11 Best Poultry Shears We’ve Tested

Best Poultry Shears
Best Poultry Shears

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If you ask any home or professional cook “What’s the most daunting kitchen task”, their response will be, “Poultry cuttings.” Preparing chicken by cutting each part into different sizes requires a greater level of perfection. So, whether you are planning to make lemon pepper wings, chicken breast, or thighs, having the best poultry shears can help you prepare meals quickly.

Choosing the best kitchen shears reduces the preparation time and eliminates stress and fatigue, ensuring each cut is precise and exactly the size your recipe requires. After extensive research and thorough testing of more than 30 brands available in the market, we’ve put together 11 best poultry shears you can buy. The reviewed shears have proved to be the most durable with a premium build and delivered a greater level of performance. Let’s have a look at these poultry shears brands.

Related: Best electric meat slicers to cut every type of meat.

11 Best Poultry Shears Tested by Chefs in 2023

No.ModelMaterialWeight (ounce)
1OXO Good Grips ProfessionalStainless Steel8.5
2Gerior Kitchen ShearsStainless Steel6.9
3Henckels Kitchen ShearsStainless Steel9.0
4Silver Armadillo Poultry ShearsStainless Steel14.9
5Heirloom Culinary Poultry Shears Plastic12.8
6T-Trees Kitchen ShearsStainless Steel7.1
7NOVASKO premium poultryStainless Steel7.84
8TANSUNG poultry shearsAlloy Steel12.0
9Wusthof Kitchen ShearsHigh Carbon Steel4.0
10SMTENG Kitchen ShearsStainless Steel10.6
11Wusthof Poultry Shears Stainless Steel7.5

OXO Good Grips Professional Poultry Shears

OXO Good Grips Spring
OXO Good Grips Professional Poultry Shears

Specifications

  • Material: Stainless Steel
  • Weight: 8.5 Ounce
  • Dimensions: 12.2×4.69×1.14 Inches

What We Like

  • Curved blade for effortless cutting
  • Spring-loaded pattern for efficient control
  • Blade notch to hold bones while cutting
  • Coated, non-slippery handle for extensive use

What We Don’t Like

  • Loop design is only on one handle

The OXO Poultry Shears are ideal for cutting and trimming poultry, thanks to their excellently sharp stainless-steel blade. The looped handle secures fat-slicked hands from slipping or slicing when squeezing hard. These poultry scissors can perform both bone cleaving and snipping through squirmy skin.

The curved blade design offers smooth, effortless cutting and is tapered for precision. For safety, the blade notch secures bones and the handle lock keeps blades closed for protected storage. Its spring-loaded feature doesn’t let the blades open too far to ensure extra comfort, requires less power, and prevents hand strain.

The black nonstick coating on the padded handles proffers comfortable to use and saves raw chicken-dipped hands from slipping over. The micro-serrated blade tightly grips the bones, and the other side of the blade is smooth to provide more traction while cutting through thick bones. Overall, this model can cut through slippery chicken skin.

The come-apart blades are easy to clean and offer effortless wiping of hard-to-reach spaces. Overall, the OXO Good Grips Professional are the best heavy-duty poultry shears for cutting bones and thighs without requiring a lot of effort, thanks to their premium stainless steel blades.

You can also buy these poultry shears at WalmartWilliams Sonoma


Gerior Come Apart Kitchen Shears

Gerior Come Apart Kitchen Shears
Gerior Come Apart Kitchen Shears

Specifications

  • Material: Stainless Steel
  • Weight: 6.9 Ounce
  • Dimensions: 9.25×3.85×0.7 Inches

What We Like

  • Serrated blades for efficient cuts
  • Ergonomic rubbery handle for firm grip
  • Rust-resistant durable material
  • Ideal for cutting poultry, seafood, and vegetables

What We Don’t Like

  • Not dishwasher safe
  • Not perfect for cutting large bones

The Gerior Kitchen Shears have ultra-sharp and long-lasting stainless-steel blades that meet the high standard thickness and the ideal length for heavy-duty cuts. The incorporated spring-loaded handles prevent hand strain and help you cut the poultry and other foods, making it an excellent choice for the cooking enthusiast.

