The OXO Good Grips Multi-Purpose Shears are the best kitchen shears overall, because they are one of the few pairs in this test that separate completely for washing, carry a built-in herb stripper, and still weigh barely more than a pack of gum. That combination of take-apart cleaning and a cushioned grip is rare, and it is exactly what separates a pair you will still be using in ten years from one that ends up rusty in a drawer.
We put 12 pairs of kitchen shears through the same five tasks: spatchcocking a chicken, snipping herbs, slicing a pizza, cutting packing tape, and breaking down a cardboard box. The list below covers everything from a two-pack of budget shears to a set that includes dedicated seafood scissors, and every entry states the real catch, not just the sales pitch.
If you are outfitting a new kitchen, our best kitchen scales and copper kitchen sink picks are the two upgrades most people underrate. Shears sit in the same category: a small tool that quietly changes how long a prep session takes. Last tested in 2026, and refreshed since the last update.
Top 3 Picks for the Best Kitchen Shears in 2026
OXO Good Grips Multi-Purpose
- Blades fully separate for washing
- Built-in herb stripper
- Micro-serrated grip
- 3.75 inch blade
KitchenAid All Purpose Shears
- Micro-serrated stainless blades
- Soft non-slip grip
- Protective sheath
- 4.7 inch blade
Henckels Take Apart 10.25 Inch
- Come apart at the pivot
- Micro-serrated edge
- Handle bottle opener
- Long 10.25 inch body
All 12 Best Kitchen Shears at a Glance (October 2026)
Every pair below earned a place because it did something the others could not, or did the same job with a grip or a price that suits a different cook. Award labels follow the vocabulary search engines use, and the catch line in each entry tells you who should walk away.
| Product | Specifications | Action |
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| OXO Good Grips Multi-Purpose Shears |
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| KitchenAid All Purpose Shears |
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| Henckels Take Apart Shears |
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 LIVINGO Forged Stainless Shears |
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 MITSUMOTO SAKARI Detachable Shears |
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 WUSTHOF Come Apart Shears |
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 Gerior Come Apart Utility Shears |
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 OXO Good Grips Poultry Shears |
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 Henckels Shears Made in Japan |
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 Gidli Shears and Seafood Scissors Set |
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 Joyce Chen Unlimited Shears |
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 iBayam Heavy Duty Shears 2-Pack |
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How We Tested 12 Pairs of Kitchen Shears
Every pair went through the same five jobs, in the same order, in our own kitchen. Keeping the protocol identical is the only way a list like this means anything.
Spatchcock a chicken. We cut through the backbone of a whole bird with no hesitation and no twisting, which separates power tools from speed tools.
Snip herbs. Rosemary, thyme and chives over a cutting board, checking whether the blades smear or snip clean.
Cut a pizza. A straight run from crust to crust without the scissors wandering off the line.
Cut packing tape. Cardboard box plus tape, because this is where adhesive gums up serrated edges.
Wash and inspect the pivot. We checked whether the blades separate for cleaning and how much residue hides in the joint afterwards.
We also weighed each pair, checked the declared blade length against the real tool, and read the customer reviews for failure modes, since pivot screws and cracked handles rarely show up in a photo. Where a claim below comes from owners rather than our own test, we say so.
1. OXO Good Grips Multi-Purpose Shears: Best Kitchen Shears Overall
OXO Good Grips Multi-Purpose Kitchen Shears and Herb Scissors
Stainless steel
3.75 inch serrated blade
3.52 ounces
Blades separate for cleaning
Herb stripper
Pros
- Blades fully separate for a complete wash and reassemble clearly
- Built-in herb stripper handles rosemary stems fast
- Micro-serrated blades grip without a heavy catch
- Textured handle stays secure with wet or greasy hands
- Cushioning pads reduce hand pressure over long prep
Cons
- Tips too blunt to lift pull tabs on tight packaging
- Blades can be tight to pull apart when opened wide
This is the pair we reach for first, and after a month of daily use it has not lost that spot. The blades pull straight out of the handles with no tools, which means the hinge gets washed instead of being a permanent grease trap. For anyone who handles raw poultry regularly, that single feature matters more than any steel grade on the box.
The micro-serrated edge grips a wet chicken skin and a slick piece of salmon without creeping sideways. It is not the sharpest plain edge in this group, but it stays put, and the serration means you are less likely to slip and nick a finger on a small prep job.
The herb stripper on the inner blade is the feature that quietly earns repeat use. You draw the blade down a rosemary or mint stem and the leaves come off in one pass, which turns a fiddly minute of prep into a few seconds. Nobody else in this lineup combines that with a full take-apart joint at this weight.
At 3.52 ounces and 8.7 inches overall, it sits comfortably in the hand for someone who cooks often, and the ambidextrous handle means no one has to hunt for a special model. Reviewers repeatedly compare it favourably to shears sold inside knife blocks by bigger brands.
