Let’s talk about kitchen scissors. They might be small, but they are one of my most used culinary items. Earlier this year, I tossed a pair that were rusted, but they had lasted a few years, so I wasn’t upset. They were the kind that came apart for washing and drying. I always washed them by hand instead of putting them in the dishwasher, so perhaps that helped. The brand was OXO.
I turned around and purchased a new pair from Kitchen Aid that did not come apart. They were half the price and had decent reviews, so I decided to take the risk. Not a good idea. A few months later, they were rusted shut and had to be pitched.
I’m currently using a regular pair of scissors, but they just don’t cut it (pun intended), so now I’m faced with a decision: Do I spend more money on what looks like a nicer pair of kitchen scissors and hope they last? The trouble is, no matter how expensive a pair of kitchen shears is, there are always buyers who claim that they rust quickly.
I know this might seem like a silly subject, but I would be interested to hear your thoughts. Do you have a favorite pair of kitchen scissors? If so, what brand are they, and do they come apart? On the flip side, have tried any that you do not recommend?
JenniferH
Well this is no small topic and right up my alley! 😆
My husband is actually the one who got me using them. We had a pair (don’t know the brand), that didn’t come apart, came with a knife set we got for our wedding shower. It broke after maybe a year or two of dedicated use….. in desperation for a backup bcuz I never invested in another one, I did as you did and started using just a normal pair 😂 they sit in our kitchen drawer and get washed (hand washed as well. We have never used our dish washer in the 7 years we’ve been married). I don’t know the brand or anything. It was just a recycled pair I bought at probably Walmart lol. With 4 little kids I use them all the time for cutting sandwiches, pizza, meat smaller etc. even morning pancakes for easy fork use 😆 so yeah, kitchen scissors are a favorite around here and very essential kitchen item 😂😂😂
Ellie
I have never tried cutting sandwiches or pancakes. Oh the many things you can do with kitchen scissors!
Anonymous
A pizza wheel works great for cutting things like that.
Anonymous
Yep, try a rolling pizza cutter and you won’t go back to scissors.
Anonymous
I mainly use knives but I use Fiskars kitchen scissors every now and then. Not sure what you’re doing to make yours rust. Letting them stay wet after washing? Have you used food grade mineral oil in the pivot point? I don’t understand how your scissors are a most-used item. The right knife or two knives used together can do almost everything. It’s rare that I reach for kitchen scissors.
Jess
I bought this Zyliss brand set at bed bath and beyond 4 years ago, I use them daily to cut my little ones food up, it’s so much quicker than a knife!
https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/zyliss-household-scissors-set-of-2/1046514981
I hand wash and dry them open and have zero rust, but if I need to I would replace with the exact same set!
Susan
Cutco. They are expensive, but I’ve had mine for 10+ years and they’re good as new. They are very sharp. They can cut raw chicken. They come apart and don’t rust.
Anonymous
Cutco is VERY good!
Mary
I also have Cutco, they are amazing. I cut chicken etc with them. They come apart, I wash them by hand and they haven’t rusted yet. I’ve had my pair for at least 5 years now and they are worth every penny.
NC mama
I just bought those 3 in a pack Scotch brand at Costco- which aren’t meant for the kitchen necessarily- but they have been doing the BEST job for haircuts for my husband and boys and the other pair for cutting raw meat. I also only wash by hand. When they’re on sale they turn out so cheap!
Leina
As a proud Finn I can recommend Fiskars (it’s a Finnish brand). I don’t have the kitchen scissors, just the regular orange handled scissors (actually I have two of them). They have been in use almost 15 years, no rust. They just have to be sharpened every once in a while. And yes, I do wash them in the dish washer.
Anonymous
I wish Fiskars made garden clippers as well as they make scissors. We’ve gone through 2 pairs of clippers this year. They get misaligned and dull after a few uses. Fiskars has a warranty so we took them back, but what a pain. We need to find a better brand for outside. I use Fisakrs everywhere inside.
Ellyn
Same here Leina! We just use the regular orange handled scissors too – they are very sharp and work great.
I do like the ones that come apart though so you can easily put them in dishwasher! Ours got lost in our move so we just use the orange ones now.
D. DeLauder
I use a pair from the Pioneer Woman that is dishwasher safe and has a cover for the blades. Love them !! Pioneer Woman is very well known and has many things out for the kitchen so I think you can trust them to last a long while. I found them at Walmart, where she sells many of her well known items.
Jane
I have KitchenAid kitchen shears that have been well used for years. I hand wash them, towel dry immediately and leave open to dry any drops of water I may have missed. There is not one sign of rust. While I do use them a good bit, I agree with the previous commenter who mentioned using good knives over scissors. But I am intrigued at the idea of cutting pancakes and sandwiches!
Regina
We have a couple that came with our knife set. They seem to be holding up well, so far.
