Types of Kitchen Knives: The Best Guide for You ! (2021)

If you have the right tools, preparing food is easier, faster, and safer.

However, there are so many different types of knives on the market…

that finding one that suits your needs can be difficult.

In the absence of knowledge, it’s easy to buy knives you’ll never use…

…meaning your utensil drawer ends up filled with unused knives.

The naming conventions for knives can also be confusing…

…with many tools having multiple names for the same style.

In order to help you make sense of it all…

…we have compiled a guide describing every type of kitchen knives…

…and its uses, along with advice on which one to use for different kitchen tasks.

This guide will tell you everything you need to know…

…if you’re looking to invest in the best kitchen knives…

…or simply setting up your home kitchen.

There are probably more than a dozen different kinds of kitchen knives…

…some versatile, others suited for specific tasks.

These are the top 11 kitchen knives used for food preparation…

…and serving on a daily basis.

They are the ones that form the core of all knife sets for professional cuisine…

…as well as for home cooking.

Before jump into types of kitchen knives section, let us hear Paula’s story…

Hello I’m Paula and I love to cook!

Since I have small hands, I use the Santoku more often than the chef’s knife.

I use my cleaver mostly to crush garlic or lemongrass.

A Santoku and a pair of shears are a necessity

for almost everything I do as a casual home cook.

A peeling knife is also included.

But I have some more dedicated friends

who actually have and use all the kitchen knives, and even some rarer ones.

I’m a bit jealous with them..

Let’s jump right in!

Kitchen Knives You Must Have

There are different kinds of kitchen knives.

You can improve the quality of your cuts by using the right knife for the right task.

You can prevent injuries and save time and effort in the kitchen…

…if you know what knives to use for different tasks.

Chef’s Knife

You cannot live without this knife, also known as a cook’s knife.

For fast mincing, a chef’s knife usually has a broad blade…

…that tapers upward to a point.

Typically, the size is decided by how big the cook’s hand is.

It can range from 6 to 12 inches in length.

Chef’s knives are either forged or stamped…

…although forged knives are usually the best.

Since it has to withstand frequent use…

…it usually has a full tang–the bottom part of the blade…

…extends to the whole length and width of the knife handle.

A full tang is more stable and durable than a partial tang. 

From cutting chicken to chopping carrots…

…the chef’s knife can be used for almost every cutting task in the kitchen.

A chef’s knife is one of the most versatile tools. Any professional chef will tell you this is a must-have. It should feel like an extension of your arm. It’s a go-to for chopping and dicing vegetables, fruit, and herbs. As well as cutting a variety of other ingredients like meat, poultry, and fish. 

The function of chef’s knife according to Jessica Gavin a Certified Food Scientist and Certified Culinary Scientist.

Hence, it is a must-have item in every kitchen knives set collection.

The chef’s knife, as king of the kitchen…

…also determines what sharpening tool you should use.

The sharpener should be compatible with all of your knives…

…but if they come from different collections…

it should at least work on the material, grind, and edge angle of the chef’s knives.

Santoku Knife

Many cooks prefer it as a substitute for the chef’s knife…

A Santoku knife is a Japanese version of the Western-style chef’s knife.

…especially those who prefer smaller, lighter blades.

Santoku means “three virtues”, namely cutting, dicing, and mincing.

Almost all the functions that a typical chef’s knife can perform…

…are covered by this knife.

The flat blade prevents it from rocking on the cutting board.

Thus, it is less suitable for chopping herbs…

…but better suited for chopping skinny slices of vegetables. 

Santokus are sometimes made with hollow edges.

Its dimples enable it to cut through meat, fish…

…and other soft and tough materials without sticking to them…

…and reducing both the speed and precision of the cut.

Utility Knife

Utility knives measure between 4 and 7 inches in length…

…and are usually used to cut food that is too small for a chef’s knife.

It is not designed for chopping or slicing large items…

…but its narrow blade and small tip allow it to handle tasks…

…such as thin slicing, trimming, and filleting even more effectively than a chef’s knife.

Kitchen Shears

Despite the fact that shears are not technically knives…

…they can be used in place of knives.

Shears are a pair of scissors with thick and strong blades…

…that are used for handling food materials.

You can use them to cut herbs, section chicken, prepare shrimp, octopus…

…and many other things.

They are a favorite among many home cooks for slicing pizza.

In some shears, different blades can be used for cutting different herbs…

…such as green onions fast.