What you should know before you buy
The tips are not fine enough to spear a pull tab on a tightly sealed plastic packet, so keep a small utility knife for that. The blades are also a little tight to separate the first time you open them wide, which catches out new owners but loosens after a few dozen uses.
Neither issue matters if you cook, and both matter if your shears live in a craft bag. This is a food tool that happens to handle cardboard, not the reverse.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you want a plain razor edge for paper-thin slicing, because micro-serrations are built to grip, not to shave. The serrations do not sharpen the way a straight bevel does, so a sharpener will not make this pair behave like a slicing tool.
Also skip it if you want one tool to do everything including bone-heavy work. The 3.75 inch blade is built for prep, not for splitting a large roast, and a poultry shear will do that job with less effort from your wrist.
2. KitchenAid All Purpose Shears: Best Value Pick
KitchenAid All Purpose Kitchen Shears with Protective Sheath Durable Stainless Steel Scissors, Dishwasher Safe, Soft Grip Comfort Handle, 8.72 Inch, Black
Stainless steel
4.7 inch micro-serrated blade
4.8 ounces
8.73 inches long
Dishwasher safe
Pros
- Sharp out of the box with micro-serrations that grip
- Soft non-slip coating suits arthritic or weak hands
- Protective sheath included for storage
- Dishwasher safe so cleanup takes seconds
- Lightweight and well balanced
Cons
- Blades do not detach
- so the pivot cannot be deep cleaned
- Long blades are easy to misjudge on small jobs
- Large finger loops feel unusual at first
With more than 72,000 reviews behind it, this is the pair most kitchens already own, and after six weeks of testing we understand why. The 4.7 inch micro-serrated blade is the longest in this roundup, which makes long straight cuts noticeably easier to keep on a line, and the extra thick steel gives it real authority on cardboard.
The soft coating on the handle is the quiet hero. It stayed comfortable through a full spatchcock session and a long herb-prep night, and owners with arthritis consistently call out that grip as the reason they keep coming back to this pair.
Cleaning takes about ten seconds. Rinse under the tap, or drop the whole thing in the dishwasher, which reviewers confirm does no lasting harm to the coating. That is a genuine advantage over take-apart models when you are wiping down after raw chicken.
The included sheath is a small touch that stops the blades dulling against a drawer full of utensils, and several buyers report buying a second pair for the workshop because the first is that cheap to replace.
What you should know before you buy
The joint is fixed, so anything that gets into the hinge stays there. You can flush it with a brush, but you cannot take the blades off for a proper wash, and owners who cook lots of raw meat treat that as a real compromise.
Those same 4.7 inch blades are long enough that small, close-to-the-board cuts need care. Reviewers mention nicking a fingertip more than once, so treat it as a general-purpose tool rather than a precision instrument.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you want to disassemble for deep cleaning, because that is not a design feature here and no amount of scrubbing changes it. If hygiene after poultry is your top concern, spend a few dollars more on a pair that comes apart.
Skip it too if you want a slim handle for small hands. The finger loops are noticeably large, and they are the most common reason people return this model in favour of something more compact.
3. Henckels Take Apart Shears 10.25 Inch: Best for Big Hands
Henckels Come Apart Kitchen Scissors, Micro Serrated Blade Edge
Stainless steel construction
10.25 inch body
Micro-serrated edge
Comes apart at the pivot
Dishwasher safe
Pros
- Come-apart blades let you wash the pivot area properly
- Micro-serrated edge resists slipping on wet food
- Break-resistant stainless handles feel durable
- Handle insert opens bottles and cracks nuts
- Dishwasher safe for fast cleanup
Cons
- Long 10.25 inch body is bulky for precision herb work
- Stainless handles feel cold and slippery when wet
This is the long-haul option, and the first thing you notice is scale. At 10.25 inches the handles have real estate for large hands, and the leverage that extra length gives you is obvious on a thick board or a stubborn box. Owners who already own Wüsthof or Henckels knives tend to rate it well for that reason.
It comes apart at the pivot, which is the deciding feature for this pick. You can separate the halves, wash out the joint after a session with raw poultry, and reassemble without guessing. The serrated insert in the handle opens bottles and cracks nuts, so it earns its drawer space on a weeknight too.
Micro-serrations give it a firm bite on slippery fish skin and on wet produce. They will not slice paper-thin, and the edge is not designed to be sharpened, but for prep work the grip is more useful than a razor point would be.
Corrosion resistance is where the stainless construction earns its keep. Reviewers report no rust after long stretches of daily washing, and the dishwasher is listed as safe with hand washing still recommended for edge longevity.
What you should know before you buy
The length is the whole trade-off. At 10.25 inches this is a large tool, and reviewers who try it for fine herb work find it awkward around tight stems and small garnish cuts. It rewards a deliberate, confident use rather than quick snipping.
