Why You Should Use Your Kitchen Shears A Whole Lot More

Even the best cook in the world can struggle without a kitchen equipped with at least the basics. And while there are a many kitchen essentials that you should look into, there's one item in particular that you may have purchased and then relegated to a drawer. We're talking about your kitchen shears. But they're just heavy-duty scissors ... right?

Kitchen shears are actually a versatile tool that you need to keep within reach because a really good pair — which might be one of the most affordable tools you have in your kitchen — is good for much more than just slicing open packages. They're meant to be heavy-duty because they're great for everything from chopping herbs to breaking down an entire poultry carcass for stock. And, yes, they absolutely will cut through bones and make prepping a whole chicken incredibly easy. Struggle with removing the backbone of a whole chicken for a spatchcocked chicken with truffle butter and mushrooms? Reach for those kitchen shears.

The right pair of kitchen shears can do more than just cut, too, and if you hate opening those inevitably hard-to-open jars, they can help you with that. There are even some applications where kitchen shears will work better to cut things than the tools you may be using. It's time to give your kitchen shears another look.

The obvious use for kitchen shears is cutting, and while they're great for things like chicken bones, they're also good at more delicate work. If you use a pizza wheel to slice through quesadillas, pie crusts, pasta dough, and pizza, you might want to reach for the shears instead, as you'll get a cleaner cut with less mess. The same goes for cutting things like soft cheeses, delicate herbs, and unwanted bits of veggies like green beans, asparagus, and artichokes. If you're cutting raw bacon or meat for a charcuterie plate, kitchen shears are great here, too. And don't forget to take some advice from the professionals: Giada De Laurentiis uses shears to cut tomatoes for sauce.

They're invaluable when prepping fruit and veg, from cutting scallions to peeling fruit and vegetables. Making a chopped salad? Dump all your ingredients in the bowl and chop away. Need to cut bananas? Shears should be your go-to. Some other uses for kitchen shears depend on the shears themselves, and if yours have serrated blades, you can use them for removing the scales from fish. Some that have grips between the handles can be used to open jars, and they can also crack shellfish open and double as nutcrackers. Can't find the bottle opener? There's probably one on your kitchen shears. Even beyond that, the end of these sturdy shears can double as a screwdriver in a pinch.

Kitchen shears are a wildly useful tool, and here's something to consider: Thanks to the serrated blade, it won't be easy to sharpen them. That means once you start using them for their myriad of purposes, you might find they're one of the kitchen essentials you replace more often than you expect. Fortunately, there are a ton of great options out there that won't break the bank.

If you open a lot of bottles and jars, look for ones designed with built-in openers. Have other gadgets for that? Don't bother. Planning on using them for a lot of herbs and vegetables? Some shears come with micro-serrations that will make cutting these ingredients much easier (particularly when they're on the outside of the blade). Consider shears with longer blades, too: They'll be easier to maneuver, even for fine work.

One thing you'll want to look at is how easy they are to take apart: Start using them regularly, and you'll be taking them apart and cleaning them regularly as well, so be sure to check out reviews that mention how well designed they are. Finally, don't overlook comfort. Make sure you get shears with handles that fit your hands because shears with handles that are too big or too small will make them difficult to use — no matter what you're doing with them.