You can use Gerior Kitchen Shears to cut through thick meat, small bones, and fish scales. For non-slip cutting operations, the robust bone-shaped pivot prevents the blades from coming apart while making cuts. Moreover, you can adjust the degree of a grip according to the food thickness for a safer and more efficient operation.

The ergonomic plastic handles with a rubbery and velvety texture offer excellent grip; hence, they are ideal poultry shears for both right- and left-handed cooks. I was able to open firmly sealed bottles, nuts, or crack crabs using the steel teeth between the handles. After using them at the barbecue, cutting hard plastic and cardboard, and trimming plants in the garden, I can confidently recommend this poultry shear for the kitchen.

The premium stainless-steel body is durable and less prone to corrosion or bents. For ease of cleaning, the adjustable locks allow you to perform efficient wiping. The thick blades and large handles offer a higher level of strength and durability. Priced under $20, this is the best budget kitchen scissors for cutting chicken, turkey, and fish.

You can also buy these poultry shears at WalmartStorkz


Henckels Kitchen Shears for Poultry

HENCKELS Kitchen Shears for Poultry
HENCKELS Kitchen Shears

Specifications

  • Material: Stainless Steel
  • Weight: 9.0 Ounce
  • Dimensions: 4×1.5×12.5 Inches

What We Like

  • Blade locking mechanism for safety
  • Serrated blades to cut tough materials
  • The velvety plastic handle for a good grip
  • Budget-friendly price

What We Don’t Like

  • Not good for cutting larger bones

The high-grade stainless-steel blade, firmly fitted with plastic handles, is the signature of Henckels poultry shears. Its serrated blade design lets you cut tough meats and soft bones conveniently.

The Henckels Kitchen Shears have a looped design on the handle to perfectly fit your hands without slipping. I used these shears to cut thick meat, small bones, and other food items. The best part is that the design allows adjusting the blade opening length according to the food you want to cut.

The steel teeth on the blade just before the serrated surface can be used as a bottle opener. Although you can use Henckels Kitchen Shears to cut young plants or flowers in the garden, I wouldn’t recommend it for cutting plant twigs as it may damage serrated blades.

These kitchen shears are dishwasher safe, but hand washing is recommended with hot and soapy water. Moreover, the stainless-steel blade is easy to clean, and the plain plastic handle doesn’t allow much food to stick.

You can also buy these poultry shears at WalmartZwilling


Silver Armadillo Poultry Shears

Silver Armadillo Poultry Shears

Features & Specs:

  • Material: wood, stainless steel
  • Weight: 14.9 ounces
  • Dimension: 11.02 x 5.04 x 1.26 inches

What We Like

  • A tough and durable product
  • Ergonomic design
  • Sharp stainless-steel blades
  • Comfortable to use and easy to clean
  • Safety lock handle

What We Don’t Like

  • Cannot disassemble for thorough clean
  • Not dishwasher safe

The Silver Armadillo Poultry Shears are the best choice for cutting chicken, turkey, and other kitchen food items. I have been using them for 2 months and I am most impressed by their cutting performance, sturdy blades, and safety lock. Its most outstanding features are its food-grade stainless steel construction and safety lock. Whether you want to make a gourmet meal or cook supper for your family, it will be a great companion in your kitchen.

The wooden ergonomic handles provide an easy and non-slip grip to cut the chicken bones easily. The stainless-steel blades are sharp, durable, and corrosion-resistant. Its safety lock ensures keeping the blades in their place after use.

However, cleaning these shears is a major concern as the blades are not detachable, which may restrict the thorough cleaning. Moreover, they are not dishwasher safe, but hand cleaning is easy. Just use warm and soapy water and clean your poultry shears with ease.

You can use this pair of kitchen shears for cutting crabs, noodles, lobsters, chicken bones, dry fruits, tomatoes, broccoli, bread, and more. You can even use them to cut thin, hard, and slippery foods.