Stainless handles also get cold and slick when wet. If you work with damp hands often, a soft-coated handle will feel better even if it gives up less leverage.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you have smaller hands or if your counter space is tight, because the body overhangs most cutting boards. A more compact take-apart pair handles the same tasks in a tighter footprint.
Skip it if delicate prep is your main job. This is a prep and utility shear with length behind it, not a precision tool, and there is no fine point for detail work.
4. LIVINGO Forged Stainless Shears: Best Forged Steel
LIVINGO 8.5″ Kitchen Shears Heavy Duty Forged Stainless Steel Scissors
Forged carbon stainless steel
Serrated 2.6 inch blade
5.93 ounces
8.5 inches long
Detachable
Pros
- Fully forged stainless body feels solid and resists corrosion
- Detachable design makes the hinge and each half easy to wash
- Serrated edge holds up against turkey bones and tough stems
- Large handles with no sharp corners suit big hands
- Built-in can opener and bottle opener and nutcracker
Cons
- Heaviest option here at nearly 6 ounces
- Detachable hinge can loosen and occasionally separate
- Awkward bottle opener notch that can chip a cap
Forged rather than stamped, and you feel it in the first cut. The blade is described as three times harder than ordinary stainless because of the forging process, and the mirror finish wipes clean without clinging. Long-term owners in humid climates report no corrosion after years of daily washing.
This is the most complete multi-tool in the lineup. There is a can opener, a bottle opener and a nutcracker built into the handles, so it covers packaging, poultry and a stubborn jar without reaching for anything else. The 2.6 inch serrated blade is short, which keeps it precise on stems while still biting through turkey bones.
It also detaches, and each half lies flat for cleaning, which is the arrangement that works best with a stiff brush and hot soapy water. That combination of metal only, full detachability and extra tools is where most take-apart plastic-handled models stop short.
The handles are large and free of sharp corners, so they stay comfortable through a long session. The serrated edge grips without much catch, which matters when you are cutting raw skin that would otherwise slide away from the blades.
What you should know before you buy
At 5.93 ounces it is the heaviest pair we tested, and that weight shows up after twenty minutes of continuous cutting. For a short task it feels superb, and for a whole evening of prep it tires smaller hands more than the others here.
The detachable joint is a double-edged feature. It cleans beautifully, but it also needs an occasional twist to re-tension, and one report describes the halves being glued back together. Check the fit after a few months.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you want a lightweight tool or if hand strain is already an issue for you. The mass is the point, but it is a real cost for anyone cutting in short bursts.
Skip it if you rely on the bottle opener, because the notch is awkward and reviewers report chipping caps with it. Treat the can opener and nutcracker as the useful extras and ignore the rest.
5. MITSUMOTO SAKARI Detachable Shears: Best Heavy-Duty Detachable
MITSUMOTO SAKARI Japanese Heavy Duty Detachable Kitchen Shears
Titanium-plated stainless steel
3.5mm thick blades
Serrated 3.15 inch blade
168 g
Fully detachable
Pros
- 3.5mm titanium-plated blades hardened to HRC 56 for edge retention
- Fully detachable joint leaves no hidden gaps to scrub
- Serrated edge grips wet poultry skin and fish fillets
- Contoured non-slip handle reduces strain over long prep
- Cuts chicken bones and duck ribs and shellfish cleanly
Cons
- Heaviest option in this group and tiring on smaller hands
- Hand wash only to protect the titanium plating
This is the Japanese-style workhorse, and the specification that matters is 3.5mm. Most kitchen shears in this test use roughly 2mm of steel, so the extra thickness is the reason it pushes through duck ribs and backbone joints without the blades splaying or twisting sideways.
The titanium plating is what separates it from a plain stainless workhorse. Hardened to HRC 56 and coated, it resists rust and holds an edge far longer than a budget stainless blade, which matters if you are the person who breaks down a whole bird every Sunday.
The joint splits fully, all the way to two separate pieces, which is the most complete disassembly we saw. Each half lies flat, so there is no crevice where a bone fragment can lodge and sour over a summer in the drawer. For a cook who works with raw poultry constantly, that is the deciding factor.
Fine serrations bite into wet skin and fish fillets, and the contoured non-slip handle stayed planted in our hand through an entire prep session. Reviewers describe it plainly as a heavy-duty tool, not a delicate one, and that framing is accurate.
What you should know before you buy
At 168 grams it is the heaviest pair in this roundup, and that shows during long sessions. The cutting power is genuine, but a cook with smaller hands may find the handle tiring well before the blade runs out of strength.
It is hand wash only. That is the price of the titanium plating, and pushing it through a full dishwasher cycle risks dulling the coating, so plan for thirty seconds under a warm tap after every meat job.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you want something light for herb work or if you cut in short bursts through the evening. A lighter detachable pair handles the same prep tasks with far less fatigue.
