Top 8 Uses for Kitchen Shears

Kitchen shears are a multifaceted tool essential to the modern kitchen, far surpassing their basic function of cutting. Specifically designed for culinary tasks, they are adept at handling everything from trimming meats and snipping herbs to specialized roles like opening containers, crushing garlic, and even unscrewing compartments in kitchen gadgets. Constructed from durable materials like high-carbon stainless steel and often featuring ergonomic designs, these shears are equipped with various built-in tools and mechanisms that cater to a wide array of kitchen needs, consolidating many kitchen tasks into one handy instrument.

In this article, we are going to learn more about kitchen shears and how to use them. We’ll discover all the different ways they can be used in the kitchen, from cutting herbs to helping us bake. We’ll talk about why they are stronger and more helpful than normal scissors. We’ll also discuss the special features of some kitchen shears, like being able to crack nuts or open bottles.

Parts of kitchen shears

Here are the main parts of kitchen shears:

1. Blades: Kitchen shears typically have a blade length of 3-4 inches, although this can vary. These blades are usually crafted from high-carbon stainless steel, which is known for its durability and rust resistance. The blades often have different edge designs – one may be smooth, and the other could have a micro-serrated edge. The serrated edge provides a gripping mechanism, preventing items like poultry skin from slipping during the cutting process.
2. Handles or Grips: The handles of kitchen shears are designed with ergonomics in mind to allow for comfortable and secure handling. The handles can be composed of plastic, metal, or rubber. In terms of design, ‘offset handles’—where one handle is larger than the other—can provide better leverage and force distribution, particularly useful when cutting through hard materials like bones.
3. Pivot Screw or Bolt: This component joins the two blades together, allowing them to rotate or swivel. Some shears feature an adjustable pivot screw, allowing the user to control the tension between the blades, which may improve cutting precision and ease.
4. Safety Lock: A safety lock, typically located at the end of the handles, locks the blades in a closed position when the shears are not in use, preventing accidental injury and facilitating safe storage.
5. Bottle Opener: An additional feature found on some kitchen shears, usually incorporated into one of the blades, useful for popping caps off bottles.
6. Nutcracker: Some shears include a nutcracker function, usually found in the inner area of the handle. This feature can be used to crack hard shells of nuts or shellfish.
7. Herb Stripper: Certain models come with an herb stripper, essentially a hole of a specific diameter built into one of the handles. This can be used to strip the leaves off herbs like rosemary or thyme.
8. Bone Notch: The central groove on a pair of kitchen shears, also sometimes referred to as a bone notch, fulcrum, or groove, is a feature designed to assist with specific cutting tasks. The central groove is typically located near the base of the blades, close to the pivot point. It can be used to hold items in place while cutting, preventing them from slipping between the blades. This is particularly useful for harder items such as small bones in poultry or shellfish, or even for holding round or cylindrical items in place. This feature may not be present on all kitchen shears, as it depends on the design and intended use of the shears. For example, shears designed for tasks like herb cutting or pastry work may not have a central groove, as it’s not necessary for these uses. However, for shears intended for heavy-duty kitchen work or for multi-purpose uses, a central groove can be a very useful feature.

How are kitchen shears different from regular scissors?

Kitchen shears are built for durability, ease of use, and hygiene, making them well-suited for various culinary tasks. Regular scissors are designed for lighter duties, usually involving paper or fabric, and lack the specialized features that make kitchen shears so versatile and efficient for food preparation tasks. Kitchen shears and regular scissors are both cutting tools, but they are designed for different functions and therefore incorporate various design attributes to meet their specific requirements.

Starting with the blades, kitchen shears usually have heavier, thicker blades made of high-carbon stainless steel to tackle robust and sometimes tough materials like meat, fish, or herbs. The thickness and quality of the metal provide extra durability and resistance to corrosion, which are essential attributes for a tool frequently used with food. On the other hand, the blades of regular scissors are often thinner and may be made of various materials, such as stainless steel or even plastic for the more budget-friendly options. These blades are more suited for lighter duties like cutting paper, thread, or thin fabric.

