Types of Kitchen Knives: The Ultimate Guide to Chef Knives

 

 

If you’re a fan of cooking and you feel like you want to take your kitchen game to the next level, then you know you’re in desperate need of a few expert knives. In this article we’ll explore some of the most common types of kitchen knives that will help you cook almost any meal you can think of.

 

Chef’s Knife

The classic and most popular chef’s knife has a broad blade that starts to thin out at the point softly. The shape of this knife makes it easier to slide back and forth for mincing and chopping efficiently. A chef’s knife can go anywhere between 6 inches and 12 inches, so you can pick the size that works best for you.

 

Santoku Knife

Considered an Asian version of the classic chef’s knife, the Santoku knife is actually a bit shorter and thinner. Expert chefs might go for this blade instead of the chef’s knife if they prefer to work with a lighter tool. An interesting thing about this knife is that its name means “Three virtues: slicing, dicing and mincing”.

 

Utility Knife

When facing an ingredient that’s too small for a chef’s knife, the utility knife comes in handy. The utility knife measures between 4 and 7 inches, and it’s perfect for precise and fine chopping, slicing and trimming of soft and small items.

 

Boning Knife

As the name states it, the boning knife is used widely to separate the flesh from the bones of chicken, to fillet fish and to cut up meat. Boning knives are about 3 to 8 inches in length, and they can also be perfect to trim vegetables.

 

Bread Knife

The shape and size of bread knives are ideal to slice up bread, baguettes, cakes and, if used correctly, even meat, poultry and seafood. The teeth of the knife make it perfect to cut through the bread without squishing it or pushing it down.

 

Cleaver Knife

This type of knife is the bulkiest and biggest you can find in the kitchen, and it can be a bit scary if you don’t know how to use it. With its wide and heavy blade, the cleaver knife is ideal to beat meat, pulverizing poultry and crushing garlic.

 

Paring Knife

The paring knife is one of the most noble ones and it's perfect to create garnishes for all your meals and beverages. This type of knife is usually between 3 and 4 inch blades and can be used to cut and peel fruits and vegetables and even trimming excess fat from meat.

 

Steak Knife

The steak knife is actually one of those few that can be used for cooked food instead of raw and during the preparation of a meal. A steak knife can have serrated, non-serrated or semi-serrated blades, and they can stay sharp for way longer than other types of knives.

 

Now that you know a bit more about the most popular types of knives, you have to start getting your collection ready and learn how to use them all correctly. Once you get a hang of them you’ll wonder how did you manage without them before!