Skip it if you will put it through the dishwasher. The plating is the reason to buy it and the reason not to treat it carelessly, and there is no version of this pick that forgives careless washing.
6. WUSTHOF Come Apart Kitchen Shears: Best for Longevity
WÜSTHOF Come Apart Kitchen Shears
Solingen stainless steel
Come apart at the pivot
8 inch body
Ambidextrous
Balanced handles
Pros
- Come-apart design leaves no crevices around the pivot
- German Solingen stainless that stays sharp and resists corrosion
- Handles feel sturdy and well balanced
- Service reps report decades of use before replacement
- Equally handy for crafts and cutting cardboard
Cons
- Higher price than generic shears
- Dishwasher use can leave rust spots on some units
Wüsthof has been making blades in Solingen for more than two hundred years, and the shears come from that same shop floor. The stainless is the reason this pick sits in the longevity slot rather than the power slot: reviewers report service reps seeing the same model decades later, still cutting.
The come-apart joint is what separates it from a fixed-hinge German shear. Pull the halves apart after a poultry session and the hinge cleans out completely, which is the one habit that decides whether a pair of food shears stays hygienic for years.
At 8 inches with a straight edge, the balance is neutral and the handles feel substantial without being front-heavy. Reviewers who already own Wüsthof knives tend to rate it consistently, and it doubles as a craft and cardboard shear when food prep is done.
The trade here is quiet, not dramatic. There is no spring assist, no bone notch, and no bottle opener. This is a plain, well-made pair of shears, and the case for it is that it will still be there when cheaper models have been replaced twice.
What you should know before you buy
It costs more than generic shears, and the feature list will disappoint you if you are shopping for gadgets. You are paying for steel and construction, not for a multi-tool that opens bottles and jars.
Hand wash it. Some owners report rust spotting after dishwasher cycles, and since corrosion is exactly what this pick is supposed to resist, letting it sit in hot, wet, alkaline detergent defeats the point.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you cut through a lot of bone. A straight edge with no notch and no spring assist will ask your wrist to do work the poultry shears on this list do for you.
Skip it if you want a compact tool for one-handed herb work. At 8 inches it is a deliberate, two-handed shear, and the bulk is noticeable on a small cutting board.
7. Gerior Come Apart Utility Shears: Best for Packaging and Bottles
Kitchen Scissors Heavy-Duty Utility Come-Apart Kitchen Shears – Ultra Sharp
Stainless steel
3mm thick serrated blades
4 inch blade
9 inches long
Comes apart at the pivot
Pros
- Come-apart joint lets you wash out food residue at the hinge
- 3mm blades are noticeably thicker than the typical 2mm
- Micro-serrated edge grips wet or slippery food
- Large rubberised handles reduce wrist stress
- Bottle opener and bone and nut cracker plus jar notches and a screwdriver tip
Cons
- Some owners report the halves separating during heavy use
- Dishwasher exposure and drip drying can dull or corrode the blades
- Bulky frame is awkward for crafts and household tasks
Of everything we tested, this pair carries the most built-in extras, and the screwdriver tip and jar notches are the ones that turned up most often in real use. For anyone who opens a lot of parcels, the 3mm thick blades give it an authority that budget shears simply do not have.
It comes apart at the pivot, so the joint can be washed properly after raw meat, and the large softly rubberised handles reduce wrist stress over a long session. The 4 inch micro-serrated blade grips wet food without slipping, which we found on poultry skin and on damp herbs.
At 9 inches the frame is on the large side, and that bulk is the reason it does not suit fine craft work. Reviewers who bought it for the kitchen report that it drifts into the workshop and the recycling pile with equal enthusiasm, which tells you something about how it feels in the hand.
The extras are the point here. Bottle opener, centre-toothed grip for bones and nuts, jar notches and a screwdriver tip mean one tool covers the drawer, and reviewers rate the value highly for a multipurpose utility shear.
What you should know before you buy
Some owners report the halves separating at the joint while under load, which is the failure mode specific to take-apart designs. If the joint starts to feel slack, retension it before a heavy job rather than after one.
Dishwasher exposure and drip-drying can dull or corrode the blades. Hand wash, dry straight away, and this pair holds its edge far longer than the reviews for similar budget models suggest it should.
Who should skip it
Skip it if your prep work is small and detailed. A 9 inch frame with a bulky handle is a poor match for trimming stems close to a board or for anything outside the kitchen.
Skip it if you want a clean, minimal tool. There are a lot of stamped features on these handles, and some of them are better than others, so you will be picking the right notch every time.
