from Japanese high-carbon SK5 stainless steel, designed to stay sharp as it holds an edge better than a blade made from common stainless steel. Rust-resistant, the blades are extra thick for strength and durability.
The large-grip handles make cutting into tough bone easy, and are more comfortable to hold. As well, these shears have an adjustable screw to tighten or loosen the blades as needed. This set also includes a cool herb scissors, perfect for snipping herbs with no mess or fuss.
Pros:
- Sharp Japanese blade made from high-carbon SK5 stainless steel
- Good for right or left-handed use
- Comes with an herb scissors
- Large handles roomy for arthritic fingers
Cons:
- Hand-washing recommended
Top Pick Best Overall: Sky Light Heavy Duty Kitchen Shears
You keep your kitchen neat and well-stocked with tools and gadgets of good quality. In fact, you don’t mind paying more if it means a sound investment on an item that will last a long time. If you are looking for kitchen shears that will do the heavy lifting on all of your difficult cutting tasks, then consider this pair.
The blades on these kitchen shears are made from tough, high-carbon German stainless steel that is rust-proof and corrosion-resistant with a mico-serrated edge for slip-proof cutting. The two parts of the scissors are connected with a high-grade pivot screw, making it easy to separate the blades to be cleaned either in the dishwasher or by hand.
You can easily cut meat, poultry, bones and flower stems, and the grooves in these versatile scissors can be used to crack open walnuts and other shelled nuts. The shears can also be used to open bottles and scrape scales from fish. The grip is suited for both right and left-hand use and every time you open and close the shears, they get sharper.
Pros:
- Blades made from high-carbon German stainless steel
- Good for right and left-handed use
- Can also be used as a nutcracker, fish scaler and bottle opener
Cons:
- Pricey
- Not safe for the dishwasher
Top Pick Best Set: J.A. Henckels International 5-Piece Scissors Set
What’s better than having good kitchen shears? Having a whole set of kitchen shears and other specialty scissors to meet all of your daily tasks. If you’ve discovered that the scissors you have no longer cut well, or you’re actually missing some essential snipping tools, then consider this five-piece set from J.A. Henckels International.
This complete assortment of multipurpose shears is all you will need to meet your cutting purposes in the kitchen and the rest of your house, inside and out. The set includes a standard 8-1/2-inch bent scissors for cutting paper or fabric; 8-inch kitchen shears for poultry or herbs (this pair also features a screw-cap opener between the handles); a 6-inch straight trimmer for cutting hair or trimming beards; 6-inch flower shears for clipping rose stems or trimming house plants; and a pair of extra-sharp, pointed 4-inch embroidery scissors for sewing.
The blades on all of the scissors, except the flower shears, are held together with a screw that provides the perfect amount of tension and is removable so the blades can be individually sharpened and washed. The handles on all of the scissors are made of comfortable, nonslip, black polypropylene to reduce strain on your hands.
With this five-piece set, you will never need to purchase another scissor again.
Pros:
- Set includes five scissors for different uses
- Blades made from stainless steel
- Long-lasting cutting edge
- Dishwasher safe
Cons:
Pricey
May include scissors you don’t need
Top Pick Best General Purpose: Threeofus Premium Stainless Steel Kitchen Scissors
You love your kitchen shears; it’s such an essential tool, you use them almost every day for a variety of tasks. In fact, other members of the family think it’s pretty indispensible, too, and these days it’s not in the cutlery drawer when you need it.
If you’re looking for general-purpose kitchen shears, then consider these by Threeofus. The blades on these scissors are extremely sharp, engineered for perfection and built to last a lifetime – strong, durable, rust-resistant and dishwasher safe. The handles are comfortable and easy to grip to give you unwavering strength to cut through turkey, chicken, fish and seafood.
A great feature of these kitchen shears is the safety lock, which keeps the scissors completely closed while not in use. And, as a bonus, this set comes with a luxury meat fork made from high-quality stainless steel. Use it to turn meat on the barbecue, or to hold the turkey while you carve. Both items come in a lovely gift box, perfect for a housewarming or wedding shower.
Pros:
- Has a safety lock
- Sharp blades
- Dishwasher safe
- Set comes with meat fork
- Come in a gift box
Cons:
- More expensive than other models
Top Pick Best Basic: KitchenAid KE351OHOBA All Purpose Shears
These basic, affordable kitchen shears from KitchenAid are the perfect addition to your kitchen if you’ve just moved into your first apartment and are gathering the tools you will need to prepare all your meals at home. You might be on a pretty tight budget, but that doesn’t mean you need to deprive yourself of kitchen shears that will get the job done.
Easy to handle and nice to look at, these scissors will not disappoint. The blades are crafted from rust-resistant stainless steel, so they will look good for years to come. Each blade is extra thick for added strength and durability and feature micro-serrations for enhanced cutting performance to get you through the toughest turkey breast or whole chicken.
The comfort-grip handle has a soft-grip coating for stability and to reduce hand fatigue. These shears also come with a plastic blade guard to keep fingers safe when not in use. Store them away in your cutlery drawer and they will soon become an important tool in our kitchen arsenal.
Pros:
- Affordable
- Protective plastic blade guard
Cons:
- Hand-washing recommended
Things to look out for:
Consider these things when looking for kitchen shears so you will choose one that best suits your needs:
Blade material: Kitchen shears or scissors are made from different materials, usually from steel. Stainless steel is great for corrosion resistance, but without a high carbon content, the blades aren’t very hard. Some the kitchen shears are constructed from high carbon stainless steel, similar to what’s used in high-quality knives. This makes the shears resistant to rust with very sharp blades. Typically, the harder the blade, the longer it will hold it’s sharp edge.
Use: Most kitchen shears have at least the single purpose of making it easy to cut through chicken and animal bones, fish and other fibrous foods. If that is all you want it for, look for a simple pair. However, there are models that offer added features, like cracking nuts, opening bottles, cutting back plants in the garden and getting lids off jars. Consider if you will use kitchen shears to do these other tasks before choosing a model. Finally, some models are only for right or left-handed use, while others work fine using either hand. Consider this before you make a purchase.
Cleaning and sharpening: Kitchen shears come in contact with the juices of raw meat, fish and poultry and need to be thoroughly cleaned to avoid cross contamination. Look for shears where the blades are easy to separate so they can be properly cleaned. This also makes the blades easier to sharpen. Some kitchen shears can only be washed by hand, while others are safe to put in the dishwasher. Consider what is more convenient for you before choosing a model.
Budget: Kitchen shears come in a wide range of prices, so there is something for everyone. That being said, lower-priced items are not generally the same quality as pricier models. The kind of material used to make the shears will affect the price, as does the durability of the product. Also, kitchen shears that have extra features like cracking nuts, opening jars and bottles and acting like a screwdriver will also be more expensive than a model that doesn’t have those features.