No kitchen can be considered complete without a sturdy, sharp pair of scissors. They are an absolute essential, able to save the day where knives would be impractical or simply unsafe. Need to open tricky packaging? Want to quickly dice food but fear for your fingers attempting professional chef-style speed chopping with a large knife? A good pair of kitchen scissors (at least one, but why stop there?) is a staple for so many applications.

That’s where this roundup of the best kitchen scissors on the market today comes in. Here to save your fingertips is a selection of the top kitchen scissors and shears to make food preparation in a busy kitchen just that little bit easier.

1. Nuosen Heavy Duty Kitchen Scissors

Nuosen’s Heavy Duty Kitchen Scissors are a pair of high-quality stainless-steel bladed cutters. One blade is lightly serrated, allowing for a more stable and grippy cut on certain food items, while the other features a cut-out which acts as a bottle opener. The insides of the grip also have teeth for cracking nuts, making this a good multi-purpose pair of scissors.

Thanks to soft, comfortable grips the scissors are easy to use, and shorter blades ensure you can generate sufficient pressure for tough cuts. The scissors are also balanced for right- and left-handed use and can be taken apart for greater ease of cleaning. The blades are rust and corrosion resistant thanks to their stainless-steel construction, and all parts are dishwasher safe. A plastic blade cover is provided for when not in use.

2. Fiskars Kitchen Scissors

Fiskars are a highly reputed name in the world of homewares and garden tools, and these scissors are no exception. With the iconic orange plastic handle carefully designed for comfort and ergonomics, these scissors are suitable for right-handed users, although Fiskars also produce left-handed versions.

Stainless-steel blades offer a good compromise in length and versatility, neither too short nor too long to make them suitable for most cutting tasks. Adjustable blade tension also adds to their versatility while cutting. There are also serrated teeth along the edge of one blade to ensure a stable cut, and the scissors are dishwasher-safe to make for more straightforward cleaning. While not the cheapest scissors, they are incredibly well-made, and although the blades are highly durable, Fiskars also sell blade sharpeners designed to work with their products.

3. Spear & Jackson Scissor Set

Spear and Jackson are more well-known for their gardening tools, but make a scissors set that keeps up with their regular high quality. Three pairs of scissors in one is of course a bonus, but the kitchen-type scissors will be the focus here – they are a multi-purpose pair, with tabs on the rear of the handles for opening ring-pull cans as well as bottle-opening. A nutcracker is also featured on the inside of the handles.

With supremely sharp stainless-steel blades paired with a short blade pivot length, these are capable of exerting high pressure to get through tough cuts. These, as well as the other two pairs, are dishwasher safe for the easiest of cleaning, and ergonomically designed soft-touch handles round out the package.

4. Newness Kitchen Scissors

Despite the name, Newness’ Kitchen Scissors employ a classic all-stainless-steel design for a modern-vintage look. Constructed from stainless-steel blades and handles riveted together they are beautifully finished with a significant heft to them. The handles are by no means uncomfortable though, with a non-slip strip cut into each grip for ease of use. A nutcracker is also discretely included on the insides of the handles.

Thanks to the steel build they should be durable and stay sharp, although Newness recommend that you clean them by hand-wash only. The blades are fairly short and are able to exert enough pressure for most cuts, something helped by the riveted construction. A brass pivot screw will also allow for tightening if the blades do ever loosen

5. Lemcase Kitchen Scissors

Lemcase’s foray into the world of kitchen scissors comes in the form of these smartly packaged multi-function scissors. The handles, finished with a clean blue strip, are ergonomically designed for comfort and will suit left- or right-handed users. The blades, made from tough stainless-steel, are designed with a serrated edge for better food grip as well as a bottle-opener on the underside. There’s also a nutcracker on the inside of the handles.

The steel of the blades is very sharp, while the handles are made from a durable plastic. While the blades are naturally corrosion resistant, they are also dishwasher safe for maximum hygiene. A plastic cover for the blade is also supplied for safety and protection when not in use.

6. OXO Good Grips Kitchen and Herb Scissors

OXO’s Good Grips range is the go-to for many professional chefs nowadays (just check out some YouTube cooking channels!) and for good reason – they’re simple, well-made, stylish and of an excellent quality. These scissors are no different, with special attention reserved for the grips. Thanks to cushioning pads that absorb pressure while cutting, they’re very comfortable to use, and can be used by right- or left-handed people.

The blades are made from a hardened stainless steel, which is naturally corrosion resistant, and can be separated for easy cleaning (although they are not necessarily dishwasher safe). They are also micro-serrated for, you guessed it, good grips when cutting. And, if you cook with fresh herbs then these are the scissors for you, with small cut-outs designed for herb stripping.