8. OXO Good Grips Spring-Loaded Poultry Shears: Best for Bone
OXO Good Grips Spring-Loaded Poultry Shears, Heavy Duty, Black
Stainless steel
4.75 inch tapered blade
Spring-loaded action
Glass filled nylon handle
Bone notch
Pros
- Spring-loaded action takes effort out of cutting through poultry
- Bone notch grips and holds joints for cleaner cuts
- Curved tapered blades reach awkward spots
- Handle loop and bolster stop your hand sliding forward
- Handle lock keeps blades closed for storage
Cons
- Does not come apart
- so the pivot needs extra scrubbing
- Unsuitable for delicate herbs or paper-thin slicing
These are not general-purpose shears and pretending otherwise would do them a disservice. The spring is the point: it pushes the blades closed for you, so a whole chicken or a beef roast moves through a joint with far less wrist force than a purely manual pair demands.
The notch cut into the blade grips a bone so it cannot roll out of the cut. Combine that with the curved, tapered profile, which follows the natural line of a backbone, and it explains why reviewers treat this as a dedicated bone-cutting tool rather than an all-purpose one.
At 3.84 ounces and 9.6 inches overall, it is comfortable to hold with a bolster that stops your hand sliding into the blades. The handle lock closes them for storage, which matters when the tool lives in a drawer with forks and knives.
The glass filled nylon handle is the one place this pick steps away from full metal, and it is the right trade for a spring-loaded tool. It grips well when wet and does not conduct cold the way a bare stainless handle does.
What you should know before you buy
It does not come apart. The spring mechanism and fixed pivot mean the joint needs extra scrubbing after raw poultry, and the manufacturer guidance is hand washing with warm soapy water followed by prompt drying rather than a dishwasher cycle.
It is also blunt by design. Cutting herbs with it is a poor experience, and reviewers are clear that delicate prep is outside what this tool is for. Buy it as a second tool, not a replacement.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you want one pair to do everything. Nothing in the market gets bone, herbs and delicate garnish equally well, and this pair gives up the middle two categories to win the first one convincingly.
Skip it if you have hand strength issues. The spring helps, but driving through a backbone joint still takes real pressure, and buyers with limited grip report fatigue regardless of the assist.
9. Henckels Shears Made in Japan: Best Japanese Steel
Henckels Kitchen Scissors Multi-purpose kitchen shears Made in Japan
Made in Japan
Stainless steel construction
Micro-serrated blade
Plastic handles
Lifetime warranty
Pros
- Holds an edge over long periods with one owner reporting two decades of use
- Smooth powerful action on packaging and poultry
- Serrated handle insert doubles as a bottle opener and nutcracker
- Made in Japan versions use better steel than the cheaper siblings
- Stays rust free after repeated hand washing
Cons
- Does not fully come apart despite some listings suggesting otherwise
- Shorter than buyers expect for the money
The single most important thing about this pick is the country of manufacture. Henckels sells similar-looking shears made in different countries, and reviewers are emphatic that the Made in Japan version uses better steel and holds an edge noticeably longer than its siblings.
Edge retention is the headline claim we can support. One owner reports the same pair lasting twenty years, and the smooth, powerful action is a direct result of that steel. If you like the feel of a Japanese chef knife, this is the shears equivalent for the prep bench.
The serrated insert in the handle opens screw caps and cracks nuts, which turns it into a genuinely useful pair of all-purpose shears rather than a knife-shaped object for the drawer. Micro-serrations give slip-proof cutting on wet produce and on packaging film.
A lifetime warranty is listed on this model, and combined with the steel it is the strongest long-term value argument in the lineup for anyone who is patient. Check the listing carefully before you buy, because the budget version of this shears does not separate at the joint.
What you should know before you buy
It does not come apart, even though some listings imply it does. The fixed joint is scrubbable but not detachable, so factor that into your choice if you handle raw poultry every week.
The declared 3 inch blade is short, and reviewers regularly note that the tool feels smaller than the price implies. It is a precise, capable shear rather than a large utility one.
Who should skip it
Skip it if take-apart cleaning is a requirement. That is a hard line, not a preference, and there are better detachable options here at similar money.
Skip it if you are buying the cheap version on a deal. The difference between the Made in Japan model and its siblings is the entire reason this pick exists, and it disappears the moment you buy the wrong one.
10. Gidli Kitchen Shears and Seafood Scissors Set: Best for Seafood
Gidli Kitchen Shears & Seafood Scissors Set – Lifetime Replace. Warranty*
Two piece set
3Cr13 stainless blades
3.5 inch blade
8 inches long
One-time free replacement
Pros
- Set pairs all-purpose shears with dedicated 7 inch seafood scissors
- Heavy-duty 3Cr13 stainless blades cut through chicken and fish bones
- 7 inch scissors have a 3.5 inch blade and wide handle for shrimp and crab
- Soft-touch TPR handles feel secure and comfortable
- Protective cover and one-time free replacement included
Cons
- 3Cr13 is a softer steel that loses its edge sooner than Japanese steel
- Largest share of mid-range ratings in this group
Two pairs in one box, and the smaller one is the reason to buy it. The 7 inch seafood scissors with a 3.5 inch blade and a 3.5 inch wide handle are genuinely good at shrimp shells and crab legs, jobs that make a full-size pair frustrating and slow.
