The Best Kitchen Shears
A good pair of kitchen shears is secretly one of the most-used tools for a meat cook, spatchcocking a chicken, trimming silver skin, snipping twine, breaking down poultry. Here are the two worth owning.
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Everyday pick: OXO Good Grips Kitchen & Herb Scissors
For 90% of tasks, the OXO Good Grips Kitchen & Herb Scissors are the best all-rounder: sharp, comfortable, and versatile, with a built-in herb stripper and enough muscle for most trimming and snipping.
Heavy-duty pick: Wüsthof come-apart / poultry shears
For breaking down birds, cutting through chicken joints and bone to spatchcock step up to Wüsthof come-apart poultry shears. The curved stainless blades power through joints, and they pop apart for a real clean.
What to look for
- Come-apart design so you can actually clean raw-poultry gunk.
- Micro-serrated or strong blades grip and cut without slipping.
- Comfortable, non-slip handles you use these more than you think.
Why it matters
Shears are the fastest way to spatchcock a chicken from your poultry order trim a roast, or portion ribs. Keep a dedicated pair for the kitchen and they will earn their place.
FAQ
What is the difference between kitchen shears and poultry shears?
Kitchen shears are all-purpose (herbs, packaging, trimming). Poultry shears have curved, heavier blades built specifically to cut through chicken joints and small bones.
Can kitchen shears cut through chicken bone?
Heavy-duty poultry shears can cut through joints and small bones like a chicken backbone for spatchcocking. Lighter herb scissors are not designed for bone.