Best Kitchen Shears of 2023
1. BEST OVERALL
Wüsthof Come Apart Kitchen Shears
PROS
- Blades are detachable for easy cleaning
- Super sharp, sturdy blades
CONS
- Handle is on the small side, which may be uncomfortable for some
These Wüsthof kitchen shears are extremely heavy duty, slicing through parchment in long, even slices with no tearing. In fact, this pair produced the cleanest cuts of any shears our testers analyzed. Convenience-wise, the blades detach from one another for easy cleaning, and there’s a built-in jar opener.
Our testers noted that the handle openings were slightly smaller than others, so those with larger hands may find this pair to be slightly uncomfortable and give them less control than with other shears.
2. BEST VALUE
Zwilling Henckels Take-Apart Kitchen Shears
PROS
- Inexpensive
- Serrated teeth
CONS
- Some testers found them tricky to put back together after cleaning
Not only were these kitchen shears the least expensive of the bunch, they also feel surprisingly smooth and sharp. Though lightweight, the pair is sturdy when cutting through chicken bones and the serrated teeth help to maintain straight cuts. The pair of blades can also come apart for cleaning, however some testers remarked that they were a little difficult to put the hinge back together after washing.
3. BEST HEAVY DUTY
Shun Multi Purpose Shears
PROS
- Super sharp
- Comes with mulitple features including a bottle opener and a nutcracker
CONS
- More expensive than other pairs
These Shun kitchen shears were a top pick in our Lab and Test Kitchen, where they cut seamlessly and quickly through parchment and chicken without snagging or shredding, resulting in very straight cuts. They are slightly heavy, which is understandable for shears that can take on tougher jobs, although some of our lefty testers struggled with the handles.
While significantly more expensive than other pairs we evaluated, this model comes with a variety of extra features, including jar and a bottle openers, a nutcracker, a bone notch and two screwdriver ends.
4. BEST FOR POULTRY
OXO Multi-Purpose Kitchen and Herbs Scissors
PROS
- Strong and sturdy when butchering poultry
- Soft, comfortable handle
CONS
- Not as sharp through parchment as other pairs
Our testers loved how cushioned the handles of these OXO kitchen shears were. The handles’ interior is constructed of soft plastic which provided ample space for large hands yet supported smaller ones.
While the serrated teeth snagged on our parchment-paper test more than other pairs did, it cut through the skin and bones of chickens with minimal effort. The shears also come with the addition of an herb stripper, great for removing leaves from woody herbs, such as rosemary.
5. BEST KITCHEN SCISSORS
Joyce Chen Original Unlimited Kitchen Scissors
PROS
- Versatile
- Testers found them to be more nimble than other models
CONS
- Short blades
While not technically shears (more on that later!), these small but mighty scissors are a favorite in the Good Housekeeping Institute for projects that require more attention to detail. In testing, they were nimble yet sharp, making them great for delicate tasks, but performed well cutting into chicken, too.
“I keep these on hand for any kitchen job. They’re especially good for shrimp deveining,” says Kate Merker, Chief Food Director. Regardless of their petite size, the handles of these kitchen scissors accommodated several fingers, which testers noted gave them more control. Also keep in mind that because the blades are shorter than those of other models, it may take more cuts to finish the job.