Buyers report using the smaller scissors for shellfish and the larger pair for meat, cardboard and packaging, which turns two tools into a working set rather than a duplicate. That versatility is the main argument here, and the value is rated highly for what you get in the box.
The 3Cr13 stainless blades are rust resistant and cut through chicken and fish bones without drama. The ergonomic soft-touch handles stayed secure in our hand through a session of shucking and trimming, and a protective cover is included so the points stay sharp in the drawer.
Both pieces are dishwasher safe, and there is a one-time free replacement guarantee on the order, which is a nice safety net on a tool that meets packaging and food every day.
What you should know before you buy
3Cr13 is a softer grade than the Japanese steel used in the picks above, and that shows up as edge retention. Long-term buyers rate the value highly but flag that the blades want attention sooner, particularly on bone.
This pick also carries the largest share of mid-range ratings in the group, which usually reflects the set format rather than a fault. Some people wanted two identical pairs and got a specialist instead.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you do not cook seafood. The smaller pair earns its place in the box through shrimp and crab prep, and without that job you are simply carrying a second, weaker pair of shears around.
Skip it if edge retention is your top priority. For heavy daily use, a harder steel with a resharpenable or detachable design will outlast this set over a decade.
11. Joyce Chen Unlimited Kitchen Scissors: Best for Small Hands
Joyce Chen Original Unlimited Kitchen Scissors All Purpose Kitchen Shears With Comfortable Handles, Red
AUS 8 stainless steel
1.88 inch pointed blade
Just over 2 ounces
6.5 inches long
Flexible handles
Pros
- Torque-engineered blades cut through chicken bones with real leverage
- Very light at just over 2 ounces
- Flexible rounded handles suit either hand
- Doubles as craft and garden and general household scissors
- Dishwasher safe
Cons
- Blades do not separate for cleaning the pivot
- Short overall length limits heavy bone work compared with larger shears
At just over 2 ounces, this is the lightest pair we tested, and the lever geometry behind the handles is what gives it cutting force that a small blade should not have. Torque engineering spreads the effort so a chicken bone gets cut without your hand having to supply all the pressure.
Lightness turns out to matter more than expected. On a long evening of prep, a pair this easy to hold is the one still in your hand at the end, and reviewers with smaller hands or limited grip consistently single out the comfortable, flexible handles.
The pointed 1.88 inch blade makes it more precise than the larger shears on stems and garnishes, and the AUS 8 stainless is the sort of grade that punches above its weight. It is also genuinely useful outside the kitchen, for crafts and garden twine, which is where much of its owner base comes from.
It is dishwasher safe and it is ambidextrous, so it doubles as the pair you keep in the drawer for packaging and quick jobs. The red handles are easy to find in a crowded utensil drawer, which is a small thing that matters daily.
What you should know before you buy
The pivot is fixed, so the joint cannot be taken apart for cleaning after meat work. If that is the part of the job you care about most, a detachable pick is a better match.
At 6.5 inches the overall body is the most compact here, which is the point, but it also means less reach for heavy bone work than a full-size pair. The leverage compensates, but the geometry is doing more of the work.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you want maximum leverage on large joints. The light frame feels great in the hand and gives way before a big bone does, so a heavier poultry shear is the better tool for that specific job.
Skip it if detachable cleaning is non-negotiable in your kitchen. It is the one requirement this otherwise excellent compact pair cannot meet.
12. iBayam Heavy Duty Shears 2-Pack: Best Budget Pair
iBayam Kitchen Scissors Shears All Purpose Heavy Duty, Protective Sheath
Stainless steel
4.33 inch straight blade
3.2 ounces
8.66 inches long
Two pack
Pros
- Sharp hardened stainless blades cut packaging and twine and meat easily
- Comfort-grip handles with cushioning pads suit small and large hands
- Two pack lets you keep one pair in several rooms
- Dishwasher safe and ambidextrous
- Lightest full size option at 3.2 ounces
Cons
- Fixed joint design cannot be fully disassembled for deep cleaning
- Basic straight edge with no serration or herb stripper
Two pairs, and at this weight you can stop thinking about where to put the second one. We kept one in the kitchen and one on a workbench, which is the single most common use buyers describe. At 3.2 ounces these are light enough that dropping them is genuinely unimportant.
The 4.33 inch straight stainless blade is sharp out of the box and handled cardboard, twine, food bags and produce in our test without complaint. The straight edge is not a serrated one, so it grips less on wet poultry skin, but it is more precise on a clean cut like a herb stem or a length of twine.
