Knives & Cutting

Kitchen Shears

Heavy-duty scissors for poultry, herbs, and packaging

Sturdy scissors built for the kitchen — spatchcocking chicken, snipping herbs, trimming fat, and opening stubborn packaging. Look for a pair that comes apart for thorough cleaning. Keep them off paper and tape so they stay food-sharp.

Kitchen shears are heavy-duty scissors built for the kitchen rather than the desk drawer — thick, sharp, often serrated-edged blades on sturdy, comfortable handles that do jobs a knife is clumsy or wasteful for. They spatchcock a chicken by snipping out the backbone, cut through poultry joints and cartilage, snip herbs and scallions straight over the pot, trim fat and fins, cut kitchen string and bacon, and open the stubborn vacuum packaging that defeats everything else. A good pair quietly becomes one of the most-reached-for tools on the counter.

The best kitchen shears come apart at the pivot, separating into two halves so you can wash and dry every surface thoroughly — important when they've been cutting raw chicken. Some have extras built into the handles (a bottle opener, a nutcracker, a jar gripper), but the core virtue is simple: strong, sharp, food-safe blades. Keep them off paper, cardboard, and tape — those dull an edge fast — so they stay sharp for the food jobs that matter.

Types & varieties

Take-apart shears

Blades that fully separate at the pivot for proper washing and drying — the most hygienic and the kind to buy for raw-meat work.

Poultry shears

Curved, spring-loaded heavy blades made specifically to cut through poultry joints and bone. Powerful for spatchcocking and breaking down birds.

Herb / multi-blade scissors

Several parallel blades that snip herbs into ribbons in one cut — a niche convenience for chives, parsley, and scallions.

Multi-tool shears

Handles built with a bottle opener, nutcracker, screwdriver, or jar gripper — handy extras around a core pair of strong blades.

How to use them

Reach for shears whenever scissors beat a knife — anywhere a cut is awkward on a board or needs the grip of two blades. They excel at jobs in the hand and over the pot.

Spatchcock a chicken by cutting up each side of the backbone, then press the bird flat
Joint poultry and snip through cartilage where a knife would struggle for grip
Snip herbs, scallions, and dried chiles directly into the pan or bowl
Trim fat, fins, and pastry, cut bacon and kitchen twine, and open tough packaging

Care and hygiene

Cleanability and a preserved edge are everything. Take them apart, wash them well, and keep them off the things that blunt them.

Separate the blades to wash and dry every surface, especially after cutting raw poultry
Wash and dry the shears thoroughly between raw meat and any ready-to-eat task — don't snip herbs or open food packaging with the same blades you just used on raw poultry
Dry thoroughly to prevent rust at the pivot
Keep them strictly for food — cutting paper, cardboard, and tape dulls the edge fast
Store them with the knives, not loose in a junk drawer, so the edge stays sharp and safe

Common uses

Spatchcocking and jointing poultrySnipping herbs, scallions, and chilesTrimming fat, skin, and fish finsCutting bacon and pancettaCutting kitchen string and trussing twineOpening tough food packagingCutting pizza, flatbread, and pastrySnipping dried fruit and chocolate

Tips & pitfalls

Buy a take-apart pair — being able to clean both blades fully matters once you've cut raw chicken.
They're the easiest way to spatchcock a bird: snip out the backbone and you've halved the roasting time.
Keep them off paper, tape, and packaging if you can; those jobs dull the very edge you want for food.
Snip herbs straight over the pot rather than chopping on a board — faster and one less thing to wash.
A second, cheaper pair for non-food chores spares your good kitchen shears from going blunt.

Good to know

What they are: Heavy-duty, sharp kitchen scissors
Best feature: Blades that separate at the pivot for thorough cleaning
Common extras: Bottle opener, nutcracker, jar gripper in the handle
Materials: Stainless blades, comfortable grippy handles
Care: Wash and dry well (especially after raw poultry); keep off paper and tape
Best for: Spatchcocking, jointing poultry, snipping herbs, trimming, packaging