Heirloom Culinary Poultry Shears

Specifications

  • Material: Plastic and Stainless Steel
  • Weight: 12.8 Ounce
  • Dimensions: 11.6×4.1×1.1 Inches

What We Like

  • Ergonomic handle
  • Multipurpose kitchen shears
  • The sharp blade can cut thin metal sheets
  • Corrosion-resistant stainless-steel blade

What We Don’t Like

  • Expensive

The Heirloom Culinary Poultry Shears are the top-rated chicken shears and are excellent for cutting meat, lobster, poultry, bones, turkey, fish, and more. Their stainless-steel construction won’t make you feel tired even after hours of cutting meat. The blades are sharp enough to cut thin metal and plastic sheets.

The adjustable hinge nut allows you to tighten the pair of pliers according to your needs. Most importantly, the spring-loaded handle offers better control and grip. These shears come with handles that don’t come apart no matter how wide you open the blades.

The design of Heirloom Culinary Poultry Shears best suits ambidextrous persons. Interestingly, their attractive packaging makes them a great gift for a chef or someone who loves to cook.

Overall, these are the best-rated poultry shears recommended for boning, butterflying, and spatchcocking. As far as cleaning is concerned, the plastic-built handle is relatively easy to wipe, and the blades are wide enough to clean them thoroughly.

You can also buy these poultry shears at eBayKmart


T-Trees Heavy Duty Kitchen Shears

T-Trees Heavy Duty Kitchen Shears
T-Trees Heavy Duty Kitchen Shears

Specifications

  • Material: Stainless Steel
  • Weight: 7.1 Ounce
  • Dimensions: 9.84×4.02×1.06 Inches

What We Like

  • Rust-resistant stainless steel build
  • Scissors’ cover for safe storage and easy carriage
  • Safe to wash in the dishwasher
  • Best for BBQ or mild cuttings at home

What We Don’t Like

  • Difficult to clean

The T-Trees is a trusted brand in making poultry scissors. Thanks to their serrated blade design these multipurpose scissors are best for cutting bones, ribs, chicken wings, large meats, poultry, vegetables, and seafood, or even taking off fish scales.

The ultra-sharp stainless steel blade is secure and easy to grip. These are lightweight and efficient scissors that come with a matching sheath to cover blades for safe storage. Like its competitor Henckels, it also features a steel tooth placed between the handles. However, its tooth is serrated and comparatively narrow which makes it easy to open any sealed bottles, nuts, or crack-crab shells. In addition to kitchen use, you may use them in cutting cupboards, papers, and hard plastic.

T-Trees poultry scissors are dishwasher safe, make sure to dry them completely before storage, and don’t soak them in water for too long. The lightweight and added cover make them suitable to carry anywhere in your backpack or to use as Barbecue scissors.


NOVASKO Premium Poultry Shears

NOVASKO Premium Poultry Shears
NOVASKO Premium Poultry Shears

Specifications

  • Material: Stainless Steel
  • Weight: 7.84 Ounce
  • Dimensions: 10.9×2.4×0.71 Inches

What We Like

  • Handle design for less fatigue
  • Multi-tasking poultry shears
  • Best for kitchen and outdoor use
  • Razor sharp serrated blade
  • Professional design to suit every chef

What We Don’t Like

  • You need some practice to utilize handles effectively

The NOVASKO premium poultry shears are multipurpose scissors that can be used as a kitchen knife, chopper, bottle opener, or pliers. Furthermore, the professional design suits both restaurants and luxury kitchens.

These poultry shears come with a unique handle design that perfectly suits small and large-sized hands while offering a comfortable grip. The handle slabs are fitted with stainless steel screws to provide more strength and durability. You can make harder cuttings evenly, thanks to its ambidextrous handle design.

Its well-shaped grip and razor-sharp blade make it an excellent choice for kitchen and outdoor tasks; besides cutting meats, it’s equally perfect for BBQ and other outdoor activities. The serrated razor-sharp blade chops more pretentious meat or larger bones. 