Cushioning pads on the handles absorb pressure and the sizing works for both small and large hands, which is unusual at this level. It is dishwasher safe, which makes cleanup after a raw meat job close to effortless even without a detachable joint.
Buyers treat these as general-purpose household shears rather than a specialist poultry tool, and at this price that is exactly the right expectation. The gap to a dedicated bone shear is real, but the gap to no shears at all is nothing.
What you should know before you buy
The joint is fixed, so you cannot disassemble it for a deep clean. That is the compromise that lets it work out this inexpensive, and it is the reason we would not choose it for daily raw poultry work.
There is no serration, no herb stripper and no notch. It is a plain, competent pair of shears, and if you have specific needs around herbs or wet food, spend a little more and get them built in.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you need one specialist tool rather than general coverage. Trying to make a straight edge cut bone is a fight, and a poultry shear resolves it in a single purchase.
Skip it if you dislike plastic-handled shears generally and expect all-metal durability. This is built for volume use across a household, not for a lifetime workshop tool.
Best Kitchen Shears That Come Apart
Six of the twelve pairs in this roundup separate at the pivot, and that is the single most useful filter for a cook who handles raw meat. Nothing else on the spec sheet changes your day-to-day hygiene as much as being able to rinse the joint under a tap.
OXO Good Grips Multi-Purpose separates completely, weighs 3.52 ounces, and adds a herb stripper. This is the pick for most kitchens.
LIVINGO Forged detaches into two flat halves, is fully metal, and is the most corrosion resistant of the detachable options.
MITSUMOTO SAKARI offers the deepest disassembly with 3.5mm titanium-plated blades, and is the strongest of the detachable pair for bone.
WUSTHOF Come Apart is the longevity choice, with Solingen stainless and a balance that suits a long evening of prep.
Henckels Take Apart 10.25 Inch gives big-handed cooks the reach and leverage they usually want.
Gerior Come Apart adds the most built-in extras, with a 3mm blade and a bottle opener, nut cracker and screwdriver tip.
Two points of caution. A detachable joint is a second wear point, and owners of the LIVINGO and Gerior pairs report occasional loosening under heavy load, so retension the pivot before a big job rather than after. Hand washing is still the safer habit with any of them, since the pivot is exactly where trapped moisture does its damage.
How to Choose the Best Kitchen Shears
Most of the differences between these twelve pairs come down to five decisions. Make them in order and the right pick becomes obvious.
1. Take-apart or fixed joint
A take-apart pair pulls into two pieces, which means the hinge can be washed. A fixed joint cannot, so residue stays there permanently. For anyone cutting raw poultry several times a week, take-apart is not a nice-to-have.
2. Blade length and overall size
Blade length ranges from 1.88 inches on the Joyce Chen to 4.7 inches on the KitchenAid, with overall bodies from 6.5 to 10.25 inches. Long blades make straight cuts easier to track and give more leverage. Short blades are more precise for stems and garnish, and easier to control with small hands.
3. What the notch is actually for
The notch is a small cutout near the pivot that hooks onto a stem, twine or a length of herb so the blade cannot slide off. It takes three seconds to learn and it transforms produce prep, which is why the poultry shears and the all-metal picks both include one.
4. Serrated versus straight edge
Micro-serrations grip wet food, which is what you want for poultry skin, fish and slippery produce, and they are far less forgiving if you slip. A straight edge is more precise, cuts cleaner on stems, and can be sharpened. Serrations do not sharpen, so treat them as a lifetime edge.
5. Handle material and hand size
Full stainless handles are durable and cold, and they get slippery when wet. Soft-coated and cushioned handles are easier on arthritic hands and safer with damp food. Check the finger loop size against your own hand, because it is the fastest way to rule a model out.
What a professional kitchen actually uses
Line cooks rarely carry a delicate Japanese multi-tool on an apron. They clip a sturdy pair with enough leverage to get through a bird, and they do not replace them mid-service. For home cooks the calculation differs, because most of us are cutting herbs and packaging far more often than backbone joints, which is why the sprinter pairs on this list win for daily use.
Handle construction deserves its own note. Reviewers on buying forums treat full-metal construction as a proxy for longevity, and buyers of plastic-handled models report inserts that split after careless washing. If you want one pair that outlives several kitchens, pay for metal handles or accept that you will replace the cheap pairs. If the rest of the kitchen is still being planned, our best kitchen faucet picks and kitchen cart roundup cover the other high-traffic surfaces worth getting right once.
How to Clean, Sharpen and Re-Tension Kitchen Shears
Cleaning comes first, and the dishwasher question has a clear answer. Most manufacturers list their shears as dishwasher safe but recommend hand washing to protect the edge, and the cautious answer wins: hand wash, dry immediately, and use the machine only when a pair is already on its way out.
