Learn More about Knives to Find the Perfect Ones for Your Kitchen

A knife is an indispensable tool in the kitchen. You use it to slice, chop and cut all manner of items. A good kitchen knife will keep you safe as well as help you improve your precision and efficiency when preparing ingredients. If you need to upgrade your kitchen’s knife collection, you may be confused about which kinds you need. Depending on your cooking habits, the style of knife you select may be different. You should review the various types of kitchen knives before you make your purchase so you can choose the right ones.

Cleaver

With their large, heavy blades, cleavers are useful for the tough jobs in the kitchen like hacking, pounding and mincing ingredients. For example, you can slice hard root vegetables like turnips and winter squash more easily with the force of a cleaver. You can also use it to prepare meats, as cleavers are great at chopping through thick cuts, hacking bone and cutting through joints. In addition, large knives like cleavers are often used as general-purpose knives in Chinese cuisine.

Fillet Knife

If you eat a lot of fish, you might want to purchase a fillet knife. These long, flexible blades are perfect for filleting and deboning fish. The shape of a fillet knife allows the blade to perfectly slice under the skin of a fish so that nothing is wasted. In addition to making fish, you can use your fillet knife to prepare chicken or other poultry fillets and cut very thin slices of meat.

Utility Knife

Mid-sized utility knives are known for being an all-around helpful kitchen tool. They are easy to handle and suitable for everyday kitchen tasks like chopping herbs, slicing most vegetables and cutting meats. In addition, the utility knife’s balance of weight and precision makes it ideal for slicing sandwiches. If you only have one knife in your home collection, a utility knife is a solid choice for most jobs.

Vegetable Knife

Although you can use many different kitchen knives for chopping vegetables, the vegetable knife is specialised for the task. Typically similar in size to a chef’s knife, the vegetable knife has a broader blade and blunt end that make it great at slicing through uncooked vegetables. These knives are not the best for cutting bread or meats, but they’re helpful when you have vegetables you need to prepare.

Slicer Knife

A slicer knife has a longer blade with an edge specialised for carving meats. You can cut large, cooked meats like ham and roast beef into thin, precise portions with a good slicer. You can also use this type of knife to cut long vegetable strips.

Chef’s Knife

The classic chef’s knife has a broad blade that makes it versatile and practical. Chef’s knives are sharp and larger than a standard utility knife. Other than heavy-duty jobs like chopping through bone, the chef’s knife works in most situations. You can quickly chop nuts, herbs, vegetables and meats with a chef’s knife.

Paring Knife

A paring knife can handle the most precise preparation work in the kitchen. The blades are short and sharp, making the knife excellent at peeling, mincing and other delicate tasks. For example, you can thinly slice garlic and herbs with a paring knife. Removing seeds from fruit and veins from prawns are also good uses for a paring knife.

Different knives are suited to a variety of tasks. Some are more specialised, while others are versatile and generally useful. How and what you cook influences which equipment you should purchase. By learning more about kitchen knives, you’ll be able to make a more informed decision.