Those shears, however, usually have thin, weak blades.

Also, they require more effort to sharpen than ordinary shears…

…which are already picky about what type of sharpener they work with.

Keep reading…

Nice-to-Have Kitchen Knives 

Kitchen knives of this type are dedicated to very specific tasks.

Boning Knife

It is used to cut up meat, filet fish, and separate meat from bones…

…as its name suggests.

You can also use boning knives in place of a paring knife to peel and trim vegetables.

In general, boning knives range in length from 3 to 8 inches…

…with blade widths varying slightly.

Flexible, semi-flexible, or stiff blades are available…

…with stiff blades being most popular with home cooks…

…due to their enhanced cutting precision.

Bread Knife

In addition to bread, cakes, fish, and poultry…

…bread knives are often used to cut cheese.

They are designed to allow the bread to be sawed through…

…without pressing down on it.

The bread knife belongs to a broader group of kitchen knives…

…designed for cutting large portions of food.

It can range in length from 7 to 10 inches.

The blade is narrow (without a belly), always serrated, and has large teeth along it.

Cleaver Knife

The cleaver is usually the heaviest and bulkiest knife in the kitchen. 

In general, cleavers have a full tang, a thick spine…

…and a very wide blade with little or no belly.

In a chopping motion, it can cut through bones, meat…

…and hard and thick materials such as squash or pumpkin. 

This wide and heavy blade makes it ideal for beating…

…and pulverizing meat, poultry, and fish, as well as crushing garlic.

Go on…

Paring Knife

The paring knife is a must-have if you like making garnishes for your food and drinks.

The blade of a paring knife has a thin…

…pointed tip that measures 3 – 4 inches long.

Fruits and veggies can be sliced and peeled with this tool…

…and excess fat can be trimmed with great precision.

The three most common styles of paring knives are spear point…

…sheep’s foot, and bird’s beak.

Steak Knife

Small knives used at a table for cooking food…

…steak knives are also called table knives.

Steak, chicken, and fish go well with them.

Depending on the edge type, steak knives can come with serrated…

…or semi-serrated edges.

The sharpness of serrated steak knives lasts longer…

…without honing or sharpening.

In addition to becoming dull faster, non-serrated knives are easier to sharpen.

It gets better…

Nakiri Bocho

A Nakiri bocho is a Japanese-style knife used primarily for cutting vegetables.

Featuring a wide blade with squared-off tips, it has a thin and thin design.

Because it is designed for chopping veggies, the knife is long and straight.

It can thus cut long vegetables (such as eggplants or carrots) in half with ease.

You should use this knife to slice cucumber, bitter gourd, or tomatoes thinly.

Fillet Knife

Like the boning knife, this knife has a similar appearance.

There are, however, some subtle differences between the two.

Generally, boning knives are thicker and have a better force endurance…

…because they are designed for removing meat from bones.

In contrast, a fillet knife is used to cut thin slices of fish…

…and is typically longer, thinner, and more flexible. 

Most of the time, the differences are so small…

…that the knives can be substituted for each other.

Boning fillet knives are often combining the two, hence their emergence.

Experts in sashimi or chicken boning would probably notice the differences.

Otherwise, either of the two should be sufficient for casual home cooking.

You might be wondering…

How to Keep Your Knives Sharp

Sharp kitchen knives are safer and more efficient than dull ones…

…so once you’ve found your perfect cutting tools…

…you should keep them sharpened so they keep performing at their best.

We have whetstones, steels, and knife sharpeners…

…for you to keep your blades in top condition…

…which will help them last longer and make cutting work safer and easier.

Your knife storage habits can also influence the sharpness…

…and longevity of your knives.

When utensils are thrown in a cluttered drawer…

…they are at risk of rust, damage and wear…

…and it is much easier to accidentally cut yourself. 

Sum Up!

You may have just purchased a knife set…

…and realized that you don’t actually know what each knife is intended for.

Perhaps you’ve had a set of kitchen knives for some time…

…and are wondering how the ones you never use might make your life easier.

Understanding the different types of kitchen knives…

…and how to use them can open up a whole new world of possibilities.

Let’s get cutting with a knife and board!

Conclusion

There you have it, a quick overview of kitchen knives.

Which of these kitchen knives do you have in your kitchen?

For general cutting work, do you prefer a chef’s knife or a Santoku?

Can you think of any other kitchen knives that should be included on the list?

Please let us know in the comment section below!

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