Kitchen Essentials: An Extensive Guide to Kitchen Knives

Want to make your cooking process easier, faster, and safer? Although there are various types of knives in the market, choosing the one that suits your needs can be tricky. Without accurate knowledge, it’s easy to buy a selection of specialist knives you hardly ever use. As a result, you might end up with a wide selection of unused knives languishing at the back of your utensil drawer. There are various types of kitchen knives designed for different purposes.

Here is a list of the top kitchen knives that are all the rage these days

1. Chef knives 

You can find chef’s knives in nearly every commercial kitchen as they are the most versatile tools that can be used for a variety of cutting tasks. It is also known as a cook’s knife and is an essential blade in your kitchen.

Features of a chef knife

1. It stays sharp for a longer duration
2. Never affect the flavor of the food
3. Easy to use and clean
4. It comes with a full tang
5. Ensures better stability and durability

Uses of a chef knife

From cutting chicken to chopping carrots, a chef’s knife can be used for almost every cutting task in the kitchen.

2. Utility knife 

These types of knives have a similar shape to a chef knife but smaller and slimmer. Some of these knives also have a sharp top that tapers up towards the spine to allow more intricate work.

Features of a utility knife

1. Measures between 4 and 7 inches in length
2. Designed to accept replacement blades easily
3. Used for cutting food that is too smaller for a chef’s knife
4. A mix between slicing and paring knives
5. Scalloped edges and blades that are slightly longer than standard paring knives

Uses of a utility knife

Suitable for chopping smaller foods and vegetables such as shallots

Efficient for slicing fruits and vegetables

3. Santoku Knife

This knife is a Japanese version of the Western-style chef’s knife. It’s slightly shorter and thinner and is used in place of the chef’s knife by some cooks, especially those who prefer a smaller, lighter blade.

Features of Santoku Knife

1. Made with a hollow edge
2. The dimples along the blade allow it to cut through meat, fish, and various soft and rigid materials.
3. It doesn’t rock on the cutting board
4. It makes it easier for food to slide off
5. All-rounder and can do almost everything a typical chef’s knife can

Uses of Santoku knife

Great for chopping, dicing, and mincing ingredients or slicing cheese

Effective tool for cutting fish

4. Steak knife 

They can be a welcome addition to your knife collection as they aren’t only made with steaks in mind. Steak knives are a sharper version of table knives used for cutting more delicate meats, especially steak.

Features of a steak knife

1. It prevents you from spending more time cutting
2. Strong, durable, and long-lasting
3. It contains fewer carbon properties than any other metal
4. Allows for a more excellent, more seamless cutting experience
5. Provides an unparalleled, premium steak-cutting experience

Uses of a steak knife

Specially designed to cut through the meat of a steak easily without resorting to shredding or hacking the meat.

Used for cutting chops and chicken breasts

5. Butcherknife

These knives are made of high carbon stainless steel. You can use butcher knives not only for cutting your steak but also as a general utility knife.

Features of a butcher knife

1. Precision-forged, ultra-sharp knives
2. Tapered design for hardness and flexibility
3. Have perfect control
4. Slightly curved, that helps you with cutting through meat
5. It contains Granton edges that allow you to slice through meat without tearing or shredding the product easily

Uses of Butcher knife

Suitable for chopping and even breaking through the occasional bone.

Used to chop up raw meat.

One of the best parts of a quality kitchen knife is that when it strikes or is drawn across the food’s surface, it won’t slip. This makes it easy to control how the blade moves through the food, giving you control over your shipping or slicing.