Pampered Chef Kitchen Shears

I first wrote about kitchen shears in 2008 — yes, 2008 — when I discovered the Pampered Chef brand. At that time I had a blog called Suddenly Frugal and I discovered the money-saving versatility of this tool, sometimes called kitchen scissors.

What are kitchen shears?

Kitchen shears are one of the most underrated and underused kitchen tools. They slice through herbs, snip meat with precision and tackle tasks that would break regular scissors. These handy tools turn kitchen headaches into jobs you can complete in seconds.

In addition, they can save you time and effort. They’re often faster and more efficient than knives for basic kitchen jobs. Incorporating kitchen shears into your cooking routine will help you discover ways to streamline your meal preparation process.

They’re also useful outside the kitchen. I’ve used my shears to trim wire when I made jewelry with my kids. I’ve also used them for cutting ribbon when I was wrapping presents.

Originally, I owned Pampered Chef brand shears but they don’t seem to exist anymore. I found this brand called Jero that makes the same kitchen shears from Portugal, which is where my Pampered Chef kitchen scissors originated.

How kitchen shears save me money

I was in the butcher department, and chicken tenderloins were on “sale.” That’s in quotes because while tenderloins might be on sale, they’re never cheap. I glanced briefly at the on-sale price — the per-pound price — and realized that even on sale, they’re twice as much as regular old chicken breasts.

And then it dawned on me that I never have to buy anything but the cheapest chicken breasts. That’s because these kitchen shears allow me to trim chicken breasts however I need to use them.

So one night I might just have to trim off a little fat and toss them on the grill. Another night, if we’re having fajitas, I’ll use the shears to cut the chicken breast into strips.

On a night when we’re having stir-fry, I’ll get out the shears again and cut the chicken breast into chunks. Then, when I’m done, they go into the dishwasher to be sanitized. Because the shears are made from stainless steel, they do not rust and that makes cleaning up a snap.

Common uses

Let’s tackle the basics first. Kitchen shears excel at the everyday jobs that make you wonder how you ever managed without them. From snipping herbs to trimming fat, these tasks will have you reaching for your shears almost daily.

Snipping herbs

One of the most common uses of kitchen shears is cutting fresh herbs quickly. Hold a bundle over a bowl, snip a few times and you’re done — no tedious chopping required. 

For larger herbs, like rosemary or thyme, you can strip the leaves by pulling the stem through the shear holes. Cutting herbs straight onto your plate makes garnishing easy.

Opening food packaging

Kitchen shears excel at opening stubborn food packaging. You can easily cut through plastic wrap, vacuum-sealed bags and thick plastic packaging. 

Use the shears to create a clean opening along the top for boxes of pasta, rice or cereal. When it is recycling time, these tools quickly break down boxes.

Cutting bones

Kitchen shears can also handle thin bones with ease. You can separate chicken wings, spatchcock a whole bird or break down quail — all without wrestling with a knife or making a mess. 

“I use my kitchen shears for deboning chicken,” explains Jere’ Cassidy of One Hot Oven. “Their sturdy and sharp design makes it much easier to cut around bones compared to using a knife.”

Cutting meat

Kitchen shears are invaluable tools for preparing cuts of meat. They glide through fat and connective tissue, giving you perfectly trimmed portions. 

They also make it easy to create even, bite-sized pieces of meat for stews or stir-fries. Cut the meat into strips against the grain, then snip the strips into smaller, uniform pieces. As Im mentioned earlier, they are a great, money-saving way to create chicken tenderloins without paying the chicken tenderloins per-pound price.

Cutting twine

Kitchen shears are ideal for cutting twine when trussing poultry or tying roasts. They provide a clean cut without fraying the ends. And they’ll snip the strings right off your finished pork roast without mangling your masterpiece.

Less common uses

Kitchen shears also shine at tasks you’d never expect. These handy tools can tackle a surprising range of jobs around the kitchen, making them even more useful than many cooks initially realize.

Cutting food already in a pan

Are the broccoli chunks in your beef and broccoli stir-fry too large? With kitchen shears, you can snip them right in the pan, cutting those too-big pieces down to size. There is no need to dump hot food back onto a cutting board.

Cutting pizza

Skip the pizza wheel and grab your kitchen shears instead. They glide through even the most loaded slices without sending toppings flying. 

Just start at the crust and snip your way to the center. Even a deep dish pizza with triple cheese doesn’t stand a chance, and you can easily cut kid-sized bites without the mess.

Slicing greens

With your kitchen shears, you can quickly prepare a salad. Hold a bunch of leafy greens and snip them directly into your salad bowl — no more wrestling with a knife and a cutting board.

Lettuce, kale and collard greens fall into perfect, uniform pieces. Compared to tearing by hand, you will achieve a more uniform cut. 

Slicing lobster shells

Kitchen shears cut right through stubborn lobster shells. There are no flying shell fragments or crushed meat — just clean cuts that let you get to the good stuff. They’re convenient for those tricky tail and claw shells.

“I use my kitchen shears for everything, from cutting cilantro and green onions to cutting chicken into bite-sized pieces,” says Gena Lazcano of Ginger Casa. “This is the precise reason why I have three different pairs.”

Precise cuts

Kitchen shears excel at precise cuts. Snip perfect parchment strips and trim pie crusts like a pro. No more jagged edges or wonky paper tears to mess up your holiday masterpiece.

Jar lids

Stubborn jar lids are no match for your kitchen shears. Place the handles around the edge of the lid and squeeze gently to break the seal. The grip provided by the scissors’ handles gives you extra leverage to twist off tough lids.

Nutcracker

Your kitchen shears can double as an effective nutcracker. Use the area near the pivot point to crack open nuts like walnuts, pecans and almonds. Place the nut between the blades and apply pressure slowly.

Bottle opener

Many kitchen shears feature a bottle opener built into the handle. Look for a small metal tab or hook on one side. Hook this under the edge of a bottle cap, and you can pop it off quickly and easily.

Screwdriver

In a pinch, kitchen shears can serve as a makeshift screwdriver. Use the tip of one blade to turn flathead screws. This works well for quick fixes when you can’t be bothered with a trip to the garage.

Embrace the convenience

With kitchen shears, you can skip a drawer full of specialized gadgets. They are the multi-tool of the cooking world. They snip herbs, trim fat, crack nuts and rescue you from stubborn packaging. I don’t know what I would do without my pair, which I’ve had for years and they still work as well as they did when they were brand new.

Portions of this article originally appeared on Food Drink Life.