You don’t have to consider yourself a foodie or an amateur chef just to warrant expanding your kitchen tool collection. If you like making your life easier — and who doesn’t? — then you’ll benefit from picking up a quality pair of kitchen shears.
Sure, your chef’s knives can get the job done for most of your slicing and dicing needs. But a good pair of kitchen shears will making cutting open your Thanksgiving turkey, snipping green onions or even cracking lobster shells for Christmas Eve dinner a lot easier.
These tools are also handy to have in your kitchen throughout the year. The right pair of shears saves you prep time, helping you get dinner on the table quickly and making difficult or awkward cutting tasks significantly easier.
Shop the best kitchen shears below, organized into different categories depending on your needs. Each one of these products is backed by enthusiastic customer reviews, so you know you’re getting tools that have been tested and vetted.
Looking for other kitchen must-haves before Thanksgiving and all your holiday meals? Check out our articles on the best meat thermometers, cookware, dinnerware sets and even KitchenAid mixer attachments, which help with creating both sweet desserts and savory homemade dishes.
Best Overall: OXO Good Grips Multi-Purpose Kitchen & Herbs Scissors
The OXO Good Grips shears are a great option all around. They won’t break the bank, they’ll last for years and the stainless-steel blades come apart for easy cleaning. According to reviews, they’re super comfortable to hold and the blades are micro-serrated to grip food and prevent slippage.
“These scissors have become an indispensable tool in my kitchen. The comfortable handles make them easy to use for extended periods without hand fatigue… The herb stripper feature is a game-changer, saving me time and effort,” wrote one Amazon reviewer.
Best Budget: KitchenAid All Purpose Shears
These affordable KitchenAid kitchen shears have over 50,000 ratings and are have been a top seller during Amazon Prime Day events.
Their blades are on the thicker side, which help you easily tackle most kitchen cutting tasks. Plus, the soft-grip handles help prevent hand cramping. For safety while storing, this option comes with a blade cover.
“They are super sharp and fun to cut with, making easy work of opening bags and trimming meat… I have other cheaper, less rugged scissors for cutting wrapping paper, but the KitchenAid scissors are the best ones I have,” wrote one Amazon reviewer.
Best Multi-Purpose: Our Place Shear Genius
For a kitchen shear that can do it all (and then some) go for the Our Place Shear Genius. This 5-in-1 option has a multifunctional design: scissors, herb strippers, flower trimmers and even bone stabilizers. Snag these kitchen shears in four colors: blue, spice, char or steam.
“I love these scissors. They are the best addition for meat, herbs and everything else! They are beautiful too. I love that they come apart to go in the dishwasher too,” wrote one Our Place reviewer.
Best Heavy-Duty: Wüsthof Stainless-Steel Kitchen Shears
When you need to cut through bones and other tough materials, these shears are your best bet. Their secret power is the boning notch carved into the side of one of the blades, which gives you a spot to grab onto bones and apply enough pressure to cut through them without worrying about having the scissors slip out of your hands. These also have a built-in bottle opener, so you get some multi-functionality, too.
“They are excellent, easy to use, easy to clean, have many cutting uses, and should never wear out… For those who have arthritis or physical finger strength issues, the features even allow for opening small bottle screw tops… You really do get what you pay for, and I expect to be purchasing a second pair for my desk,” wrote one Amazon reviewer.
Best Dishwasher-Safe: Material The Good Shears
These dishwasher-safe kitchen shears also happen to be one of your most stylish options, whether you choose their cool, blue gray option or go with the brilliant gold color. The silicone grips on the handles are removable, so you can take them out to ensure you get a thorough clean in your dishwasher.
“The performant of these shears is superb!… Oh so convenient to take apart for easy cleaning,” wrote one reviewer on Material’s website.
Another reviewer wrote: “How have I lived without these shears?! I didn’t know what I was missing until I bought these. Fantastic.”