Chris
Make the investment and purchase Cutco Scissors and you won’t regret it. They will regularly sharpen them for you and will replace them when they feel they’re needing it. My son got a pair and loved them so much that he got me one for my birthday and they are the first pair I reach for. You won’t be sorry.
Es
I love kitchen scissors too and use them so often. I have a Kitchen Aid pair that I’ve had for quite awhile and I wash it in the dishwasher and its fine……no rust. I always open them wide before washing. Happy scissor hunting!!
Diana
My best pair of scissors came from a place called Christmas Tree Shop for $2! I’ve bought many over the years of various brands. Never last. Rust. Get dull. I gave up. Tried these cheap ones, and they’re the best so far. I love scissors in the kitchen. I guess it’s preference or habit to reach for scissors over a knife. To each his own!
Rachel
I have a pair of J Henckels that I have used every day for over 13 years and I love them. About half the time I put them in the dishwasher and half the time I’ll hand wash them. I don’t think they come apart. If it were me, I’d splurge, since it’s an item that’s used so often.
Linda
I stopped buying kitchen scissors because they just kept breaking. I now use a pair that came in a desk supply set. They’ve lasted far and away longer than the others. I didn’t know Cutco made kitchen scissors though. I have some of their knives and they really are great. I assume their scissors would be too. I’d be willing to take a chance on them.
Anonymous
I only use mine for opening packages. From the $ Tree
Anonymous
I’m definitely a knife person. I only use scissors to cut open bags of frozen veggies. I use the Henckles 3.5″ Twin Grip plastic handle, metal blade paring knives for everything else. They are outstanding. Lightweight, sharp as can be, and dishwasher safe. They’re cheap (like $6) so you can have a zillion of them in the drawer ready to go! Henckles (Zwilling) also makes serrated tomato slicing knives that work great to cut sandwiches or small loaves of homemade bread. I stopped using most other knives when I discovered Henckles.
Ellie
I have a Henckels paring knife, too, and it’s great! Didn’t realize it was only $6, as it was a gift. That’s amazing!
Ellie
Anonymous
You can get a 3-set of Henckles for $12 – $15 on Amazon. The plastic handles are easy to grip and the blades are sharp.
Zoe
I highly recommend the kitchen shears from Global (the knife company) I’ve had mine for many many years and no rust! I’m a chef so they’ve had a lot of use. I don’t put them through the dishwasher and wash and treat them like I would good knives. If something ever happened to them I would definitely buy them again no hesitation. 🙂
Diana
I bought these from HomeGoods years ago and I have been happy with them. They have a spring in them so that they spring to open and you can lock it closed. The scissors also come apart. I always hand wash the scissors to avoid any deterioration in the dishwasher. Best of luck!
https://www.amazon.com/Zyliss-30300-ZYLISS-Kitchen-Scissors/dp/B002ABOX3M/ref=sr_1_10?crid=33PC3VC39ITJP&dchild=1&keywords=zyliss+scissors&qid=1630465013&sprefix=zylizz+sc%2Caps%2C157&sr=8-10
Hannah
We have had wusthof knives for 12 years. It came with shears that separate and they are still working great for our large family. We always hand wash and we sharpen them occasionally.
Stacy
I use the Kitchen Aid scissors. I had them since 1992. They have never rust at all. I’ll use them and hand wash them right a way and dry them with a paper towel.
I use a knive to cut sandwiches, and a fork to cut pancakes.
Kristina
My husband got me a Crescent Wiss scissors for Christmas this past year. He uses them at work as a mechanic and thought it would be a good kitchen scissors. They are extremely sharp and also stainless steel, which is a plus! I definitely recommend these!
Paquita
My Calphalon kitchen scissors have lasted many years without rusting — washed mostly in the dishwasher. I have more than one pair so I always have a clean one.
LauraLauraLaura!
I use my kitchen shears every day. Mine are off limits to everyone else in the house. They all know not to even think about it. I have a pull apart type also. I also hand wash it every single time. I also to this with my knives, pizza cutter, 😉 spatulas etc. I never let them soak either. I wash & dry them thoroughly immediately after use. I use CUTCO kitchen shears, as well as their knives exclusively. They are pretty pricey. But you get what you pay for. My shears and most recently purchased knives are over 5 years old and zero rust…. CUTCO gives a lifetime warranty for all their stuff. It doesn’t matter who purchased it or when, you pay for shipping and they will repair or replace (with the comparable modern style in the case of vintage pieces) any broken or damaged CUTCO product and ship it back to you. They also sharpen your CUTCO knives etc. free of charge. Again, all you pay is for the shipping charges. They are located in Oleon, New York . Their products are all PROUDLY MADE IN THE U.S.A. This family owned business has been manufacturing amazing quality kitchen tools for over 70 years. They are worth every single cent.
P.S. I don’t work for or own stock in this company. Lol I just love their products and customer service so much that I will take any opportunity to tell folks about them! Good luck.