Best Kitchen Shears and Kitchen Scissors in Australia 2026

What are the best kitchen shears you can buy in Australia right now?

The best kitchen shears in Australia for most home cooks are the OXO Good Grips Kitchen and Herb Scissors. They carry the highest rating in this guide at 4.8 stars across more than 12,000 Amazon AU reviews, they pull apart at the hinge so you can wash them properly, and they have a clever herb stripper notch built into the handle. If you want a cheaper everyday pair, the KitchenAid All Purpose Shears do almost everything for around fifteen dollars. If you want a sturdy all-rounder that also opens stubborn jar lids, the Zwilling Twin shears sit nicely in the middle.

Kitchen scissors are one of those quietly essential tools that nobody talks about until theirs go blunt. When you are setting up a first kitchen, a good pair earns its place fast: spatchcocking a chook, snipping bacon straight into the pan, opening a vacuum-sealed bag of frozen peas, trimming the fat off a steak, cutting pizza, stripping rosemary, or just getting into the impossible plastic clamshell your new gadget came in. A flimsy pair from the two-dollar shop will frustrate you for years. A genuinely good pair costs less than a takeaway dinner and lasts a decade.

We are an Australian first-home-buyer site, so every pick below is sold on Amazon Australia with a real star rating and a real review count, and the picks are re-checked against Amazon AU stock regularly. No imaginary American products, no fabricated specs. Prices are in Australian dollars and move around with sales, so treat them as a guide rather than gospel.

The quick answer: our top kitchen shears at a glance

Here is the short version if you do not want to read all 4,000 words. Our top pick overall is the OXO Good Grips, our best value all-rounder is the Zwilling Twin, and our cheapest recommendation is the KitchenAid All Purpose. Below those three we cover four more strong options for specific needs, including heavy poultry work, left and right shared use, and a premium Japanese pair to match a nice knife block.

• Top pick: OXO Good Grips Kitchen and Herb Scissors, 4.8 stars, pull-apart and dishwasher friendly.
• Best value: Zwilling Twin Multi-Purpose Shears, 4.7 stars, with a built-in cap opener.
• Budget pick: KitchenAid All Purpose Shears, 4.7 stars, around fifteen dollars and the most reviewed pair here.
• Premium Swiss: Victorinox Kitchen Shears, 4.7 stars, micro-serrated and ambidextrous.
• For heavy poultry: Joseph Joseph PowerGrip with an integrated thumb grip for two-handed power.
• Premium Japanese: Global GKS-210, a single piece of steel to match a Global knife set.
• Made in Japan budget-plus: KAI Seki Magoroku DH-3311, a thick-bladed pull-apart pair.

Each card below carries the current Amazon Australia price.

How did we choose these kitchen shears?

We are an aggregator and editorial team, not a testing lab, so we are upfront about our method. We study the evidence rather than swinging the scissors ourselves, and we weight Australian buyer feedback heavily because a pair that ships fast and stays sharp in a Sydney kitchen is what actually matters to you.

• Real Amazon AU data. Every product is confirmed in stock on Amazon Australia with a genuine star rating and review count captured at the time of writing. We dropped any pair that was out of stock or thin on reviews.
• Australian review weighting. We read the most recent local reviews, not just the headline star number, to catch issues like weak magnets, rust in the hinge, or handles that are too small for larger hands.
• Spec verification. Blade material, blade edge, hand orientation and pull-apart capability are taken straight from each Amazon listing, not guessed.
• Use-case spread. We picked a range that covers budget buyers, herb gardeners, people who break down whole chickens, and anyone matching a premium knife set.
• Value for money. A pair that costs four times as much has to clearly earn it. Where it does not, we say so plainly.

Which kitchen scissors are best overall for most people? OXO Good Grips Kitchen and Herb Scissors

The OXO Good Grips Kitchen and Herb Scissors are the best all-round choice for most Australian kitchens. They earn a 4.8-star rating from more than 12,000 Amazon AU reviews, which is the highest rating of any pick in this guide. The micro-serrated stainless steel blades grip food so it does not slide while you cut, the soft cushioned handles take the pressure off your hand on repetitive jobs, and the blades pull fully apart so you can clean every bit of chicken fat and herb residue out of the hinge.