Long-term owners of the Wüsthof and the Japanese-made Henckels both report rust spotting after repeated dishwasher cycles, which settles the argument for the pairs you paid real money for.
How to disassemble kitchen shears
Open the blades fully and look for a pivot screw, usually a single flathead in the centre of the joint.
Back the screw out with a flathead screwdriver, about four to six turns, until the halves release.
Separate the blades and wash each half with warm soapy water and a stiff brush.
Dry both halves completely, including the joint recess, before reassembling.
Reassemble and tighten the screw until the blades touch at rest with no side-to-side wobble.
How to sharpen kitchen shears
Only sharpen the plain blade. On a pair with one serrated and one straight edge, run the straight blade along a whetstone at roughly 20 degrees, a few passes per side, then wipe and strop. Leave the serrations alone, because attempts to hone them destroy the teeth and the edge never comes back.
If the shears feel dull but the blades are fine, the problem is usually tension rather than the edge. Tightening the pivot screw a quarter turn often restores the whole cutting action.
How to fix a loose pivot screw
Wobble between the blades almost always means the pivot screw has backed off. Hold the shears closed, tighten the centre screw a quarter turn at a time, and stop when the blades meet with a light touch and no lateral play. If they now grind past each other at the base, you have gone too far and should back off slightly.
A drop of removable threadlocker on the screw, applied sparingly, is the standard fix for a pivot that keeps loosening. This is the single most common durability complaint in owner reviews, and it costs almost nothing to fix.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kitchen shears do professional chefs use?
Line cooks usually carry a sturdy pair with real leverage rather than a delicate multi-tool, because it has to get through a whole bird quickly and survive a full service. For home cooks the calculation is different, because herbs and packaging get cut far more often than backbone joints. A take-apart pair such as the OXO Good Grips Multi-Purpose suits a home kitchen, while a spring-loaded poultry shear earns its place on a busy line.
What are the highest rated kitchen shears?
Among the twelve pairs we tested, the KitchenAid All Purpose Shears hold the largest review base at over 72,000 reviews with a 4.8 rating, and the iBayam 2-Pack is close behind with more than 57,000 at the same score. The OXO Good Grips Multi-Purpose and Henckels Made in Japan both sit at 4.8 as well. Ratings tell you how consistent a tool is, not whether it fits your tasks.
What is the notch in kitchen shears for?
The notch is a small cutout near the pivot that hooks onto a stem, twine or a length of herb. Without it the blade slides sideways and you get an uneven trim. With it, three seconds of practice and every rosemary sprig comes off in one clean pass. It is a small detail that changes produce prep more than any other feature on this list.
How to disassemble kitchen shears?
Open the blades fully and find the pivot screw in the centre of the joint, usually a single flathead. Back the screw out four to six turns until the halves release, separate them, then wash each half with warm soapy water and a stiff brush. Dry completely, reassemble, and tighten until the blades just touch with no side-to-side wobble.
What are the best kitchen scissors that come apart?
Six of our twelve picks detach at the pivot. The OXO Good Grips Multi-Purpose is the most versatile, the LIVINGO Forged pair is the most corrosion resistant and fully metal, the MITSUMOTO SAKARI has the deepest disassembly with the thickest blades, and the WUSTHOF Come Apart is the one built to last decades. Each is a different answer to the same hygiene question.
Are kitchen shears safe to put in the dishwasher?
Most brands list their shears as dishwasher safe while still recommending hand washing to protect the edge. The cautious answer wins. Hot water, detergent residue and prolonged dampness attack the pivot screw and any coating, and owners of the Wüsthof and Japanese-made Henckels report rust spotting after repeated cycles. Hand wash, dry immediately, and save the machine for pairs you are replacing anyway.
The Best Kitchen Shears to Buy in 2026
The best kitchen shears for most cooks remain the OXO Good Grips Multi-Purpose pair, because a full take-apart joint, a herb stripper and a 3.52 ounce weight in one tool is a combination nothing else here matches. If your budget is tight, the KitchenAid All Purpose Shears do the same daily work with less polish and a review base nobody else can approach.
The rest of the 2026 winners fill specific gaps. Henckels Take Apart suits bigger hands, LIVINGO and MITSUMOTO SAKARI cover heavy bone work, WÜSTHOF is the pair to buy once, OXO Poultry Shears handle a whole chicken, Henckels Made in Japan is the Japanese steel option, Gidli covers seafood, Joyce Chen suits small hands, and Gerior wins on packaging extras.
Tell us what you actually cut. If it is herbs and packaging every day, take a detachable general pair. If it is a whole bird most weekends, add the spring-loaded poultry shear and stop fighting it. And whatever you choose, buy it once, hand wash it, and tighten that pivot screw when it starts to wobble.