You need a variety of kitchen knives in your collection no matter how you slice it. To make meals easier, we examine five common options—paring, santoku, serrated utility, bread knife, and chef's knife—and explain when to use each of them.
The Importance of Knowing about Every Knife
Knives all have one thing in common, even though they are made for diverse jobs: They should feel like an extension of your hand. Check out several knives to determine whether you like the length, weight, and handle. Because the best knife is the one you'll use, comfort is essential.
If you find your bladed bestie, make a commitment to keep it sharp. Due to the fact that it demands less effort from you, preparation work is safer. Cutting with a forceful motion can cause the knife's blade to slip and injure you. Let the blade do the work; this is the whole point of the knife.
Serrated Utility Knife
The serrated utility knife is a type of knife that has a blade with teeth, or serrations, on the edge. These teeth are designed to cut through tough materials such as rope, wire, and plastic. The serrated edge also makes it easier to cut through foods like tomatoes and bread.
A Paring Knife
A paring knife is used for a variety of tasks, including peeling and coring fruit, trimming fat from meat, and cutting small vegetables.
Paring knives are distinguished from other types of knives because they are shorter and thinner than most other knives.
Paring knives are typically used in the kitchen to perform small tasks such as peeling an apple or trimming fat from meat. They can also be used to cut small vegetables like carrots or potatoes.
It is not recommended that you use a paring knife for large tasks like cutting through a whole chicken or carving a turkey. For these types of tasks, it is best to use a chef's knife.
Santoku
A santoku knife is a Japanese kitchen knife that has a rectangular blade with a flat edge and beveled sides. It differs from the traditional Western chef's knife by its straighter edge and slimmer profile. The Santoku is typically used for chopping vegetables, but can also be used for slicing meat or fish, making it an all-purpose kitchen tool.
The name "Santoku" means "three virtues" in Japanese, which refers to the three tasks this kind of blade performs well: slicing, dicing, and mincing.
Bread Knife
A bread knife is a kitchen knife used to slice through bread. They come in different sizes and shapes, with some being serrated and others not. Some are even designed specifically for bagels.
A bread knife is a versatile tool that can be used for more than just cutting bread. It can also be used for slicing tomatoes, cutting up cooked poultry, and even cutting pizza or cakes.
Chef's Knife
A chef's knife is typically the first knife that a cook should buy. It has a wide blade that is ideal for slicing and dicing vegetables and fruits.
Chef's knives are generally used for cutting meat, fish, and vegetables. They are also used for mincing garlic or herbs, chopping onions, cutting through the backbone of a chicken or fish to separate the fillets, peeling fruit or vegetables with a downward motion using the tip of the blade, and crushing whole spices by pressing them against a cutting board with the flat side of the blade.
Chef's knives are usually made from stainless steel with carbon steel blades that can be sharpened on both sides (a "double-beveled" edge). The handles can vary in shape depending on preference but are usually made from wood or plastic.