The handles of the two types also vary in design and function. Kitchen shears often come with ergonomic, non-slip handles designed for a comfortable and secure grip, even when wet. Some models include additional features, such as built-in nutcrackers, jar openers, or bottle openers. Regular scissors usually lack these features, as they are geared toward tasks like crafting or light office work. Their handles may be plastic or metal and are generally designed for dry use, often lacking the ergonomic features that make kitchen shears more suited for strenuous or slippery tasks.

Another differentiating factor is the ease of cleaning. Many kitchen shears are designed to be taken apart for easy, thorough cleaning, an essential attribute considering they often come into contact with raw food. Being able to disassemble them also makes it easier to sharpen the blades. In contrast, regular scissors are typically not designed to be disassembled, which makes them less suitable for tasks that require a high level of hygiene.

Standard uses of kitchen shear

Kitchen shears are versatile tools that can handle a variety of tasks in the kitchen. They are specially designed for culinary uses, differing from regular scissors in their build and sharpness. They are known for their durability, often made from high-quality stainless steel, and are usually comfortable to hold and operate. Here’s a breakdown of their standard uses:

Meat

Kitchen shears are incredibly useful when it comes to handling meat. They can trim the fat off cuts of meat with precision, ensuring that only the unwanted parts are removed. Additionally, shears are especially handy when spatchcocking poultry. This involves cutting out the backbone of a chicken or turkey to flatten it for roasting. Using kitchen shears makes this process significantly easier than using a knife. They’re also beneficial for cutting up smaller pieces of cooked meats like bacon strips or for snipping the wings off poultry.

The scissor’s unique design allows for a combination of slicing and shearing actions. The curvature and alignment of the blades enable them to slide through meat fibers with minimal resistance. Micro-serrations often present on one or both blades prevent the meat from slipping out while cutting.

Seafood

When dealing with seafood, especially shellfish, kitchen shears become an essential tool. They can be used to trim the fins off fish, cut through the shells of crab and lobster, or even devein shrimps. The sharpness of the shears allows for precision, ensuring the meat inside remains intact and presentable. Moreover, they’re indispensable when preparing squid, making it easy to remove the head and tentacles.

The importance of kitchen shear design is highlighted with seafood. The sharp tips can pierce tough exoskeletons, while the leverage provided by the handle design ensures consistent force. Some shears also come with specialized notches near the pivot point, designed to crack shells.

Bread and pastries

While not their primary use, kitchen shears can indeed be helpful with bread and pastries. They can be used to snip off the corners of pie dough or cut strips for a lattice pie top. They also come in handy for slicing pizza. When cutting bread or pastries, it’s the scissor’s ability to generate shearing forces that make them effective, preventing the bread or pastry from being overly compressed.

Fruit and vegetables

Kitchen shears can be employed in multiple ways for fruits and vegetables. They’re great for tasks like snipping the ends off green beans, hulling strawberries, or cutting grapes into smaller clusters. For dried fruits, shears easily chop them for recipes. The technique involves a more direct snipping action. The pivot point is designed to maximize mechanical advantage, ensuring that even tough stems or fibrous fruits can be cut with minimal strain. Some shears may also have specialized blade surfaces for a better grip.

Herbs

Kitchen shears shine in the realm of herbs. Instead of chopping on a cutting board, many chefs and home cooks use shears to snip herbs directly into dishes. This method prevents bruising and preserves freshness. The precision with which kitchen shears handle herbs is due to their pointed tips, allowing for precise cuts and reduced cell damage.

Other standard uses

Beyond food preparation, kitchen shears are useful for other tasks like opening food packages, cutting twine, or snipping fresh flowers. Their robust construction allows them to handle harder tasks, like cutting through thin bones or cartilage. The pivot point, typically made of a hardened steel bolt or rivet, ensures durability. The ergonomics of the handles, often designed with soft-grip materials, provide comfort during extended use.