What sells these to first-home buyers is the thoughtfulness. The handle has a small herb stripper notch that pulls rosemary, thyme and oregano leaves cleanly off the stem, which is a genuine time saver if you cook from scratch. The cushioned grip is the same one OXO uses across its famous Good Grips range, so it stays comfortable even when your hands are wet or greasy. And because the two blades separate completely, you can run them through the dishwasher and put them back together in seconds, which matters more than people expect once you have used scissors that trap gunk forever.

Australian reviewers repeatedly describe them as the sharpest scissors they have owned and praise how easy they are to take apart and reassemble. Several keep two pairs in the kitchen so they are never without one. At a typical street price in the low twenties, they undercut several premium brands while rating higher than all of them, which is exactly why they take the top spot.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The pull-apart design is brilliant for cleaning but it has a flip side. A couple of reviewers note the blades can separate if you open the scissors too wide, and one mentioned a loose blade nearly catching their foot during washing. It is a minor habit to learn rather than a fault. They are also not built to power through dense bones; for spatchcocking a large bird repeatedly, a heavier dedicated pair like the Joseph Joseph below is a better tool. For everyday kitchen cutting, herbs and packaging, these are hard to beat.

What are the best value kitchen shears in Australia? Zwilling Twin Multi-Purpose Shears

The Zwilling Twin Multi-Purpose Shears are the best value all-rounder here. At around twenty five dollars they sit between the cheap pairs and the premium ones, and they bring a genuinely useful trick: a built in rotary cap opener in the handle that grips stubborn screw top jars and bottles. Zwilling has made cutlery in Germany since 1731, and while these particular shears are produced to a budget, the cutting action is sharp, precise and well regarded across more than 5,000 Amazon AU reviews at 4.7 stars.

These are pitched as true multi-purpose household shears rather than kitchen-only scissors. The fibreglass reinforced plastic handles are shatterproof and light, the stainless special steel holds a sharp edge, and they happily cut paper, thick cardboard, fabric, twine and food. That versatility is the point: this is the pair you can leave in the kitchen drawer and grab for any job around the house without ruining your good fabric scissors. Australian buyers describe them as well balanced, sharp out of the box and slow to blunt.

For a first-home buyer kitting out a whole house at once, that flexibility is real value. You are effectively buying one tool that covers kitchen prep, parcel opening and light craft work, from a heritage German cutlery name, for the price of a couple of coffees and a sandwich. The integrated cap opener also quietly removes the need for a separate jar gadget cluttering your drawer.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Be aware of two things. First, despite the Henckels name, these are made in China rather than Germany, which a handful of reviewers found disappointing given the branding. The cutting performance is still strong, so it is more of an expectation issue than a quality one. Second, one reviewer with large hands found the handle loops a touch small and the lighter build slightly point-heavy. If you have big hands, the chunkier OXO or Joseph Joseph may suit you better. For most people these are a sharp, versatile, sensibly priced workhorse.

What are the best budget kitchen shears under twenty dollars? KitchenAid All Purpose Kitchen Shears

The KitchenAid All Purpose Shears are the best budget pick, and the cheapest of our three headline choices at roughly fifteen dollars. They are also the most reviewed pair in this entire guide, sitting at 4.7 stars across more than 64,000 Amazon AU ratings, which tells you just how many Australian kitchens already rely on them. For the price of a couple of magazines you get extra thick micro serrated stainless steel blades, a soft non slip comfort grip and a protective sheath to keep them safe and sharp in the drawer.

For a first kitchen on a tight budget, these are the obvious starting point. They cut cleanly through vegetables, herbs, meat and packaging, the soft-coated handle reduces hand fatigue, and the included sheath is a small touch that protects both the blades and your fingers when you are rummaging in a drawer. KitchenAid is a name most people already trust on benchtop appliances, and these shears carry a one-year warranty against defects.