Regarding durability, NOVASKO’s premium poultry shears are carved using food-grade stainless steel, which survives even during the most challenging jobs. Additionally, it has full tang construction, preventing blades from moving apart during tedious tasks. While cleaning, wash it with your hands using warm water and dry it thoroughly before storage.

You can also buy these poultry shears at KmartWalmart


TANSUNG Come Apart Poultry Shears

TANSUNG Come Apart Poultry Shears
TANSUNG Come Apart Poultry Shears

Specifications

  • Material: Alloy Steel
  • Weight: 12.0 Ounce
  • Dimensions: 9.5x3x1.3 Inches

What We Like

  • Detachable design for easy cleaning
  • Built-in bottle opener and nutcracker
  • Three-mode locking design
  • Spring-loaded mode for efficient cuttings
  • Sturdy and comfortable grip

What We Don’t Like

  • Proper maintenance is required to save from rust

TANSUNG come-apart poultry shears feature a unique design to provide you with the best cutting experience. These multipurpose kitchen scissors take your food preparation skills to the next level by saving time and energy. The sharp serrated blade is efficient in cutting hard materials or removing fish scales, while the built-in bottle or cane opener is excellent to help you in a potluck party. Moreover, the nutcracker inside the handle is quite impressive.

The ergonomic handle is designed to keep comfort level in mind; you can use it for hours without getting tired. The three-mode locking pattern improves the efficiency and safety of these shears. In a way, the safety locking mode prevents accidental cuts, the spring-loaded mode lowers the strain on your hand, and the detaching mode assures safe and efficient cleaning. Moreover, the alloy steel construction is excellent for performing tougher tasks.


Wusthof WU5558 Kitchen Shears

Wusthof WU5558 Kitchen Shears
Wusthof WU5558 Kitchen Shears

Specifications

  • Material: High Carbon Steel
  • Weight: 4.0 Ounce
  • Dimensions: 8×0.5×3 Inches

What We Like

  • Incorporated bottle or jar opener
  • Easy to clean and resharpen
  • Lightweight and easy to carry
  • Come apart design for easy cleaning
  • Excellent grip point for both hands

What We Don’t Like

  • Can catch rust if cleaned by dishwasher

The Wusthof Kitchen Shears is one of the best poultry shears recommended by America’s Test Kitchen. Shaped using high carbon stainless steel with the come apart feature, it is an excellent choice for many. Besides dealing with poultry, these shears are good for snipping flowers, herbs, strings, clothes, and carpets.

The come-apart mechanism is handy, preventing rust or bacterial growth between the blades. Lift the plastic cap from the screw, to take apart shears for resharpening or cleaning. Additionally, the bone-notch synthetic handles provide excellent grip and come with a lifetime warranty.

The razor-sharp blades are curved slightly inward to meet at a targeted place to perform the cutting action smoothly and precisely. For extra grip over the cutting material, the serrations on the blade prevent any slippage. The looped design on both handles allows you to cut meats effortlessly and securely. In addition, steel tooth insets on both handles enable you to open bottles or jars.

You can also buy these poultry shears at Koch & KochinWalmart


SMTENG Poultry Shears

SMTENG Poultry Shears
SMTENG Poultry Shears

Specifications

  • Material: Stainless Steel
  • Weight: 10.6 Ounce
  • Dimensions: 10.24×2.76×1.18 Inches

What We Like

  • Razor-sharp stainless steel blade
  • Locking blade feature for safety
  • Non-slippery handle for a comfortable grip
  • Easy to clean and maintain

What We Don’t Like

  • You need some skills to use handles perfectly

The SMTENG Poultry Shears are designed using a stainless steel blade that comes razor-sharp and can easily cut all kinds of meats, poultry, bones, and other food items. Additionally, a seamless connection of knife edges makes it less slippery, and you will find it fun to cut heavy meats effortlessly. The efficient sharpness makes it suitable for kitchen and outdoor camping BBQ use.