Special uses of kitchen shear

Beyond the traditional cutting and snipping roles, modern kitchen shears are often designed with multiple features to handle a variety of specialized tasks. This makes them even more versatile and indispensable in the kitchen. Their designs have evolved to include built-in tools and mechanisms to cater to an array of needs beyond just cutting.

Opening containers

Many kitchen shears come equipped with a section between the handles designed specifically to open stubborn jar lids. This section often has a serrated or grooved texture, allowing the user to grip and twist jar lids with ease. Using the shears provides additional leverage, making it easier to break the vacuum seal and open the container. This is particularly handy for those with weaker grips or when dealing with a particularly stubborn lid.

Opening bottles

Some kitchen shears feature a built-in bottle opener in their design. This is usually located at the base of one of the handles, providing a convenient way to pop open bottle caps without searching for a separate bottle opener. The principle here is simple leverage: the cap is placed in the notch of the opener, and with a simple pivoting motion using the shear’s handle, the cap comes off easily.

Crushing objects

The space between the handles of many kitchen shears, closer to the pivot point, often contains a rounded or ridged section. This is designed for crushing small objects like garlic cloves, cracking open nuts, or even breaking the shells of seafood like crab claws. The principle is to use the mechanical advantage provided by the scissor mechanism to apply force effectively, making crushing or cracking much easier than by hand or with a less specialized tool.

Screwing and unscrewing

While not as common, some high-end or multi-purpose kitchen shears come equipped with a screwdriver tip, usually at the end of one of the handles. This can be particularly useful for quickly tightening a loose screw in the kitchen or even unscrewing a compartment of a kitchen gadget or toy for cleaning. While not a replacement for a full-fledged screwdriver, it serves in a pinch and adds to the multi-functionality of the shears.

How to clean your kitchen shears

Cleaning your kitchen shears is essential for maintaining their functionality and ensuring they remain safe for use. Here’s how to disassemble, clean, and maintain them:

Disassembling

Most kitchen shears are designed to come apart for cleaning. If your shears can be separated, here’s how to do it:

1. Open the blades wide: This is usually the starting point for any shears that can be taken apart.
2. Find the pivot point: This is the location where the two blades intersect and pivot.
3. Separate the blades: Depending on the design, you might be able to pull the blades apart gently. Others might have a latch or mechanism to release. Refer to your manufacturer’s instructions if you’re unsure.

Cleaning

Once you have disassembled your shears, you can give them a thorough cleaning:

1. Soak in warm soapy water: Fill your sink or a bowl with warm soapy water. Place the blades in the water and let them soak for a few minutes. This will help dissolve any food residue or grease.
2. Scrub with a brush: Using a scrubbing brush or an old toothbrush, scrub the blades, ensuring you clean both the inner and outer surfaces. Pay special attention to the pivot point and the grooves, as food particles often get trapped there.
3. Rinse thoroughly: Once you’ve scrubbed away any residue, rinse the blades under running water. Ensure all the soap is rinsed off.
4. Sanitize (optional but recommended): To ensure your shears are free from harmful bacteria, consider soaking them in a solution of one tablespoon of bleach to a gallon of water for a few minutes. Rinse thoroughly with water afterward.
5. Dry immediately: To prevent rusting, dry the shears immediately with a clean towel. Leave them apart and allow them to air dry completely before reassembling.

Maintaining

To keep your kitchen shears in good working condition:

1. Oil them occasionally: Apply a small amount of mineral oil or a food-safe lubricant at the pivot point. This will keep the motion smooth and prevent rust.
2. Sharpen them: Over time, the blades might become dull. Use a sharpening tool specifically designed for shears or consider getting them professionally sharpened.
3. Store properly: Don’t just throw your shears in a drawer. Keep them in a sheath, or in a specific location where they won’t get damaged or harm someone reaching into the drawer.

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