The world of kitchen knives is deep and vast: there are countless options, varying price points, and all sorts of blade types. It can feel like a daunting and intimidating task to select these critical kitchen tools, so I’ve rounded up the 5 types of knives every home cook should own and the uses for each. This is your go-to guide for kitchen knives!
Knives For Every Use
When it comes to tools that I believe are absolutely requisite in the kitchen, sharp and well-made knives are definitely at the top of my list. Like other kitchen tools, some knives are “nice to have”, while others serve an intentional and specific purpose. There is a wide range of brands, styles, lengths, and blade types to choose from, which can make it challenging to make a decision. Let’s go over a few of the basic knives that I suggest every kitchen has!
1. Chef's Knife
Of all the knives out there, a chef’s knife is the number one knife I recommend when people ask what one should outfit their kitchen with. The versatility and precision that comes with a fantastic chef’s knife is irreplaceable. It’s meant to cover a broad span of tasks, as opposed to specializing in any one thing. It’s great for chopping, slicing, deboning, and mincing. Essentially, any task you would complete with a kitchen knife! The blade of a chef’s knife can be as small as just a few inches, offering options depending on your intended use. 9 times out of 10, a chef’s knife will be the knife I reach for when I’m spending time in the kitchen.
Great Chef’s Knives to Consider
2. Paring Knife
Paring knives have a short and pointed blade, making them great options for handy work such as peeling and slicing fruit and vegetables. The blade is typically between 3 and 4 inches long, thin, and lightweight. They’re also easy to handle: I love using a paring knife to hull and slice strawberries, peel potatoes or slice hard cheese.
3. Bread Knife (Serrated Knife)
Want to guess what this one’s good for?! A bread knife has large saw-like teeth allowing it to cut through tough bread crust. Having become a homebaked bread maker myself in the past year, having a great bread knife has been key. If you were to use a chef’s knife to cut through a loaf of sourdough bread, chances are two things would happen in the process. First, your bread would get squished from the pressure you’d need to use to cut through the tough exterior, and secondly, your wrist would likely start to hurt! I’ve experienced both, neither of which is ideal.
Great Bread Knives to Consider
4. Utility Knife
Think of a utility knife as a small version of a chef’s knife. Its body shape is similar, just on a smaller scale. It works great for chopping smaller items such as garlic, small amounts of herbs, and shallots. It’s a great knife for precision work, and is a great addition to any home cook’s arsenal.
Great Utility Knives to Consider
5. Slicing Knives
These knives are long and thin, offering precision specifically for slicing large cuts of meat. They work wonderfully for vegetables, too! Any thick-skinned squash that needs its skin removed (such as butternut squash) will do well with the help from a slicing knife.
Great Slicing Knives to Consider
Other Knives to Consider
The 5 knives previously listed are those that I highly encourage you to start with as you’re building your kitchen tool arsenal. However, if you’re looking for more advanced options that serve a specific purpose, check out a few of the following!
Boning Knife
If you work with a lot of meat and fish that requires deboning, a boning knife deserves a spot in your knife collection. Its sharp, thin, and narrow blade works wonders working through meat, cutting through connective tissue with ease. These knives should be extremely sharp and durable: it’s best to seek out a very durable and well-made blade.
Great Boning Knives to Consider
Cleaver
Similar to ta a boning knife, a cleaver serves a specific purpose. The square-shaped blade is best known for its use by butchers: it’s large blade allows for more forceful chopping methods, which easily cut through bone. While this isn’t a knife I personally use often, I know some people who like chopping vegetables and herbs with this behemoth of a knife.
Great Cleavers to Consider
Santoku Knife
The santoku knife is very similar to a chef’s knife: its blade length and handles closely resembling each other. Santoku knives are of Japanese origin, and traditionally have a thinner blade, resulting in an overall lighter knife. They also are typically shorter than a chef’s knife, though each variety offers a range of lengths. I like using a Santoku when I need very precise cuts or a fine mince.
Great Santoku Knives to Consider
A Few More Helpful Tools
A few other items to help you get chopping:
- Cutting Boards: I love having a variety of different cutting boards to choose from, depending on the task. If I’m prepping a lot of veg, I’ll opt for a large utility board. If I’m slicing a roast, I need a board with a deep well to catch any drippings. I also like to have a variety of different colored boards to coordinate based on need, such as green for lettuce, red for meat, blue for fish.
- Honing Steel: A common misconception about the honing steel is that it sharpens the blade. It actually does not. A honing steel simply realigns and straightens the blade, and is a great first step before sharpening your knife (honing may be all it takes to make your knife slice better).
- Knife Sharpener: An electric knife sharpener is a great investment to ensure your knives are always in working condition. Using a dull knife is really unsafe, as it’s more prone to slip if you’re sawing through your ingredients.
Get Chopping!
In conclusion, having the proper tools will always yield better (and easier!) results. Seek out the right knives for the job for efficient and safe chopping, mincing, dicing, and slicing. This collection includes the kitchen knives every home cook should own!
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Thanks. We have been able to learn a lot about knives through your blog.