These Shears have a built-in spring opening and closing mechanism, automatic rebound pattern, and superior durability. Additionally, wooden handles offer a comfortable grip. Most importantly, these kitchen shears, carved by wire drawing technology, deliver delicate aesthetics and premium quality. The locking blade feature allows convenient storage and use. To make it practical, you need to push the scissors forward for locking and gently pull the hook lock outward to open it. The incorporated bottle opener can help you in your hour of need.

The stainless-steel construction is excellent in making these kitchen shears more durable and rust or corrosion-resistant. The lightweight and innovative design makes SMTENG poultry scissors best for fishing, camping, picnics, or gardening.


Wusthof Poultry Shears

Wusthof Poultry Shears
Wusthof Poultry Shears

Specifications

  • Material: Stainless Steel
  • Weight: 7.5 Ounce
  • Dimensions:10.04×2.52×0.98 Inches

What We Like

  • Ergonomic handle for easy grip
  • Razor-sharp Stainless-steel blade
  • One looped handle design for sturdy control
  • The non-slippery coating on the handle
  • Slightly curved blade to cut efficiently

What We Don’t Like

  • Handles size fits large hands only

These Wusthof Poultry Shears use stainless steel blades with slightly curved shapes to ensure more precise use. Ideally, you can use them for chicken, duck, turkey, or goose. The internal spring mechanism between the handles and blades ensures fatigue-free cutting.

The single-looped ergonomic handles offer a secure grip over extensive use. Moreover, the blades can be taken apart for efficient cleaning. In addition, the one-sided smooth blade design makes these shears perfect for cutting other objects like clothes, young plants, or flowers. These poultry shears are ideal kitchen essentials for cutting purposes.

You can also buy these poultry shears at WusthofWalmart


Buying Tips For Poultry Shears

Every kitchen needs a pair of the best poultry shears; they can make your food preparation job much easier. Numerous Kitchen accidents happen each year, so to save you from any trouble, we have precisely explained the important features that must be present in your poultry shears.

Difference between Poultry shears and scissors

Both scissors and shears have two blades and handles, but they differ in the handle size and shape and the blade length.

Specifically, the scissors have a blade length of 6 inches or less with symmetrical and equally sized handle loops. On the other hand, the poultry shears have blades equal to or longer than 6 inches, with the bottom handle bigger and more elongated in shape, or sometimes they come with one looped handle while other straight handles offer different jobs.

What Blades Material is Good for Poultry Shears?

You must consider the blade material carefully. Many kinds of blades are available in shears depending on their price range. But after thorough research, we conclude that you must select shears that contain either stainless steel or alloy steel because the food-graded metals are excellent for acting as cutters. Let’s discuss why they are so good.

Stainless steel is a popular material for carving knives or scissors blades, and poultry shears having this construction are considered best. This is because stainless steel is corrosion-resistant, durable, temperature-resistant, easy to maintain, environmentally friendly, and has high tensile strength.

Alloy Steel incorporates more alloying elements in comparison to standard steel. Hence, the blades sculptured using this material proffer enhanced toughness, hardness, wear resistance, corrosion, and edge retention. But very few poultry shears have alloy steel as a blade material.

Multipurpose or Dedicated Poultry Shears?

Some poultry shears are only dedicated to cutting poultry and are not suitable for other tasks, while other models are multipurpose to perform different functions like slicing herbs, leaves, cheese, fish, and thin plastic or metal sheets. Additionally, you can use them in outdoor tasks like BBQ making. No matter what type you choose, they must be sturdy enough to cut heavy meats, large bones, and seafood. Which one to grab will indeed depend on your choice and budget.

Other Features You Need to Consider

After selecting the blade material and type of your poultry shears, you must consider the following attributes in your best poultry shears.

