Most kitchen cutting tasks can be done with a good chef's knife. That said, a blade designed specifically for a purpose can make cutting easier and more accurate. The right knives will encourage you to prepare food confidently and creatively - you won't have to worry about the best way to tackle a cut.
This article aims to introduce the most popular types of kitchen knives and the tasks they are designed for in the kitchen. You will learn what to include and what not to include in your knife set.
Types of Kitchen Knives
There are probably more than a dozen different types of kitchen knives, some versatile, others dedicated to a specific use.
The 11 knives on this list are the most popular knives for everyday kitchen and restaurant jobs. They are the ones that make up the centerpiece of all sets of kitchen knives, both professional and domestic
The essential knives in your kitchen
1 -cook’s knife
Also called a chef's knife, it is the most important knife in your kitchen.
A chef's knife usually has a wide blade that tapers off somewhat, allowing it to rotate back and forth for quick chopping. It can be anywhere from 6 to 12 inches long - the size is often chosen with the size of the chef's hand in mind.
A chef's knife can be forged or stamped, although the best kitchen knives are usually forged. Since it takes a lot of use, it usually comes off with a full touch-up - the bottom of the blade increases the length and width of the handle of the blade. It provides better stability and durability than partial calipers.
From pieces of chicken to pieces of carrots, a chef's knife can be used on almost any cut in the kitchen. Therefore, a kitchen knife set should be included in every set.
The cook's knife, the king of the kitchen, determines how much of the grinding and wiping tool you have to use. Ideally, the sharpener should be compatible with all knives. But if the knife comes from another batch, the grindstone should work with at least the angle of the material, the angle of the mane, and the chef's knife. Read our 2021 Best Knife Sharpener Buying Guide and Reviews to learn how to buy the right knife sharpener.
2. Santoku Knife
The santoku knife is a Japanese version of the Western chef's knife. It is slightly shorter and thinner and some chefs use it instead of a chef's knife, especially those who prefer a smaller, lighter blade.
Santoku means "three properties", cut, cut, target, less and less. This knife is all around and everything can knife almost a typical chef.
Due to a flat blade, it doesn’t rock on the cutting board. This makes it less suited for when you want to mince herbs, but a better choice for skinny slices of veggies.
Santoku is sometimes made with a hollow edge. The dimples along the blade allow you to cut meat, fish, and other soft and hard materials without food sticking, slowing the speed and accuracy of the cut.
3. Utility Knife
The blade is between 4 and 7 inches long and is usually used for cutting food that is too small for a chef's knife.
It's not great for cutting or slicing bulky items, but its narrow blade and small tip mean it can do tasks like slicing, cutting, and shaping better than a chef's knife.
4. Kitchen Shears
Scissors aren't technically a type of knife, but they can be used in place of knives. Kitchen scissors are thick, strong scissors that can process a variety of food materials. Useful for cutting herbs, slicing chicken, cooking shrimp, cooking octopus, and many other cutting jobs. It is popular with many home cooks for cutting pizza.
Some scissors specially made for chopping green onions and other herbs may have multiple blades. However, the blades of these scissors are usually thin and weak. They require more effort to sharpen than regular scissors. Regular scissors are already smart about which type of knife sharpener is suitable for them.
Good to have
These types of knives are disposable items that are intended for very specific purposes.
5. Boning Knife
An ossifying knife, as the name implies, is used to separate meat from bones, to fillet fish, and to carve meat. Instead of mincers, small bone knives can also be used to peel and peel vegetables.
Boning knives are generally 3 to 8 inches long, but there are slight differences in blade width. Hardened blades are popular with home cooks because the blades can be flexible, semi-flexible, or rigid and improve cutting precision.
6. Bread Knife
Bread knives are used to cut bread, pastries, and sometimes meat, poultry, and seafood. Designed to cut bread without breaking squishing it.
Bread knives for cutting large pieces of food belong to the widest range of kitchen knives. It can be 7 to 10 inches long. The blade is narrow and straight (that is, without a belly), always serrated, with large "teeth".
7. Cleaver Knife
The cleaver is usually the heaviest and heaviest knife in the kitchen.
A typical butcher's knife has a full tang, a thick spine, and a very wide blade with little or no belly. This design allows you to cut bone, meat, and thick, hard materials like squash or gourd with just one cutting motion.
With a large, heavy blade, the knife is also ideal for blending and grinding meat, poultry, and fish and crushing garlic.
8. Paring Knife
If you like to make garnishes for food items, a small knife is a must.
Bucket knives usually come with a thin 3- to a 4-inch blade with a pointed end. It can be used to finely chop and peel fruits and vegetables and to reduce excess fat.
The most common paring knife style is the spear, named after the tip, leg of the lamb, and beak of the bird.
9. Steak Knife
A stick knife, also called a table knife, is a small knife used for cooking at the table.
Suitable for steak, chicken, and fish.
10. Nakiri Bocho
Nakiri Bocho is a Japanese knife mainly used for chopping vegetables. It has a thin and wide blade and a square tip.
Since the knives are designed for chopping vegetables, they have long, straight blades. This makes it easier to cut tall vegetables (such as eggplant or carrots) in half. Use this knife when you want to cut cucumbers, bitter melons, and tomatoes.
11. Fillet Knife
This knife is very similar to a bone mining knife. However, there are subtle differences between the two.
Because a bone paring knife is designed to separate meat from the bone, it tends to be thicker and has better resistance to power. On the other hand, a filleting knife is designed to cut thinner slices of fish and is, therefore, thinner, longer, and generally more flexible.
The difference is so small that in most cases the knife can be replaced. Knife makers sometimes mix the two, hence the advent of point knives. If you are an expert in sashimi or chicken fermentation, you will probably notice the difference. Also, either is sufficient for casual home cooking.
So here is a brief summary of the different types of kitchen knives. Which of these knives are in your kitchen? Would you choose a chef or Santoku knife for general slicing jobs? Is there another essential knife that you think should be on the list? Let us know in the comments section below.