How to Use Kitchen Shears | Cut Food, Not Fingers

Kitchen shears are one of the most versatile tools in the kitchen, yet most people only reach for them when carving a turkey. The truth is, learning how to use kitchen shears properly makes them a daily workhorse. They snip herbs, open packaging, trim meat, and even crack lobster claws. You just need to grip them right, use the correct technique, and keep them clean so they stay sharp and rust-free for years.

The Right Way To Grip Kitchen Shears

Always grip the handles with a firm but relaxed hold — the kind of pressure you’d use to steady a pen, not crush a can. Keep your fingers safely inside the handles, parallel to the blades and never in front of them.

Position your thumb through the smaller hole and your ring and middle fingers through the larger one, keeping your index finger resting along the outside of the handle for control. This indexed grip gives you far more precision than shoving all four fingers through the loop.

When cutting, use small, controlled snips rather than forcing the blades through food. Press the blades together in short bursts, moving the shears along the item as you go. This keeps the cut clean and gives you full control over where the blades land.

Everyday Cutting Techniques For Food And Packaging

Different tasks call for slightly different cutting angles. Herb snipping works best with quick, repeatable snips, while packaging needs a careful pinch near the seal line.

Snipping Fresh Herbs

Gather a small bunch and snip in small increments rather than making one broad chop. This works brilliantly over a salad bowl or directly in the pan — no cutting board needed. The short blades give you more control than a chef’s knife for delicate leaves like basil or cilantro.

Cutting Packaging Without Ruining The Contents

Slide the lower blade into the packet just below the seal, keeping the upper blade outside. Snip slowly in short bursts so you cut only the plastic and not the food inside. For resealable bags, cut below the zipper line to keep the seal working.

One source recommends using the wider blade to cut and the thinner blade to guide the cut. This keeps tension on the material and prevents tearing.

Breaking Down Poultry With Spring-Loaded Shears

Spring-loaded poultry shears work differently from standard scissors. Grip the handles tightly and press firmly on the blade to cut through chicken bones. The spring does the opening for you, which reduces hand fatigue. If your shears have a notch near the pivot, that’s a bone cracker — use it for joints and smaller bones.

If you’re in the market for a solid pair that handles all of these tasks well, our roundup of top-rated cooking shears for everyday kitchens breaks down the models worth buying.

How To Clean And Sharpen Kitchen Shears

Wash kitchen shears after every use with warm, soapy water, giving extra attention to the hinge area where food debris and bacteria collect. Dry them immediately with a clean towel — leaving water on the blades is the fastest way to invite rust.

If your shears come apart at the pivot, separate the blades for a deeper clean and let them air dry fully before reassembling. Some guidance recommends a light coat of food-safe oil on the blades and hinge after drying to protect against rust and keep the pivot smooth.

Common Mistakes And Safety Cautions

The most common error is sawing or pulling the shears through food instead of snipping. This tears the food, reduces control, and wears the blades unevenly. Another frequent mistake is using the shears at the wrong angle or holding your fingers too close to the blades.

Keep fingers behind the blades at all times, never in the cutting path. Avoid abrasive scouring pads that scratch blade surfaces, and remember that not all cleaning advice applies to every pair. Take-apart shears need different care than fixed models, and spring-loaded poultry shears sharpen differently than standard kitchen scissors.

When you cut raw chicken or other meat, sanitize the shears before using them on anything ready to eat. Food safety is the one area where shortcuts cost more than a ruined meal.