Australian reviewers describe them as razor sharp on arrival, well made for the money, and a clear upgrade over the random discount-store scissors they replaced. One summed it up neatly: after years of struggling with scissors that could barely cut, finding a pair that actually does the job with ease felt like a small luxury. At this price, buying a second pair to keep in a different drawer is an easy decision.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

These are everyday shears, not heavy-duty poultry breakers. One honest reviewer pointed out they cannot cut through chicken or fish bones and recommended a stronger dedicated pair for that job. The handle does not pull apart for cleaning the way the OXO or KAI do, so you will need to rinse carefully in the hinge area. For general kitchen cutting at fifteen dollars, though, the value is excellent and the enormous review count backs that up.

Are premium Swiss kitchen shears worth it? Victorinox Kitchen Shears

If you want a heritage pair that will likely outlast your kitchen, the Victorinox Kitchen Shears are a strong premium choice at around forty to fifty dollars. Victorinox is the Swiss Army Knife company, and that obsessive build quality carries into these shears: micro-serrated stainless steel blades, unbreakable nylon handles, and an action that local reviewers describe as razor sharp and perfectly balanced. They rate 4.7 stars across more than 4,700 Amazon AU reviews and carry the Amazon Choice badge.

These are designed to do more than cut. The handle is built to help open screw-cap jars and crack nuts, and they work for both right and left-handed users. The nylon handles are genuinely comfortable for long stretches of prep, and the blades are dishwasher safe, although hand washing will always extend the life of any quality shears. The fit and finish is the kind of thing you notice every time you pick them up.

One Australian reviewer called them simply the best kitchen scissors they have owned, fitting the hand like they were meant to be there and staying sharp after months of daily use. Another, buying their second pair, said it is worth picking up these Swiss-made shears rather than cheaper alternatives. If you are the sort of person who buys quality once and keeps it for fifteen years, the premium is easy to justify.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The obvious catch is price. At roughly three times the cost of the KitchenAid, these are a considered purchase rather than an impulse buy, and the everyday cutting performance gap is smaller than the price gap. They also do not pull apart at the hinge, so deep cleaning takes a little more care than the OXO. If budget is tight, start cheaper. If you want a pair you will never need to replace, these are a lovely thing to own.

Which kitchen shears are best for cutting through chicken bones? Joseph Joseph PowerGrip

For breaking down whole chickens, spatchcocking and other heavier jobs, the Joseph Joseph PowerGrip kitchen scissors are our pick. The standout feature is an integrated thumb grip that lets you bring your second hand into play for extra leverage, so you can power through chicken bones, wooden skewers and tough string without straining your wrist. They use Japanese stainless steel serrated blades and rate 4.5 stars across more than 2,600 Amazon AU reviews.

Beyond the power grip, Joseph Joseph has packed in genuinely useful details. There is a blade notch for gripping items such as flower stems or skewers while you cut, and an integrated herb stripper for pulling leaves off woody stalks. The blades come apart for cleaning, which is essential when you are cutting raw poultry, and the grip surface stays secure even with wet or greasy fingers. It is a thoughtful, modern design from a British brand known for clever kitchen gadgets.

Australian reviewers single out the comfort and security of the action, with one noting their hands fatigue far less than with normal scissors during repetitive snipping. Another has used the same pair for several years, cutting everything from roast chicken to plain paper, and still rates them highly. If your cooking involves regular butchery at home, the two-handed leverage here is the difference between a clean cut and a fight.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

A few reviewers find it fiddly to line up the correct sides of the blades when reassembling after washing, which is a small learning curve rather than a flaw. They are also a more specialised tool than a simple everyday pair, so if you rarely cut bones you may not need the extra bulk and mechanism. For anyone who spatchcocks chooks or breaks down poultry often, though, this is the most capable pick in the guide.

What are the best kitchen shears to match a premium knife set? Global GKS-210

If you own or want a high-end Japanese knife block, the Global GKS-210 shears are the pair to match it. Designed by the legendary Komin Yamada with the same dimpled stainless steel styling as Global knives, these are forged so the blade is constructed from a single piece of steel with a finely serrated edge. They rate 4.6 stars across nearly 480 Amazon AU reviews and carry a limited lifetime warranty on the stainless steel.

This is a premium product, often sitting above eighty dollars, so it is squarely for buyers who care about a coordinated kitchen and lasting build quality. The single-piece construction means there is no removable hinge to loosen over time, and Global has built its reputation on blade steel that holds an edge longer than most. Australian reviewers call them powerful, sharp and effective, with one describing them simply as the best scissors ever and another praising how light yet solid they feel.

