Knives - A type for every purpose

Understanding Our Best Friends

Let’s take a look at the most common knives used in the kitchen

The Anatomy of a Knife

Photo: Wüsthof

Sections of a knife

In the photo above, we see the names given to the different sections of a knife.
To understand the versatility of this knife, know that the tip of the blade is used for delicate ingredients that require a finer cut.
The central part of the blade is used to cut ingredients that are not as delicate, but are still soft and cut well with the convex shape: leeks, parsley, chives, meats, vegetables, etc.
The section of the blade near the heel is used for tougher ingredients, frozen foods, thinner poultry bones, etc.
The wide part of the blade is usually used as a spatula to scoop up the chopped ingredients and place them in a suitable container.
I use this knife and the Santoku, which I’ll talk about later, more than 90% of the time when I’m cooking.

Chef’s Knife (Stainless Steel)

There are many types of knives, each with its own purpose. However, the star of the knives is the famous “Chef’s Knife”.
Usually found in sizes 6, 8 and 10” (approximately 15, 20 and 25cm). It is a multi-purpose knife and lends itself to almost everything in the kitchen.
Its slightly curved shape allows you to use different movements to cut ingredients of different shapes.
It also allows the blade to slide more easily across the board.

MOSFiATA 8″ Super Sharp Professional Chef’s Knife

Santoku

The Santoku is also an Asian-style “chef’s knife”.
It’s very versatile and easy to use, and I love using it for practically everything I do when I cook. It can also be found in ceramic and stainless steel.

imarku Chef Knife 7 Inch Kitchen Knife Ultra Sharp Santoku Knife

Chinese Chef’s Knife

Although it looks like a cleaver, the big difference is in its weight. It has a light, very sharp blade and is used in the same way as the chef’s knife we know. It is a very versatile knife, used for cutting, slicing, crushing and gathering ingredients.

Mercer Culinary Chinese Chef’s Knife, 8″

Vegetable knife

Also known as a “paring knife”, it is a smaller, multi-purpose and very versatile knife.
It is used for tasks that require greater cutting precision, such as peeling vegetables, cleaning fish, shrimp, etc.
Like the others, it can be found in ceramic and stainless steel.

HENCKELS Forged Accent Razor-Sharp 2-pc Paring Knife Set

Tip: With a chef’s knife and a vegetable knife you can perform practically all the cutting tasks required in your kitchen.

Cleaver

Also known as a butcher’s knife. It comes in different weights and sizes and can be used for anything from cutting vegetables to bones and frozen meats.

Mueller 7-inch Meat Cleaver Knife.

Bread knife

This knife needs no introduction

Bread Knife 8 inch Serrated Knife, High Carbon Stainless Steel

Filleting knife

It’s a knife often used for filleting fish, especially larger ones. Filleting a larger salmon without using a knife like this is a tricky task.
It is also used for filleting other types of meat, thanks to its narrow blade.

DDF iohEF Fillet Knife 7 Inch Professional

Sashimi knife (Yanagi or Yanagi-ba)

Sushi/sashimi knives have a special type of edge designed for precision cutting. These knives only have an edge on one side, like a pair of scissors. That’s why there are right-handed and left-handed knives.

Lucky Cook Sashimi Sushi Knife 10 Inch

Boning knife

It’s a knife used for boning meat, but it can also be used for filleting, depending on the size of the piece.

Victorinox 6 Inch Curved Fibrox Pro Boning Knife

Turning knife

Small knife used for turning and carving fruit and vegetables.

Bird Beak Paring Knife, 2.75 Inch

I’ve briefly presented the main types of knife here. We’ll look at other types in future articles.
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