Types of kitchen knives
- Chef’s knife
- Cleaver
- Santoku
- Bread knife
- Universal knife
- Steak knife
- Cutting knife
- Boning knife
- Slicing knife
- Filleting knife
- Paring Knife
When it comes to kitchen knives, each type has its own special purpose. Here’s a simple guide to some common knives and how to use them.
Paring Knife
There are four main styles of paring knives: curved, spear point, sharp, and clip point.
- Curved Paring Knife: This is great for making delicate cuts like pepper rings or slivered olives and cherries. It’s perfect for fancy salads.
- Spear Point Paring Knife: This knife, also known as a cook’s paring knife, is useful for removing corn from the cob, breaking up lettuce or cabbage, and peeling fruits and vegetables.
- Sharp Paring Knife: This is similar to the curved knife and is used for detailed cutting and peeling.
- Clip Point Paring Knife: This type is ideal for tasks like eyeing potatoes, seeding, peeling, and pitting.
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Utility Knife
A 6-inch utility knife is versatile and great for slicing fruits and vegetables that aren’t solid, like tomatoes and squash. For acidic fruits, a stainless steel blade works best. You can use it to cut large melon rings, wedge lettuce, prepare cabbage for shredding, and halve grapefruits or oranges. Shop Utility Knives here.
Boning Knife
Boning knives come in lengths from 4 to 8 inches. They are used for boning out roasts when they are partially cooked. This knife helps with boning roasts, whole hams, lamb legs, and veal legs. A wider, stiffer blade is used for cutting raw meat and trimming less thick cuts. Shop Boning Knives here.
Butcher, Cimeter Steak Knife, and Cleaver
Butcher and Cimeter Steak Knives: These are handy for dicing salt pork, cubing cooled meats, cutting steaks, or trimming raw meat. Some cooks use a favorite forged cook’s knife for these tasks instead.
Cleaver: This heavy knife is used for opening lobsters, cutting poultry, and chopping joints.
Shop Butcher Knives, Shop Cimeter Knives, Shop Cleavers
Cook’s and Chef’s Knife
Available in lengths from 6 to 12 inches, this knife is one of the most versatile in the kitchen. It has a wide blade that tapers to a point. This shape helps with dicing and mincing vegetables and herbs. The chef’s knife is used for carving roasts as well. It’s often forged for extra durability. Shop Cook’s and Chef’s Knives here.
Slicers and Carvers
- Roast Beef Slicer: The main carving knife, used for carving rounds, boneless roasts, and other large cuts of meat.
- Narrow Cold Meat Slicer: This is used for slicing ham or leftover cold roasts. It works best with cold meats.
- Wide, Stiff Blade Slicer: Better for cutting hot meats.
- When choosing a slicer or carver, look for one with enough length to allow smooth, even slicing.
Understanding these different knives can make cooking easier and more enjoyable. Each knife is designed for specific tasks, so having the right one can make a big difference in your kitchen.
