What Is That Weird Toothed Part on Kitchen Scissors For? 4 Brilliant Uses You May Not Know

Another useful function of the toothed section is gripping objects that are difficult to hold with smooth surfaces.

Wet hands, condensation, cooking oils, and food residue can make certain objects slippery. A ridged gripping area may help prevent an object from rotating while you apply gentle pressure.

Depending on the design, this can be useful when handling small kitchen items during food preparation.

For example, some kitchen shears can help grip the shells of certain seafood or hold small objects that are suitable for the tool’s size and strength.

Why the teeth help

Smooth metal surfaces may slide across a rounded object. The ridges create multiple contact points, helping the tool maintain its grip.

However, this does not mean that every object should be placed between the teeth.

Avoid using the gripping section on glass, fragile plastic, electrical components, or anything that could shatter or become damaged under pressure.

For slippery food, use a stable cutting board and keep your hands away from sharp edges. If the item is too small to hold securely, choose a more suitable kitchen tool.

4. Use Number Three: Helping With Certain Food-Preparation Tasks

Some kitchen shears are designed with gripping areas that can assist with specific food-preparation jobs.

Depending on the model, the toothed section may help grip small bones, shells, or other firm food items while you work.

Kitchen shears designed for poultry, for example, may include additional features intended to improve control when cutting or handling meat.

However, it is important to distinguish between a gripping notch and a dedicated bone-cutting mechanism.

The toothed section is not automatically a bone cutter. Its intended use depends on the construction of the shears.

If the manufacturer identifies the feature as a nutcracker or jar-gripping notch, do not assume it can safely cut through bones.

For poultry joints and firm bones, use kitchen shears specifically designed for that purpose. Never force ordinary scissors through a bone, as the blades may slip, become damaged, or close unexpectedly.

Keep food safety in mind

If you use kitchen shears for raw meat or poultry, wash them thoroughly with hot, soapy water after use, following the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions.

If the shears can be disassembled safely, clean around the pivot and other areas where food particles may collect.

Do not use the same unwashed shears for ready-to-eat foods, such as salad ingredients or cooked meat, after cutting raw poultry.

Proper cleaning helps reduce the risk of transferring harmful bacteria from one food to another.

5. Use Number Four: Helping Grip Certain Jar Lids or Caps

Some people use the gripping section of kitchen shears to help loosen small lids or caps.

The ridged surfaces may provide additional traction when an object is difficult to turn by hand. However, this works only when the design and size of the gripping area are appropriate.

Kitchen shears are not necessarily designed to open jars, so this should be treated as a possible use rather than a guaranteed function.

A safer way to loosen a stubborn lid

If a jar is difficult to open, begin with safer methods:

Dry your hands and the outside of the lid.
Use a rubber jar opener or nonslip grip.
Try a dedicated jar-opening tool if the lid remains stuck.
If the jar is suitable for it, gently tapping around the lid may sometimes help release the seal, but avoid striking glass hard enough to damage it.

Do not squeeze a glass jar between the teeth of kitchen scissors. Excessive pressure can crack the glass, damage the scissors, or cause the tool to slip.

Never use a knife tip to pry open a lid. The blade may slip and cause a serious injury.

For stubborn lids, a tool specifically designed for opening jars is generally safer and more effective than improvised methods.

6. An Extra Benefit: Better Control When Handling Small Items

Although the toothed section is not intended for every kitchen task, its gripping ability can make certain objects easier to control.

The advantage comes from the combination of leverage and surface texture.

When you squeeze the handles, the pivot transfers force to the gripping area. The ridges help resist slipping, making it easier to hold an object securely when the tool is used as intended.

This is particularly useful when an object is rounded or has a smooth exterior.

Nevertheless, gripping force should always be controlled. Applying too much pressure may crush delicate objects, damage packaging, or cause the tool to move unexpectedly.

If an object cannot be held securely without excessive force, stop and use a tool designed for that specific task.

7. Why Are the Teeth Located Near the Pivot?

The placement of the toothed section is not accidental.

Kitchen scissors use a pivot to transfer the force applied at the handles to the blades. The distance between the handles, pivot, and working area affects how much force can be applied.

On many designs, the gripping section sits close to the pivot because this position allows substantial pressure to be applied with relatively little movement at the teeth.

The ridges then help maintain contact with the object.

This combination makes the feature useful for gripping and compressing items, rather than slicing them.

The location also keeps the gripping area separate from the main cutting edges, allowing the scissors to perform different functions without requiring a completely separate tool.

However, the mechanical advantage also means that the teeth can pinch skin painfully. Always keep your fingers outside the gripping area when closing the handles.