  • Handles: The first thing to consider while buying the best poultry shears is the size of the handles that must effectively fit your hands’ size. But don’t forget to look at the grip strength; handles must be made of non-slippery material to provide extra stability and security. The most commonly used anti-slippery materials are polypropylene and silicon. Next, the handle’s shape must be designed to offer a comfortable grip and be holdable from either side. An ambidextrous design is an ideal shape for both right- and left-handed people.  
  • Spring-Loaded Design: The ease of use depends on the built-in springs, and you will be required to apply a little force in one direction, even to cut hard meats. Some shears don’t come with springs and are still efficient, but we highly recommend you pick one with a spring-loaded design to ease your cutting job.
  • Blade Length and Serrations: Besides selecting excellent blade material, you must know the exact blade length to grab the best poultry shears. A very long blade often performs fewer strokes to get the job done. Another factor to consider is the presence of micro serrations on the blade. This helps the scissors during the action and helps them glide efficiently without slipping or sliding off. Shortly, the serrations on the edges of one or both blades allow excellent gripping over slippery materials.
  • Overall Strain: While considering the knife’s mechanism or the springs’ tension, the overall strain should be minimal. Notably, the best poultry shears are not too loose to open nor too tight or stiff to use, which otherwise can damage the blades. Therefore, you must choose the shears which are easy to open and close. Avoid rickety pairs of shears as they are awkward to use and wouldn’t provide essential controls while cutting hard meats.
  • Curved or Straight blades: The kitchen shears have curved and straight blades. Curved blades are beneficial for cutting poultry, while straight blades are often multipurpose for cutting vegetables, fruits, seafood, and poultry slicing. You may also see our recommended vegetable choppers to cut vegetables.
  • Maintenance: The non-serrated edges can be sharpened with a whetstone to keep the blades razor-sharp. While for serrated edges, professional sharpening is required. Each serration needs to be honed separately with the proper tool, which demands much precision and effort. So, you can do this job yourself or hire a professional to keep your blades in good condition.
  • Cleaning: Proper cleaning and maintenance of poultry shears isn’t a piece of cake, but if you followed the guidelines, you would be able to hold the easy-to-maintain pair. Although some kitchen shears are dishwasher-safe, try washing them with your hands for durability. If your blades are carved using carbon, wipe them with a lightly oiled cloth, and for a set of the adjustable pivot, screw drop oil on the screw. Whenever you wash your shears with water, don’t forget to dry them thoroughly before storing them for too long, this will surely help to increase the lifespan of your best poultry shears.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to use poultry shears?

The poultry shears come with different handle designs and blade lengths. All you need to do is hold the handles firmly with dry hands, open the blade according to the required food dimensions, and then press the handles inwards to make a cut. The serrated blades firmly grip the meat, while smooth edges help pass the blade through messy skins.

How to sharpen poultry shears?

To get good mileage out of the poultry shears, keep them razor-sharp with periodic sharpening and resharpening. Some kitchen shears have come apart in design which can ease the sharpening process. To sharpen the blades, break out the sharpening stone, then place the flat inner side of the scissor blades on the stone and give it 10 strokes to get fresh metal edges.

How to cut roast duck with poultry shears?

Hold the best poultry shears in your hand and put the blade notch in the middle of the roasted duck breast to cut between the breast and legs. Next, cut the legs from the downside and remove them from the breast. To effectively remove the breast, keep the blade shears close to the breastbone and ribcage and make a deep cut with the shears. Finally, the breast will be ready to slice into portions.

How do poultry shears work?

Poultry shears are dedicated to cutting meats only, or they can be multi-functional to perform different tasks. So, the poultry shears are operational in the kitchen for cutting meats, vegetables, fruits, and other food products. They have a pair of blades incorporated into the handles to work speedily, just like scissors.

How to use eclipse poultry shears- hollow?

These poultry shears are similar to others; they differ in the handle design. The handles are often designed for eclipse poultry shears to grip the scissors to make massive cuts effectively. You need to hold handles in both hands, pull them apart, place the blade at the cutting point, and finally force them inwards to realize any cut.

Hello!! My name is Adalynn I love to eat, travel, and eat some more! I am married to the man of my dreams and have a beautiful little girl whose smiles can brighten anyone’s day!