Kitchen Shears: Get Some!
A must have for the kitchen!
Have you ever wondered if you needed kitchen shears? The answer is YES. Almost anything that can be done with a knife can be done with shears more easily, and often more safely. Here is a short list of some kitchen tasks that are perfect for shears:
- Trimming any kind of meat, like chicken, pork, beef, fish and bacon
- Cutting meats into pieces or chunks
- Cutting herbs and salad greens
- Cutting dried fruit
- Trimming dough (like pie crusts, cookie dough, or pizzas dough)
- Cutting whole canned tomatoes
- Cutting vegetables (like cauliflower, broccoli, and asparagus)
- Cutting pita bread or quesadillas
- Cutting fresh noodles
- Cutting crab claws or legs
I could keep going, but you get the idea. Shears are especially good for use with foods that are slippery, thick, or hard. A good pair of shears will also come apart for easy cleaning and drying. This is important to prevent rust. Many times shears will have additional features, such as bottle openers or shell and nut crackers.
For a good multipurpose shear, you want shears that have a carbon steel blade or stainless steel. Handles may come in various styles and materials, but ideally you want something coated with silicon because it is comfortable to hold. Blades that are serrated and offset are better suited for cutting slippery foods and for cutting at an angle.
There are shears specifically for cutting poultry. These will be more curved, and may also have a blunt tip that can help prevent meat from tearing apart.
Herb shears (or just multipurpose shears) are so much easier and safer to use than trying to snip or cut with a knife. Once you try it this way, you will NEVER go back to chopping again!
A good pair of shears will cost anywhere from $15-$50. You get what you pay for, so don’t be afraid to invest in something that is high quality and will last a while. I also suggest buying more than one pair. There are 4 pairs of shears in my kitchen and there are days where I wish I had one more pair.
(I cook a lot……)
Happy snipping!
Mary