There are so many knives, but sometimes it can be hard to know what each is used for. Although any knife can cut, having the right tool can save you time, energy and injuries. In this guide, we’ll be explaining the differences between each knife and how to care for them so you can go from a beginner to feeling like a master in the kitchen.
Chef Knife
The chef’s knife is by far the most used in the kitchen. Usually, the chef Knife measures around 8 to 10 inches, although it can be anywhere from 6 to 14 inches, depending on the task at hand. Since this is your most useful knife in the kitchen, it’s important to invest in your most useful instrument. It is best to use for chopping, slicing, dicing, julienning and chiffonade certain meats, hard fruits and veggies like melons and carrots.
It's important to note that there are 2 different types of chef knives. One is the Western knife which has a thicker blade and is heavier in weight with a slight curved blade that is ideal for dicing and chopping in a rocking motion.
The other, is a Japanese Santoku knife which is thinner, lighter, sharper and has a straighter blade that is more suited for precise slicing but not as much for chopping and dicing. Because it has a sharper and harder blade based on the Rockwell hardness scale, it can be great for precise cuts in soft meats.
Cleaver Knife
A cleaver can seem daunting at first but it is an amazing tool, especially for the true chefs and meat lovers. With a heavy weight and sharp blade, it is mainly used to cut through bones and hard veggies such as squash. Although cleavers are not the most common knife in Western kitchens, in China, it is the main instrument used for a majority of tasks. If your knife skills feel good, you might prefer a heavier and bigger knife.
Oyster Knife
When it comes to shucking oysters, oyster knife blades are specifically designed to handle the toughness of shells. Designed with a rounded handle that gives you a more solid grip when popping them open and a blade long enough to pry the shell open.
Cheese Knife
For hard cheeses, you can use many different knives such as a chef knife, a paring knife and utility knife, however for soft cheeses such as blue cheese, camembert and brie, they tend to stick to any surface, making it harder to use regular knives. This is why some knives have holes in them, to avoid sticking as much as possible. This can also be used for crumbly cheeses such as feta. This is why cheese knives are often sold as sets, to provide an at least 2 different options for soft and hard cheeses.
Mincing Knife
This is a more particular knife, made with one specific intent in mind… mincing. With a curved blade that is meant to be held by both hands, you would use a rocking back and forth motion to quickly mince your veggies and herbs such as garlic and basil. Although great for mincing, it will not give you the precision a chef knife provides.
Paring Knife
A paring knife is essentially your chef knife but in a smaller version for more precise and smaller tasks. Great for peeling and mincing smaller veggies and fruits such as ginger, onions, strawberries and limes. Think of smaller tasks and not something like a watermelon.
Utility Knife
If you want the quality of a chef knife and the precision of a paring knife, the utility knife is a go-to. Longer than a paring knife with a narrower blade than a chef knife, it’s great for fruit and tender meats. Known as the more universal knife, it has the precision of a smaller knife but the heft of a larger one. Often used for cold cut meats, cheese and sandwhich rolls.
Boning Knife
The Boning knife, a tell all task for this knife based on its name. This knife is used to remove meat and skin fast from bones of thick or thin meats. Its thin blade allows you to cut your meat with precision along the curves and bends on your meats bones. Perfect for poultry, fish, beef and many more meats.
Bread Knife
Bread knives are known for their serrated edge. This is made so that the shape of your bread stays fairly intact when cutting. Although it provides a less clean cut with crumbs, it is a lot less likely to break or squish your loaf when using the proper back and forth sawing motion.
Carving knife
As the name says, this knife is for all your carving needs. From turkey, brisket and ham, this knife provides a thin blade that stops food from sticking to its surface. Whether cutting thick or thin slices of your meat, it’s the perfect tool for providing a clean slice of your cooked meats.
Tomato Knife
Tomatoes can be a pain to cut if you don’t have the proper instrument. Avoid squishing and ruining the skin off your tomatoes with a small, serrated knife made precisely for more delicate tasks. This is also great for very soft fruits such as a kiwi.
Bonus: Kitchen Shears
A good pair of kitchen shears can truly make all the difference in your food prep. A kitchen multitool that can be used for cutting herbs, opening food packaging, cutting cooked meats and breaking down poultry.
Care For Your Knives
Now that you have a better idea of what you’ll need in your kitchen, it’s time to learn how to properly take care of them for long lasting use. For example, although some knives are dishwasher safe, we always recommend handwashing to avoid any rusting at the handles or rivets.
To properly take care of your blade, firstly, get a honing rod to reset the edge of your blade (no serrated knives). This is not made to sharpen, but to realign and straighten the edge of blade, keeping it sharp longer. When speaking about honing, it should be done every week or two to avoid potential injuries, make everything smooth, easy and faster in the kitchen.
Once you feel your blade become dull, use a sharpening tool to keep your blade sharp. This process should be done around twice a year. Although it's important to keep your knives sharp, you do not want to sharpen it too often otherwise, the blade may become too thin, sensitive and brittle.
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