Learn How to Shuck Oysters Like a Pro With These Kitchen Tools

When you’ve gone to the trouble of planning a delicious meal, buying ingredients, and cooking up a storm, your next stop should be the dinner table — not the emergency room. But when you’re working with ingredients that require a bit of technique to prepare safely (like the notorious avocado), one wrong move can quickly lead to injury. Fresh oysters are a divine addition to any meal, but they can be challenging to handle, discouraging many who love them from serving them at home. With National Oyster Day coming up on August 5, we wanted to demystify the process — after all, shucking oysters can be immensely fun and satisfying.

So, we talked to Bill Nevruz, former East Coast restaurateur and now executive partner and divisional president of Chicago seafood staple Shaw’s Crab Housefor tips on how to shuck oysters safely and avoid injury. In the end, it’s pretty simple: “Shuck with respect, don’t crack the shell, and be gentle with the oyster inside,” he said. Read on for tips and Nevruz’s essential tools for oyster shucking success.

Best Tools to Shuck Oysters Safely at Amazon

• OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Oyster Knife$12
• Mercer Culinary Boston-Style Oyster Knife$12
• Victorinox Galveston-Style Oyster Knife$26
• NoCry Premium Cut-Resistant Gloves$15, originally $18
• John Boos Chop-N-Slice Maple Cutting Board$37
• Homaxy Cotton Weave Dish Cloths, Set of 6$9, originally $15
• American Metalcraft 12-Inch Seafood Tray$18

OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Oyster Knife

The biggest mistake Nevruz sees with fresh oysters is people trying to force them open, which is a surefire way to hurt themselves. “Trying to use strength instead of technique often leads to cracked shells or worse, cut hands,” he explained. “Apply gentle pressure, keeping your blade level with the oyster, and get a feel for the right position. Don’t force things.” In his opinion, OXO makes a perfect oyster knife. “[It’s] a simple, affordable option. I like this for home use, as most people find the rubber handle familiar and easy to hold,” he said.

Mercer Culinary Boston-Style Oyster Knife

There are actually a number of different oyster knife styles, so it’s important to find one that works for you. Nevruz is partial to a Boston-style oyster knife, which he says has a blade-to-handle ratio that suits his shucking style. “I like the blade to be just shorter than the handle — it’s balanced for me that way,” he said.

Victorinox Galveston-Style Oyster Knife

Nevruz is also a fan of Galveston-style knives, which he said also feature a blade and handle combo that he finds favorable. This 4-inch option from Victorinox — whose kitchen knives are generally excellent — has a grippy handle and a very sharp stainless steel blade. One shopper described it as “a masterclass in precision and durability,” and went on to say its razor-sharp blade’s “slight flex provides just enough give to glide through tasks smoothly, reducing the risk of slips or mishaps.”

NoCry Premium Cut-Resistant Gloves

Cut-resistant gloves are a great place to start with making sure to avoid accidental cuts, and while Nevruz does recommend them, he’s careful to point out that less can be more when shucking oysters. After all, good safety gear should never be a substitute for excellent technique. But if you’re just starting out, consider picking up a pair for an added layer of protection. This safety glove is the No. 1 bestselling cut-resistant glove at Amazon, and it’s currently on sale.

John Boos Chop-N-Slice Maple Cutting Board

Having a dependable surface is essential to shucking oysters safely. “In the end, with a cotton bar towel, a sturdy wooden cutting board, and some care, most people should be just fine,” Nevruz explained. Using the cutting board as a base and holding the oyster with a cotton towel, you should have no problem using some light pressure to insert the knife and open the oyster without any incidents.

Homaxy Cotton Weave Dish Cloths, Set of 6

Whether you’re using gloves or not, you’ll definitely want a kitchen towel to secure the oyster and hold it in place with one hand while you open it with the other. A cotton towel should also absorb some (if not all) of the impact if your knife slips, but if you’re doing it gently and without trying to muscle the oyster, you likely won’t have to deal with that problem. Over 10,000 Amazon shoppers picked up this towel set in just the past month — and hopefully at least a few of them have been using them to safely shuck oysters.

American Metalcraft 12-Inch Seafood Tray

Oysters need to be kept cold in order to stay fresh, and you’ll want to keep them on ice as long as possible so they don’t spoil, which can lead to illness. Nevruz’s advice is straightforward: “Keep them cold — ice, ice, and more ice.” Using a tray full of ice to serve oysters is an absolute must (plus, it makes you feel like you’re at a seafood restaurant). Grab a 12-inch seafood tray, fill it wall-to-wall with ice, and then gently place your shucked oysters on top, along with any condiments you plan to be serving. One Amazon shopper called this “[the] perfect oyster tray,” stating that it “keeps the oysters cold and tasting really fresh.”