For anyone who loves to prep, cook, and eat fish and shellfish, there's a huge variety of seafood tools available to make the processes easier. From seafood shears to fish scale scrapers to seafood crackers to oyster shucking knives and much more, whatever seafood task you're facing, there's a tool for it.
Below, we take a look at some of the most popular, helpful seafood tools.
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What to Consider When Purchasing Seafood Tools
Applications: As the category of seafood tools covers a broad range of utensils and other kitchenware, look for products you'll actually use. If you always buy peeled, deveined shrimp, you probably don't need to buy a shrimp deveiner, which doesn't really have many other uses. Plus, you can always devein shrimp with seafood scissors, and they're an item with more potential uses.
If you ever need to crack lobster or crab claws, a claw cracker will certainly come in handy—plus it can double as a nutcracker. Something like a fillet knife is useful to have around, and you'll undoubtedly use it for more than filleting fish. So, think about which tasks you need help with and which tools you'll get more use out of.
Durability: Some seafood tools are flimsy, which means they don't work well and won't last long. Look for well-made products of quality materials; stainless steel is always a good choice when available. Some seafood tools, like claw crackers, are often made from zinc alloy, which is a strong material. Keep in mind that it can be hard to judge strength and durability just based on cost because many seafood tools are very affordably priced—even the high-quality ones—relative to the world of cookware.
These are the main things to think about when you're picking out seafood tools. In this category, the best ones are basically the ones you'll use, that are designed for their specific task and that will hold up over time.
The Best Seafood Scissors
A-Parts Multifunction Seafood Scissors
If you prepare crustaceans like shrimp, prawns, crabs or lobsters at home, a pair of seafood scissors is an indispensable kitchen tool. This strong, sturdy, durable, heat-resistant, multifunctional product comes in handy for a variety of shellfish prep tasks. Use it for things like peeling and deveining shrimp or cutting through crab legs and lobster shells. The stainless steel blades are sharp and strong, and the scissors have a comfortable nonslip grip.
The Best Fish Scale Remover
Honoson 4-Piece Fish Scale Remover Set
Removing scales isn't one of the more fun aspects of whole fish prep. But this affordable, useful set of fish scale removers includes four different styles of scale scrapers. Between these four implements, you're well equipped to tackle any fish. Smartly designed and mostly stainless steel (one piece is made from a heavy-duty plastic), they make quicker, easier work of this tedious task. And these lightweight but sturdy tools with comfortable nonslip handles are so easy to use.
The Best Fish Fillet Knife
KastKing Fillet Knife
A specially designed filleting knife is an essential kitchen tool if you fillet whole fish. The long, slender, sharp, German stainless steel blade of this fillet and boning knife slides precisely along the bones and right between the skin and flesh to maximize your yield. This knife is perfectly balanced and has an ergonomic handle with a nonslip grip, providing exceptional control. We've highlighted the 9-inch blade here, but you can also get the same product with a 7-inch blade if you prefer a smaller model. And it also comes with a sheath to protect the blade and for added safety.
The Best Fish Bone Tweezers
Kwizing Fish Bone Tweezers
When you fillet a fish, picking out the skinny little bones is an annoying job. But these stainless steel tweezers make it much faster and less of a hassle to debone. The tips of each prong are curved inward at a perfect angle for getting to fish bones, and the comfortable nonslip grip is easy on your fingers while you do this repetitive squeezing work. These tweezers can also be used to remove fish scales. And you can just drop them into the dishwasher when you're done prepping for easy cleanup.
The Best Fish Turner (Fish Spatula)
Victorinox Slotted Fish Turner
A fish turner is a worthwhile investment if you frequently cook fish. This spatula has a slim, flexible, elongated, but sturdy high-carbon stainless steel blade that effortlessly slides under delicate foods like fish fillets to lift and flip them while providing adequate support. The ample slots in the blade allow oil to easily fall away. The comfortable wooden handle and sleek design provide an elegant look, too. And you'll enjoy using this turner for more than just fish; it's great for crab cakes, pancakes and plenty of other foods.