For a first-home buyer this is a stretch purchase rather than a starter pick, but if you are already investing in a Global knife set, having shears that match the aesthetic and the quality makes sense. They look the part on a magnetic strip and they cut beautifully. Just go in knowing you are paying for design pedigree and steel quality, not extra features.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Two honest caveats from local reviews. First, these are made in China rather than Japan, unlike Global knives, so the value is more questionable at the price for some buyers. Second, and importantly, they are hand wash only and a reviewer noted the hinge can rust if you leave them to air dry rather than drying immediately. The dimpled handle is also more cosmetic than grippy. Look after them and they will last; neglect them in a wet drawer and they will not.

Is there a good Made-in-Japan pair on a mid budget? KAI Seki Magoroku DH-3311

Yes. The KAI Seki Magoroku DH-3311 is a genuinely Made-in-Japan pair at around thirty-seven dollars, sitting between the budget and premium ends. KAI is a respected Japanese blade maker, and these shears use a deliberately thick blade that resists flexing so you can cut firmly anywhere along the edge. The serrated blade grips slippery food, and the blades are removable for clean washing. They rate 4.2 stars across nearly 1,600 Amazon AU reviews.

The appeal here is honest Japanese blade-making at a sensible price. The Seki region has forged blades for centuries, and the thick-bladed design means these feel reassuringly solid for poultry, herbs and general prep. The handle is heat-resistant polypropylene with an elastomer grip, and the pull-apart construction makes cleaning genuinely easy, which matters when you cut raw meat. One reviewer noted their original KAI pair lasted years without needing sharpening, which is the kind of longevity that justifies the spend.

This is a good middle path for buyers who want better steel than a fifteen-dollar pair but are not ready to spend eighty on a Global. You get a recognised Japanese name, a robust blade and a clean-friendly design, all for less than the price of a nice bottle of wine. It is a quietly excellent everyday workhorse.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The listing specifies a right-hand orientation, so dedicated left-handers should look at the ambidextrous OXO, KitchenAid or Victorinox instead. The 4.2-star rating is the lowest of our picks, reflecting some variability in how individual pairs feel, though it still sits comfortably in good territory across a large review base. The handle styling is plain rather than premium. For the steel quality at this price, those are easy trade-offs.

What should you look for when buying kitchen shears?

A few features genuinely change how useful a pair of kitchen scissors will be day to day. Here is what actually matters when you are choosing.

Do kitchen shears need to come apart for cleaning?

Pull-apart blades are the single most underrated feature. Once you cut raw chicken with scissors, you need to clean inside the hinge properly, and a fixed pair traps residue you cannot reach. Pairs like the OXO, Joseph Joseph and KAI separate fully so you can wash and dry every surface, which is both more hygienic and easier. If you cook meat regularly, prioritise this.

Serrated or straight blades?

Micro-serrated edges, like those on the OXO, KitchenAid and Victorinox, grip food so it does not slide forward as you cut. That makes them better for tomatoes, chicken skin and packaging. Straight edges, like the Zwilling, can feel cleaner on paper and fabric and are easier to sharpen at home. For mixed kitchen use, micro-serrated is the safer default.

How important is handle comfort?

Very, if you cut a lot. Soft cushioned handles like OXO's Good Grips or KitchenAid's coated grip reduce hand fatigue on repetitive jobs and stay secure when wet. If you have larger hands, check reviews for handle size, as a few testers found the Zwilling and Global loops a little tight. Comfort is personal, so it is worth reading recent local feedback.

Are extra features like cap openers and herb strippers worth it?

Often yes, because they remove the need for separate gadgets. A built-in cap opener (Zwilling, Victorinox) handles stubborn jars, and a herb stripper notch (OXO, Joseph Joseph) saves real time if you cook with fresh herbs. None of these should be the only reason you buy, but they are nice tie-breakers between otherwise similar pairs.

How do you keep kitchen shears sharp and clean?

A good pair of shears will last a decade if you treat them well, and most failures come down to neglect rather than quality. Here is how to look after them.