7. Belle Vous Kitchen Scissors

These multi-purpose kitchen scissors from Belle Vous come in a twin pack, making them pretty good value. Each is a pair of high-quality stainless-steel bladed cutters with comfortable grips and a good range of features. For the purposes of grip while cutting, one blade is lightly serrated. Other useful features include a cut-out which acts as a bottle opener, and nutcracker teeth on the inside of the handles.

Balanced for both right- and left-handed use, the handles are grippy and easy to hold. The blades are also relatively short, good for exerting enough pressure on difficult cuts like through bone. Owing to the stainless-steel of the blades, these scissors are also dishwasher safe for guaranteed hygiene.

8. Wellehomi Professional Kitchen Scissors

Wellehomi’s Professional Kitchen Scissors boast understated looks that hide a very high-quality pair of scissors. Carefully balanced to favour both right- and left- handed users, the grips are made from a strong softened plastic with gentle ergonomic shaping to ensure comfort while cutting. The blades themselves are made from stainless-steel, meaning they’re sharp as well as corrosion-proof and durable.

Thanks to nutcracker teeth on the inside of the handle they have a little added versatility. The rivet screw also comes with a useful black plastic cover, which serves to keep the screw safe and clean. It also stands to reason that these would be dishwasher safe, although the manufacturer does not specify this

9. Chef Remi Heavy Duty Kitchen Scissors

These heavy-duty kitchen scissors by Chef Remi would be at home in a professional kitchen as well as in the home. Thanks to blades that can be separated, cleaning couldn’t be easier, and they are usefully multi-purpose; serrations on the blades offer good grip while cutting food, while a bottle opener is built into the blade as well as nutcracker teeth in the handles.

The handles themselves are made from a softened plastic, allowing for a comfortable grip which can be used by both the right- and left-handed.  The blades stay sharp for a very long time and do not rust or corrode, thanks to their stainless-steel construction. Chef Remi also offer a lifetime money-back guarantee on their scissors.

10. Victorinox Kitchen Scissors

While Victorinox are maybe most famous for the iconic do-everything Swiss Army knife, these scissors are more or less just scissors. But, while they might not be quite as versatile as their brand’s more well-known products, they are made with the same quality. With blades made from a high-quality stainless-steel they are strong and sharp, and a pivot screw allows you to adjust the tightness for more precise cutting.

The handles, complete with nutcracker teeth on the inside, are made from polypropylene plastic and shaped ergonomically for comfort. They are also suitable for both right-and left-handed users. You also have two choices of colour (black or red) so you do still have the option of leaning more into the Swiss Army colour-scheme if you want. Dishwasher safe, these also come complete with a lifetime guarantee.

11. Turata Kitchen Scissors

Turata’s kitchen scissors are a tough-looking pair, thanks to hefty handles and high-quality stainless-steel blades. The handles are made from a rubberised plastic, making them exceptionally comfortable and grippy even with wet hands, while Turata have paid special attention to their blades compared with their older models. They claim to use an updated stainless-steel with greater durability and corrosion resistance, but it has also been designed with versatility in mind. On one blade, the inside is serrated for grip on food, while the other side is also gently serrated for stripping fish scales.

A bottle opener is also present on the other blade, with nutcracker teeth inside the handle, making this an all-round versatile pair of scissors. When it comes to cleaning, these are dishwasher safe, and Turata offer a 12-month replacement warranty. It even comes with a plastic sheath to protect the blade.

12. Tansung Heavy Duty Kitchen Scissors

Tansung’s heavy-duty kitchen scissors have really been designed to do everything you thought you’d need from a pair of scissors and a little more on top. Initially coming with the relatively standard kitchen scissor add-ons of a grippy serrated blade, bottle opener and nutcracker inside the handles, these also have a tab for opening cans and a serrated edge for removing fish scales on one blade. The blades can be separated which does make for easy cleaning (the whole unit is dishwasher safe), but also transforms the scissors effectively into two small knives.

The blades are made from CNC machined stainless-steel, which Tansung claim is the standard steel in chef knives. The handles are designed with ergonomics and comfort in mind and are suitable for both right- and left-handed users.

Which Kitchen Scissors to Go for?

Best quality & features – OXO’s Good Grips Kitchen and Herb Scissors might not do everything, but for a highly versatile all-round pair of scissors they’re hard to beat. The handles are, as the name of the range suggests, extra-grippy and OXO use a very high-quality steel for their blades which will stay sharp for a very long time. They are a little pricey, but as with so many things, you get what you pay for, and the build quality of these justifies the higher price.

