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It’s not that kitchen scissors can necessarily do things your chef’s knife and paring knife cannot. But the best kitchen shears will make certain tasks like snipping herbs, breaking down a whole chicken, or cracking lobster shells a lot easier. You’ll be glad to have a pair of shears on deck for making homemade noodles like jian dao mian, in which you’ll use them to snip dough into small pieces before cooking. Although shears are often referred to as an optional kitchen tool, we deem them to be a necessary piece of cutlery. And lucky for you, a quality pair of kitchen shears is generally much cheaper than a fancy knife. See below for our top picks and ways to use them.
What are the best kitchen shears?
These multipurpose Zwilling Henckels take-apart kitchen shears are among the most sturdy, heavy-duty kitchen scissors we’ve ever used, and they do more than just snip. Here’s what makes them so great: The 3-inch stainless-steel blades are high-quality, corrosion-resistant, and micro-serrated for easier, more efficient cutting—and they have large, comfortable handles. We’ve found that these shears can replace several of your other kitchen gadgets in a pinch; that jagged-toothed section of the handle can be used as a bottle opener or nutcracker. Can your knife do that? But mostly, we like that the blades come apart, which makes for easy cleaning after dispatching raw poultry. To keep these shears in tip-top shape, we recommend hand-washing them instead of tossing them in the dishwasher.
The best shears for peak precision and delicate tasks
Small, strong, and precise, these Joyce Chen Unlimited Scissors are a cult favorite among food stylists and have been popular among BA staffers for years. Don’t let their teeny size—just 6.5 inches long—fool you. We use them for simple tasks like snipping herbs and twine, but we’ve also used them to cut through girth-y poultry bones (in fact, food editor Shilpa Uskokovic says they’re so strong that she once accidentally cut through one of the wires on her exercise bike with them while trying to to snip a cable tie). We also reach for Joyce Chens when performing tasks that require precision cutting, as they’re like “supersharp extensions of your fingers,” says BA contributor Sarah Jampel. They’re the best scissors for getting up close and personal with your food—think: trimming delicate puff pastry, or removing one minuscule petal from an edible flower. While the blades are small, the handles are roomy and can accommodate nearly any grip—right- or left-handed—making these shears comfortable to hold and easy to maneuver.
The best multipurpose kitchen shears to use beyond the kitchen
Want a pair of scissors that have sharp blades, a super comfortable grip, and a chic look and feel? There's no better pair than the Good Shears by Material Kitchen. Senior commerce editor MacKenzie Chung Fegan likes their minimalist take-apart design because “there aren’t a lot of nooks and crannies where gunk and germs can hide.” The soft grip handles also have silicone bumpers, so even for kitchen tasks that require a lot of force, like cutting through chicken bones, your hand is cushioned. They’re so sturdy that Natasha Li Pickowicz keeps a pair outside in her garden for both pruning and harvesting fresh herbs. The shears have detachable, micro-serrated blades that are dishwasher-safe. Did we mention they come in GOLD?
A solid budget pick for everyday use
If you’re looking for a good pair of kitchen shears that cost less than $10, the humble KitchenAid All-Purpose Shears are for you. They’re well-built and sturdy with sharp stainless-steel blades, and we’ve found that they work wonders for simple tasks like cutting parchment paper, woody herbs, and dried fruit. The biggest drawback is that they don’t come apart, which makes them a little fussier to clean. If you want a no-frills set of shears that are dishwasher-safe (and you don’t plan on breaking down a whole bird anytime soon), you can count on these bad boys to get the job done. They also come with a plastic guard that protects the blades when they’re stored away in your kitchen drawer.
A high-end option that’ll last forever
Want a pair of high-end professional-grade shears that’ll last a lifetime? The Yoshihiro All Stainless Steel Shears are your answer. The brand specializes in handcrafted, premium Japanese kitchen knives, and their shears are made with ergonomic stainless steel that’s designed to conform to your hand—no plastic handles here. This factor, along with the ultrasharp, micro-serrated edges, offers greater stability while cutting. Whether you’re using them as poultry shears, herb scissors, or as a nutcracker, they’re built to last. Just make sure to detach the blades for thorough cleaning shortly after using them (especially when working with acidic ingredients).
When should I use kitchen shears instead of my knife?
In many cases, kitchen scissors are far superior to a knife, making quick work of a clamshell full of chives and swiftly trimming excess pie dough. Once you own a pair, you’ll quickly learn that they’re ideal for cutting pizza and other soft breads like focaccia, pita, or naan and for snipping strips of bacon into lardons. You’ll realize that chopping canned whole tomatoes suddenly becomes a mess-free proposition, and that shears are also one of the best tools to use for peeling and deveining shrimp. Where they truly shine, though, is in the poultry department. If you need to cut through poultry bones or spatchcock a turkey, kitchen shears are the easiest way to get the job done. The real pro tip: Use shears whenever you don’t want to dirty your cutting board.
How do I sharpen my kitchen shears?
Similar to knives, the best way to sharpen kitchen shears is with a whetstone, or sharpening stone. Here’s how it’s done: First, take the blades apart, if possible. This will ensure you’re able to sharpen the entire length of each blade. If your shears don’t come apart, this same technique applies, but it’ll be a little more difficult to get a sharp edge on the part of the blades nearest to the handle.
Once the blades are separated, soak the whetstone (if your stone’s instructions call for it) and place it coarse side up on a nonslip surface. Then place one of the blades, flat side down, on one end of the stone and gently drag it to the opposite end. You’ll need to do this about 10 times until this side of the blade is sharp. To sharpen the blade’s bevel, flip it over and drag it (at about an 80-degree angle) from one end of the stone to the other until you notice a burr. At this point, you can turn your whetstone fine side up, and run both sides of the blade over it a few times to polish and remove the burr. Repeat this process for both blades before putting your shears back together.
This piece was originally published in 2018 and updated in 2023.