Hand wash and dry immediately. Even dishwasher-safe shears last longer with a quick hand wash, and drying straight away is the single most important habit. Several reviewers across these brands reported rust forming in the hinge purely because the scissors were left wet to air dry. A ten-second towel dry prevents it.

Use the pull-apart feature. If your shears separate, take them apart for a proper clean after cutting raw meat, then dry both blades and reassemble. This stops food trapping in the pivot and keeps the action smooth.

Keep them for the kitchen. Cutting wire, cable ties or thick plastic with your good kitchen shears will dull and nick the edge. Keep a separate cheap pair for hardware jobs, and your kitchen pair will stay sharp for food.

Store them protected. A sheath, scabbard or a slot in a knife block protects the edge and your fingers. The KitchenAid includes a sheath and the Wiltshire-style self-sharpening scabbards exist for a reason: an exposed blade rattling in a drawer dulls faster and is a hazard.

Sharpen when needed. Quality shears can be honed. Pairs that pull apart are easiest to sharpen, as you can run a sharpening stone along each separated blade. For most home cooks, a good pair holds its edge for years before this is necessary.

How do you sharpen kitchen shears?

Separate the blades if the pair comes apart, then work one blade at a time. Lay a fine ceramic rod or a taper file flat against the existing bevel, which is the narrow angled face on the outside of the cutting edge, and draw it from the pivot to the tip in one direction only, five or six passes. Never saw back and forth, and never run a pull-through knife sharpener over shears: a knife sharpener grinds both faces at a fixed angle and will destroy a scissor bevel. Finish by wiping the inside faces clean, because the flat inner face must stay flat for the blades to shear against each other. A knife sharpener with a separate ceramic rod does the job; a pull-through slot does not. The OXO, the KitchenAid and the KAI in this guide all come apart, so they are the easiest to do properly. A cheap riveted stamped pair is not worth sharpening at all, because the blades no longer meet cleanly once the pivot has worn.

What kitchen shears do professional chefs use?

Take-apart pairs, almost without exception, because a commercial kitchen has to wash and sanitise the pivot after raw poultry and you cannot do that on a riveted pair. Victorinox and KAI are the two names you see most often on a professional bench, both because they separate and because the blades are thick enough to take a joint rather than flexing on it. Global shears turn up in kitchens that already run Global knives, since they are forged from one piece of steel and there is no plastic handle to crack. The pattern for a home kitchen is the same one: buy a pair that comes apart, keep it for food only, and dry it the moment it is washed.

Which brand of kitchen shears is best?

It depends on what you want the pair to survive. OXO is the safe default for a first kitchen: comfortable handles, take-apart blades and the highest rating in this guide. Victorinox and Zwilling are the European workhorses, sharp and hard-wearing with no gimmicks. Global and KAI are the Japanese options, harder steel and a finer edge, and they are the ones to buy if you already own knives from either brand. Joseph Joseph is the outlier, designed around the grip rather than the blade, which is exactly what you want for poultry. Scanpan, Baccarat, Mundial and Wusthof all sell kitchen shears through Australian department stores rather than Amazon, so they are worth a look in Myer, David Jones or Peter of Kensington if you would rather hold a pair before buying.

You will also want these kitchen tools

Shears are one piece of a well-set-up kitchen. If you are kitting out a first home, these companions on Amazon Australia pair naturally with a good pair of scissors and round out your prep station.

• A solid knife set: scissors and knives cover different jobs. Browse kitchen knife sets on Amazon AU.
• A cutting board: protect your benchtop and your blades with a quality cutting board.
• A knife sharpener: keep both knives and pull-apart shears keen with a knife sharpener.
• A magnetic knife strip: store shears and knives within reach on a magnetic knife rack.
• A herb garden or fresh herbs: the herb stripper on these shears pairs with snipping fresh herbs.
• A meat thermometer: if you are spatchcocking chicken with your shears, finish it right with a meat thermometer.
• Kitchen storage containers: keep your prepped ingredients fresh in food storage containers.

What else did we consider?