On a budget – The Heavy-Duty Kitchen Scissors by Nuosen are an absolute bargain. Thanks to a multi-purpose design which gives you good quality cutting as well as a bottle opener and nutcracker, you get a tough pair of scissors with good versatility at a very reasonable price. Granted, a twin-pack of scissors is technically better value per-pair, but the Nuosens are good enough quality that you won’t need two pairs.

Best multi-purpose scissors – Tansung’s heavy-duty kitchen scissors are surely the most versatile scissors on our list. Benefitting from a nutcracker, bottle opener and can opener tab, there’s very little that they won’t be able to do on top of some very high-quality blades. Those blades are also double-sided, with one side serrated for cutting grip, while the other is differently serrated for fish descaling. The scissor blades can also be separated, in effect giving you two knives and an easy job cleaning.

For use with either hand – Wellehomi’s Professional Kitchen Scissors stand out as the best ambidextrous scissors to buy. While many kitchen scissors out there nowadays are ambidextrous, it’s the handle design on Wellehomi’s scissors that makes them stand out so much for rights and lefties alike.

Most comfortable handle to use – Turata’s Kitchen Scissors are absolutely the best choice for comfortable grips. While most scissors boast an ergonomic design, these go one better with a rubberised compound used in the handles’ construction. This not only makes them grippy, but also ensures that they stay grippy even when used with wet hands, something which is more of a probability than a possibility in the kitchen.

Best aesthetics – The Newness Kitchen Scissors quite simply look fantastic. They have the appearance of being made from a single piece of stainless-steel but are, in fact, blades riveted to handles for the sake of strength. But aesthetics in the kitchen can make a difference; cooking is always more enjoyable when you use equipment that looks good. These scissors would be at home in either a modern or vintage-styled kitchen. 

Kitchen Scissors Buying Guide

The right pair of kitchen scissors is a wonderful tool, almost certainly being used for far more purposes than they were originally designed for – in many ways, a kitchen Swiss Army knife. You’ll be surprised at the large number of things, in both cooking and preparation, that this simplest of utensils can simplify. Even finding out that some people use scissors to slice pizza was life changing.

While it may be tempting to buy a pair of scissors as part of a knife set, try to avoid them. The scissors provided in sets are often quite cheaply made, and you’re better off investing in some proper purpose-built kitchen scissors. Knowing the difference between the different elements of scissors can be confusing, and that’s what this buying guide is here to help you clear up – read on to find out the things you need to consider before your newxt kitchen scissor purchase.

Blade length and pivot point

Not all scissors are designed the same, and depending on their intended usage, some kitchen scissors will be better suited for some applications than others. The pivot point, i.e. how close to the end of the blades the pivot screw is, can have a big difference on what things your scissors can cut through, because physics. The closer to the end the screw is, the more pressure and leverage can be generated to cut through tougher things – perfect, for example, if you use scissors to cut through bones.

Blade material and design

Most scissor blades are made from hardened stainless-steel, which is widely used for is longevity and resistance to rust and staining. However, used on a pair of scissors, they can dull very quickly, which is not exactly ideal for a utensil with cutting as its primary purpose. The step up from stainless-steel is a carbon-steel compound, which is typically found on more expensive professional-standard scissors. It can be prone to rust, and most often is coated in stainless-steel, nickel or chrome, but fundamentally is easier to sharpen, and will hold the blade for a lot longer – just expect to pay a lot more than the selection on our list.

Separating and cleaning the blades

Cheaper scissors are not designed to be taken apart, but on scissors and shears purposely designed for use in kitchen scenarios, it’s a key feature. This is because you’re more than likely to find yourself cutting meat, fish and other products that pose potential sanitary risks. The pivot screw can easily harbour bacteria and is a difficult area to clean unless you can separate the blades – plus, it makes them easier to sharpen too.

Handles

Depending on factors like the size of your hands; make sure that you buy a pair of scissors appropriately sized for your hands with a comfortable, roomier grip; whether you are right- or left-handed; some scissors are designed for ambidextrous usage thanks to their balancing, while others are left or right specific; and your comfort requirements for scissors; comfort grips might be useful, especially for those with less hand and wrist strength, for example; there will be a different ideal pair for everybody.

Multi-purpose?

Coming back to that Swiss Army knife comment, some scissors can include several tools in one. You might notice a notch in the blade that’s actually a bottle opener, a nutcracker between the handles, among many other extra applications. In a pinch, these kinds of scissors can be exceptionally useful, so if you’re forever mislaying that bottle opener, why not have your kitchen scissors on backup?

A good pair of kitchen scissors can revolutionise your cooking process. Bold claims for such a small tool, but if you’re not sure, try it first and then think again. You’ve got all the information you need to make sure that you buy the right pair of scissors not matter what you’re cutting. Chop chop!