The Versatile Kitchen Tool That Doesn't Get Nearly Enough Use With Food

In a world full of high-end kitchen tools and appliances like immersion circulators, air fryers, and pizza ovens, sometimes it is the most basic tools that we forget are the most essential. Along with knives and spatulas, a pair of good kitchen shears is one of our favorite tools to have on hand for a multitude of uses. While some are merely scissors and others are a heftier pair of shears, either type deserves a place in your cooking at home, and for the most part, can be used interchangeably.

Since we are big fans of spoon salads, we are constantly reaching for kitchen shears when we cannot be bothered to drag out a knife and cutting board. The simple tool is great for cutting thin slices of meat, like Korean bulgogi, into bite-sized pieces that are easier to eat, and for cutting grilled chicken thighs into a dice as they are the perfect height to fit in between the blades. A pair of heavy duty kitchen shears is the best way to cut the backbone out of poultry, known as spatchcocking, and they can easily crack through thick crab or lobster shells while at the same time being delicate enough to aid in peeling shrimp. Obviously ideal for cutting parchment paper to the proper size for cake pans, scissors are also good for trimming excess pie dough. Scissors are also great for cutting your children's food, and you can even do this directly on their little plastic plates with compartments. Scissors even make perfect pizza cutters, and work for quesadillas and flatbreads as well.

Scissors are handy for cutting messy ingredients in their own containers that would be difficult to chop by hand, like whole tomatoes in a can. In a similar way to save yourself a messy cleanup, scissors are perfect for cutting bacon into small strips or squares either before or after cooking, as you only have to wash the scissors and your hands, saving your cutting board from raw meat clean up. They are the ultimate tool to help evade getting spicy residue on your fingers that you need to be wary of, as scissors are great for slicing rounds of small, hot peppers like serrano or bird's eye chile. Hold the pepper by its stem and cut slices off starting at the tip and working your way toward the stem.

While you could go out and buy a separate pair of fancy scissors to use strictly for herbs, you really do not need to as long as your kitchen shears are relatively sharp and you cut with purpose. Ideal for slicing chives or scallions and heartier herbs like rosemary, parsley, or cilantro, scissors can also cut softer herbs like basil and mint, however sometimes those are best when torn by hand to avoid bruising. One important things to note about incorporating scissors or kitchen shears into your everyday cooking is to make sure that they are cleaned properly — before and after using with food. If they come apart individually, make sure to separate both halves of the shears to really clean them well, especially if you have been working with raw meat or fatty foods.