The best kitchen shears for most people are the OXO Good Grips Kitchen Scissors — sharp, comfortable, and they cut everything from herbs to poultry to packaging. A good pair of shears is one of the most-used tools in the kitchen: spatchcocking a chicken, snipping herbs, trimming fat, opening bags. Below are the best kitchen shears we’d actually reach for, from a $14 everyday pair to Japanese-forged and German take-apart models — every one confirmed in stock.
How we chose the best kitchen shears
Every pick was scored against the same criteria, and we confirmed each product is currently in stock on Amazon before including it:
- Real-world quality — materials, construction, and durability, not marketing claims.
- Fit for purpose — sound design and the right fit for the job each product is meant to do.
- Value across budgets — from a solid budget pick to a premium best-in-class option.
- Owner consensus — thousands of verified reviews and Amazon’s Choice standing, cross-checked against known failure points.
Kitchen shears: the 7 best, compared
The 7 best kitchen shears, ranked
1OXO Good Grips Kitchen Scissors Best overall
Sharp stainless blades, comfortable non-slip handles, and enough muscle to cut through cardboard, twine, herbs, and chicken with ease — usable right or left handed, for around fifteen dollars. Comfortable, capable, and cheap enough to have a pair in every drawer. The everyday kitchen shears most people should buy.
- Hardened Stainless steel blades easily cut through cardboard, twine, meat, vegetables and more
- Cushioning pads on grip absorb pressure while cutting
- Blades separate for thorough and easy cleaning
2Wusthof Come Apart Kitchen Shears Best premium
German-made shears from a legendary knife house — heavy-duty, razor-sharp, micro-serrated blades that pull apart for thorough cleaning (important when cutting raw meat), with a built-in bottle opener and nut cracker. Substantial and precise. The pick for buy-it-for-life shears that also disassemble to wash.
- COME APART SHEARS - Use these shears for a multitude of kitchen tasks
- VARIETY OF TASKS - from snipping fresh herbs, cutting flowers or twine, and even trimming chicken skin
- RAZOR SHARP – High Carbon Stainless Steel Blades, precisely cut with the latest state of the art technology for incredible sharpness and easy maintenance. WÜSTHOF kitchen shears are Hand Wash Only
- PRECISION FORGED – Forged from a single block of High Carbon Stainless Steel and tempered to 58-degree HRC. The Precision Edge Technology (PEtec) yields a blade that is 20% sharper with twice the edge retention than previous models. WÜSTHOF Classic Series Knives feature a full bolster and finger guard
- CENTURIES OF TRADITION – Family owned for seven generations, WÜSTHOF was founded in Solingen, Germany over 200 years ago. WÜSTHOF’s cutlery carries the Solingen name, a designation reserved for products that meet the strictest quality standards
3OXO Multi-Purpose + Herb Scissors Best multi-purpose
OXO’s serrated multi-purpose shears plus a separate five-blade herb scissors — so you can strip and snip herbs directly into the pot AND handle poultry, cardboard, and twine. Soft grips and easy to clean. The pick for someone who wants both a workhorse shear and a dedicated herb tool.
- Stainless steel design slices through cardboard, twine, meat, vegetables and more
- Micro-serrated blades grip items securely and prevent slipping
- Herb stripper effectively removes fresh herbs from tough stems
- Cushioning pads on grip absorb pressure while cutting
- Blades separate for thorough and easy cleaning
4Kai Seki Magoroku (DH3345) Best Japanese
Forged all-stainless Japanese shears with a seamless one-piece feel that still disassembles for hygienic washing, and a fine serrated (uneven) blade that grips as it cuts without slipping — made in Seki, Japan’s blade capital. Beautifully sharp and easy to clean. The pick for precision and Japanese blade quality.
- Stainless steel blade
- Kai Corporation Sekisoku Cooking Series
- Solid and easy to clean forged stainless steel kitchen shears
- Seamless one-piece design that can be disassembled and washed for hygienic use
- Fine uneven blade (serrated blade) that is non-slip
5Wusthof WU5558 8-Inch Best heavy-duty
Wusthof’s classic 8-inch take-apart shears — thick, powerful blades that shrug off bones, joints, and tough packaging, with the German build quality to last decades. The pick when you regularly break down poultry or need shears that power through the toughest kitchen jobs without flexing.
- Blades come a part for easy cleaning
- Can be held with either right or left hand
- Handle has helpful jar opener
- Can be taken apart for resharpening
- Steel-tooth insets in handles twist open bottle and jar caps
6Messermeister 8-Inch Take-Apart Best multi-tool value
Take-apart stainless shears that double as a screwdriver, nut cracker, jar-lid gripper, bottle opener, and bone/twig cutter — genuinely useful extras, for anyone, righties or lefties, at a bargain price. The pick for a hard-working, do-everything pair of shears that costs next to nothing.
- KITCHEN SCISSORS - Messermeister cooking tools include some of the most highly rated gadgets on the market, from forged shears to our popular Cheflamme. Explore your creativity & every culinary detail will be possible!
- CUT WITH A PURPOSE - Suitable for both lefties & righties, these scissors are ideal for opening food packaging, clipping herbs, dicing bacon, skinning chicken, trimming artichokes & more.
- HIGH QUALITY - Made with durable stainless steel, our Take-Apart Kitchen Scissors include a screwdriver, nut cracker, jar lid opener + gripper, bottle opener, and bone + twig cutter. Plus, they easily separate for hygienic cleaning.
- OUR STORY - Founded in 1981, Messermeister is a leading manufacturer of premium handcrafted kitchen cutlery. Today, we’re a family and women-owned company, continuing to bring innovation & creativity to kitchens around the world.
7OXO Kitchen & Herb Scissors (2-Pack) Best value 2-pack
Two OXO tools in one buy — the multi-purpose kitchen shears plus the five-blade herb scissors — so you can keep a pair in two spots or gift one. Same comfortable grips and easy-clean design as OXO’s singles. The pick for outfitting a whole kitchen (or two) with quality shears at once.
- Hardened Stainless steel blades easily cut through cardboard, twine, meat, vegetables and more
- Cushioning pads on grip absorb pressure while cutting
- Herb stripper effectively removes fresh herbs from tough stems
- Blades separate for thorough and easy cleaning
- Micro-serrated blade grips items securely and prevents slipping
Kitchen shears: buyer’s guide & FAQ
What should I look for in kitchen shears?
Why should kitchen shears come apart?
Can I use kitchen shears to cut chicken bones?
Are kitchen shears dishwasher safe?
Do I really need dedicated kitchen shears, or will regular scissors do?
More kitchen gear, ranked
I’ve spent years writing about and recommending the products people actually live with — the kitchen gear, home goods, and beauty finds that earn their place on a shelf. At Golden’s List I lead editorial across Home, Kitchen, Beauty, and Fitness, digging through reviews, specs, and real owner feedback to separate the genuinely great from the merely popular — and making sure every pick is in stock with a live price before it makes a list. Meet the whole team →