Here's what Cook's Illustrated has to say;
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We found two favorites—one for right-handed users and one for lefties.
This is an update of a previous article from March, 2003.
We tested seven pairs of "take-apart" kitchen shears, focusing on core tasks—snipping chives, cutting butcher's twine and parchment paper, trimming pie pastry, and butterflying chicken. We excluded poultry shears, with their characteristic bulky, curved blades, because a good pair of kitchen shears can handle poultry with ease, while poultry shears are awkward and unwieldy for other tasks.
On that note, beware of poultry shears in kitchen shears' clothing. Anolon's Kitchen Shears ($49.95) and Chef's Choice Kitchen Shears ($31.95) performed well in our chicken test, thanks to the bulky, curved blades that define poultry shears. But they were unwieldy for any other task.
Our favorite shears, Messermeister's Take-Apart Shears ($23.99), are precise and super-sharp. A slip-resistant handle and slim blades make these shears agile without sacrificing their brute force. The only downside is a definite right-hand bias. For lefties, Wüsthof's Come-Apart Kitchen Shears ($19.95) performed well, with greater comfort.
SHEAR BLISS
MESSERMEISTER Take-Apart Shears ($23.99)
Messermeister's super-sharp shears were a cut above the rest.
FOR POULTRY ONLY
ANOLON Forged Kitchen Shears ($49.95)
Anolon's awkward curves made them great for poultry but little else.
SHORT CUT
CHEF'S CHOICE Professional Kitchen Shears ($31.95)
Shorter blades required too many extra cuts.
Messermeister Take-Apart Shears
Anolon Forged Kitchen Shears
Chef's Choice Professional Kitchen Shears