A few pairs came close but did not make the final cut, and it is worth knowing why. The Scanpan Fully Forged Pull Apart Kitchen Shear is a handsome Danish-designed pair, but it sits at 4.2 stars across only around 20 Amazon AU reviews, with a couple of recent buyers reporting dull blades, so the evidence base is too thin to recommend confidently. The Avanti Kitchen Scissors with Magnetic Sheath looked promising for fridge-door storage, but the magnet is widely reported as too weak to actually hold the scissors up, and the pair rates just 3.6 stars across a handful of reviews. The Wiltshire Staysharp, with its clever self-sharpening scabbard, is an interesting Australian design but had only two reviews at the time of writing, which is not enough to judge. We will revisit these as more local feedback accumulates. For now, the seven picks above cover every realistic need and price point.

Frequently asked questions about kitchen shears

What is the difference between kitchen shears and kitchen scissors?

The terms are used interchangeably by most brands and shoppers. Technically, shears tend to be larger and heavier with a stronger pivot for tough jobs like poultry, while scissors are lighter for general snipping. In practice, the pairs in this guide labelled as either will handle everyday kitchen tasks, and the heavier-duty work is best done by purpose-built pairs like the Joseph Joseph PowerGrip.

Can you put kitchen shears in the dishwasher?

Many are labelled dishwasher safe, including the OXO, KitchenAid, Victorinox and Zwilling pairs here. However, almost every manufacturer recommends hand washing to preserve the blade edge and prevent rust in the hinge. The dishwasher's heat, detergent and moisture are hard on fine steel. If you want them to last, hand wash and dry immediately.

Are expensive kitchen shears worth it?

Not always. Our highest-rated pick, the OXO Good Grips at 4.8 stars, costs far less than the premium Global or Victorinox pairs. You are paying extra for heritage brand steel, design pedigree and longevity rather than dramatically better everyday cutting. For most first-home buyers, a mid-priced pair like the Zwilling or even the budget KitchenAid delivers the vast majority of the performance.

Which kitchen shears are best for cutting chicken bones?

The Joseph Joseph PowerGrip is our pick for bones, thanks to an integrated thumb grip that lets you use two hands for extra leverage. Heavier dedicated poultry shears also exist. The lighter everyday pairs like the KitchenAid are not designed to cut through bone and may struggle or loosen if you force them.

Can left-handed people use these kitchen shears?

Yes, several picks are ambidextrous, including the OXO, KitchenAid, Victorinox and Zwilling shears, which are designed for both right and left-handed use. The KAI Seki Magoroku, by contrast, is listed as right-hand oriented, so dedicated left-handers should choose one of the ambidextrous options.

How long should a good pair of kitchen shears last?

With proper care, a quality pair should last well over a decade. Reviewers across these brands report using the same shears for years without needing to sharpen them. The main things that shorten their life are leaving them wet (which causes hinge rust) and using them on non-food materials like wire, which dulls and nicks the blade.

What are kitchen shears used for?

Far more than cutting open packets. Spatchcocking a chicken, which means cutting out the backbone so the bird lies flat and roasts in half the time. Trimming fat and sinew off steak, which is faster and tidier than a knife. Snipping bacon straight into the pan. Cutting herbs over a bowl instead of chasing them around a board. Cutting pizza, dried fruit, spring onions and baking paper to size. Deveining prawns and cutting fins off fish. Opening the vacuum-sealed plastic that most Australian supermarket meat now comes in.

The bundle: build out your first kitchen

A great pair of shears is one tool in a well-equipped kitchen. If you are setting up a first home, these NestPath guides cover the other essentials worth getting right, from the appliances you use daily to the prep gear that makes cooking easier.

• The best knife sets in Australia for the cutting jobs scissors cannot do.
• The best cutting boards in Australia to protect your benchtops and your blades.
• The best knife sharpeners in Australia to keep knives and pull-apart shears keen.
• The best air fryers in Australia for fast weeknight cooking.
• The best food processors in Australia for bigger prep jobs.
• The best meat thermometers in Australia to nail your roast chicken.

About the author

Anish Puri founded NestPath in 2026 after going through the Australian first-home-buyer process himself. NestPath focuses on Australian first-home buyers because the existing review sites are American, generic, or both. Anish handles editorial selection across the homeowner hub. Reach out: hello@nestpath.com.au