Best for Seafood: RSVP Endurance Stainless-Steel Seafood Scissors
Thanks to their curved and tapered shape, these shears easily fit around lobster, crab and shrimp shells and let you cut through them for quick removal. They’re an Amazon’s Choice product, and they’re designed to be ambidextrous, so you can use them whether you’re right- or left-handed.
“These scissors are really handy for processing shrimp and for eating lobster and crab. We bought some to keep in the car so we’re always ready for a spur-of-the-moment seafood dinner,” wrote one Amazon reviewer.
Best Left-Handed: Kai True Left Handed Scissors
The metal alloy in these kitchen shears contains vanadium, which is an element that increases a material’s strength to withstand friction — ideal for scissors! These are the left-handed version of the brand’s traditional kitchen shears, and they’re a huge hit with lefties. Plus, the handles are padded to provide extra comfort.
“I’ve used a lot of scissors including some really expensive Swiss made ones. These things leave them all in the dust. These are simple works of art,” wrote one left-handed Amazon reviewer.
“Sharp, comfortable, and LEFT-HANDED! My 3rd pair,” wrote another Amazon reviewer.
Best for Herbs: Jenaluca Herb Scissors
Chopping herbs can be a daunting task, but with these unique, five-blade kitchen shears, it can be fun! Two snips with these babies is equivalent to 10 chops with a regular knife, so they look cool and save you time. Plus, they come with a plastic comb that makes cleaning them easy.
“I was surprised at how nicely these herb shears worked… They are super sharp and save so much time! especially scrubbing the cutting boards… They are heavy duty, I can’t see them breaking ever,” wrote one Amazon reviewer.
Best for Poultry: OXO Good Grips Spring-Loaded Poultry Shears
If you’re looking for a pair of kitchen shears specifically for cutting poultry, go for the OXO Good Grips Spring-Loaded Poultry Shears. They feature a tapered design to get into hard-to-reach spots and are spring-loaded for extra power and less hand strain. When it’s time to carve the turkey on Thanksgiving, you’ll be so glad you have these..
“Made quick work of spatchcocking the turkey. Grip is good even when a bit greasy. Cuts through bone fairly easily. Easy to clean and locks shut for storage… All in all, a good buy. Bought one for my parents. Getting a second one for me,” wrote one Amazon reviewer.
Best High-End: Shun Cutlery Multi-Purpose Shears
If you’re already on the kitchen shears train and want to splurge a bit, you can’t go wrong with the Shun Cutlery Multi-Purpose Shears. They’re handmade in Seki, Japan with high-carbon, molybdenum-vanadium stainless steel for strength and corrosion resistance. Plus, they’re razor sharp to make clean, secure cuts.
“These scissors live on a newly hung magnetic knife bar, and I, or my spouse, use them almost every day. They cut open frozen food bags, meat blister packs, and break down clamshell packages for recycling. They are sharp and tight enough to cut chives and herbs. And they separate easily for thorough cleaning. I’m still trying out new functions, and can’t believe I went so long without them,” wrote one Amazon reviewer.
Best Ceramic: Kyocera Ceramic Scissors
Ceramic blades on shears and knives are a popular alternative to steel because the material is resistant to rusting and generally remains sharper for longer. As a result, you usually have to pay more for ceramic kitchen shears. Thankfully, this well-rated pair is still affordable, so you can reap the benefits without overpaying.
“I own a smaller version of these scissors and bought this pair for my daughter for Christmas. They really are the best scissors, versatile, can be used in the kitchen and for household use,” wrote one Amazon reviewer.
Sharpest: Williams Sonoma Prep Tools Kitchen Shears
When it comes to kitchen tools, Williams Sonoma is one of the best places to go shopping. The brand’s Prep Tools Kitchen Shears come in a variety of colors, feature ultra sharp stainless-steel blades for clean, precise cutting and have custom-designed nonslip handles for a comfortable grip and improved control.
“I cut everything with these and they are still very sharp! I love that they come apart to be able to put in the dishwasher,” wrote one Williams Sonoma reviewer.
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