You'll Wonder How You Ever Managed Without a Pair of These Kitchen Shears

Do you own a pair of kitchen shears? If not, what are you waiting for? They're one of those tools that'll make you wonder how you ever made do without them once you find a great pair. Durable kitchen shears will help you with everyday cooking tasks, making everything from delicately slicing through fresh herbs to trimming pie dough to spatchcocking a chicken so much simpler.

Along with our trusty kitchen knives, a selection of wooden spoons, a salad spinner, and a microplane, we count shears as one of our must-have kitchen tools. They reduce what would be daunting tasks with a large chef's knife to as easy as a simple snip or two. Ahead, check out our top picks for kitchen shears that run the gamut from being best for your budget to a lefty's best friend.

Best Kitchen Shears to Buy in 2021

• Best Edge: Martha Stewart Collection Kitchen Shears, Created for Macy's
• Best for Lefties: OXO Good Grips® Kitchen and Herb Scissors
• Best Budget: KitchenAid Utility Shears
• Best Splurge: Yoshihiro All Stainless Steel Pull-Apart Japanese Kitchen Shears
• Best Multitasker: Shun Multi-Purpose Shears

Martha's Pick: Martha Stewart Collection Kitchen Shears

Sharp enough to snip delicate herbs like basil and chives without bruising, but still heavy duty enough to break down a chicken, these dishwasher-safe shears from our founder were thoughtfully made with the home cook in mind. Subtle features that can make all the difference when it comes to ease and precision include a ruler and take-apart blades that allow for thorough cleaning.

Shop Now: Martha Stewart Collection Kitchen Shears, Created for Macy's, $10.99, macy's.com.

Best for Lefties: OXO Good Grips Multi-Purpose Kitchen and Herb Scissors

It's not easy to find good kitchen shears that are exclusively dedicated to the left-handed among us, so the solution is to find a great pair of ambidextrous scissors. This pair from OXO boasts roomy handles that can be used comfortably in either hand; the quality build also includes a tightly-secured hinge, which translates to a smoother cutting experience for southpaws.

Shop Now: OXO Good Grips® Kitchen and Herb Scissors, $18.99, bedbathandbeyond.com.

Best Splurge: Yoshihiro All Stainless Steel Pull-Apart Japanese Kitchen Shears

Considered professional-grade quality, these shears are built to last, will perform consistently, and will look good doing it, too. You can put them through a battery of tough tests, from cracking crab legs to finely mincing through a bunch of fresh chives, and they'll be able to handle each challenge with ease. When you're done, simply take the blades apart and hand wash them to keep them as sharp as can be for as long as possible; but it's also fine to run them through the dishwasher to sanitize without having to worry about them rusting.

Shop Now Yoshihiro All Stainless-Steel Pull-Apart Japanese Kitchen Shears, $79.99, amazon.com.

Best Multitasker: Shun Multi-Purpose Shears

If your kitchen's utensil drawer is looking a little crowded, this popular pair of shears—in addition to being very good scissors—will replace your bottle opener, nutcracker, lid lifter, jar opener, and even your screwdriver! When you consider how many uses it has, in addition to being made of the same high-quality steel the Shun knife brand is famous for, the steeper price on these scissors makes sense.

Shop Now: Shun Multi-Purpose Shears, $49.95, amazon.com.

Best Budget: KitchenAid Utility Shears

These shears from KitchenAid are a great starter set at an affordable price. The blades come with "microserrations," which is a fancy word for saying they can grip well onto the ingredient you're cutting. They don't come apart though, and while they are dishwasher safe, the manufacturer recommends hand washing for longevity—this means we'd recommend these if you don't plan on using them frequently for tasks like cutting raw meat.

Shop Now: KitchenAid Utility Shears, $8.99, target.com.