The Best Shrimp Deveiner and Peeler
Toadfish Shrimp Deveiner Tool
Sure, you can readily buy peeled, deveined shrimp, but there's just something tastier about the results when you do it yourself right before cooking. This gadget is a little on the pricey side for a shrimp deveiner, but it's a well-designed, user-friendly, multifunctional, strong, durable tool that can last a lifetime, justifying the price. You don't need a bunch of shrimp prep tools if you own this one. It peels, deveins and butterflies shrimp with its patented full-tang stainless steel blade. And the ergonomic handle is a pleasure to hold.
The Best Crab Mallet
Farberware Wooden Crab Mallet
This simple, budget-friendly piece of kitchenware is a must-own for anyone who eats crab or lobster claws or crab legs. The wooden head and fairly short handle help optimize the force for cracking these crustacean shells, so it's not likely you'll overdo it, shattering them and flinging fragments all over your kitchen—even if you're not too practiced yet at this pounding art. This mallet is dishwasher safe, but as is always the case with wooden kitchen utensils, it'll last a lot longer if you hand-wash it and let it efficiently air-dry.
The Best Claw Crackers
Artcome 3-Piece Seafood Tools Set
You need a crab and lobster cracker if you eat these shellfish claws or legs at home. This is a great price for a set of three high-quality zinc alloy lobster and crab crackers; you can even pick up two or three sets so you have enough for guests. The sleek design and comfortable handles are just right for maximizing force and minimizing effort. And they work well for cracking open mollusk shells like oysters and as nut crackers. Because there are different sized holes to choose from, this cracker set is versatile. They're durable and dishwasher safe, as well.
The Best Oyster Knife
OXO Good Grips Oyster Knife
Shucking oysters is a tough, tedious task that can really take a toll on your fingers if you don't have the right tool to pry them open. This is that tool. The stainless steel blade has a slightly bent tip that's ideal for wedging open oysters, and the knife is well sized to provide the right leverage and force. It features the comfortable nonslip grip that OXO kitchenware is known for, which you'll appreciate if you're shucking in bulk. It can go right into the dishwasher when you're finished with it, and it's priced affordably enough that it's a good buy even if you don't make oysters all that often.
The Best Clam Knife
Mercer Culinary Clam Knife
As with shucking oysters, prying open any quantity of clams is a difficult, potentially painful job if you don't have the right tool for it. While these two mollusk-opening seafood utensils can be used interchangeably if necessary, a clam knife is a bit longer and narrower than an oyster knife, and each one is better suited to its particular purpose. This item is so affordably priced, there's really no reason not to pick one up if you ever prep clams. It's designed just right for the task, the rounded blade tip adds safety and the textured nonslip handle provides a secure grip.
The Best Seafood Tools Set
Hiware 21-Piece Seafood Tools Set
You can't beat the price on this extensive, high-quality seafood tools set. If you ever serve shellfish platters to the family or to guests, you need something just like this. The set includes six zinc alloy crab and lobster crackers for claws and crab legs (that also serve as nut crackers), six sturdy plastic lobster shellers, six stainless steel seafood forks, two sets of handy stainless steel seafood shears, and a convenient storage bag for it all. The seafood utensils are well made and leave you well equipped to chow down on all sorts of seafood.
The Best Seafood Steamer
Progressive International Fish and Veggie Steamer
Normally, cooking any type of meat in the microwave isn't a great idea. But, when it comes to steaming fish and shellfish, it can be a quick, convenient option that turns out well. This BPA-free, dishwasher-safe steaming tray is designed to help you pull it off perfectly, and you can use it to steam veggies, too. The adjustable vent provides extra control over your steaming, and you'll just get better and better at using it over time. This product has an ample 1-quart capacity, and the nonstick surface inside readily releases food—which is important when dealing with something like a delicate fish—and easily comes clean.
