Overview of all types of kitchen knives: which kitchen knife do you use for which task?
With dozens of types of kitchen knives it can sometimes be a bit confusing to know which knife should be used for which task. For instance, what purpose does a Nakiri serve? And what do you use a paring knife for? To answer this question we made an overview of the most important types of kitchen knives. Per knife we will shortly explain which role it can fulfill in the kitchen and how essential it is for your kitchen equipment.
Chef’s knife
Knife to have?
Absolutely indispensable
About this knife
The most important knife in the kitchen. You use it most. Vegetables, meat, herbs: the chef’s knife can do it all.
Santoku
Knife to have?
Nice to have around
About this type of knife
The Japanese chef’s knife is famous because of the rocking movement you make when you use it. Can replace the European chef’s knife, depending on your own preferences.
Bread knife
Knife to have
Absolutely indispensable
About this type of knife
You obviously use the bread knife to quickly slice a piece of bread. But also for other hard products such as pumpkin, melon and celeriac.
Filleting knife
Knife to have?
Indispensable when you love preparing fish
About this type of knife
You can actually only properly fillet a piece of fish with a filleting knife. Do you frequently prepare fish? If you do it is incredibly practical if you have one of these knives.
Carving knife
Knife to have?
Incredibly practical when you like to prepare large pieces of meat.
About this type of knife
A carving knife is long and narrow to make sure you can easily cut beautiful pieces of roast or other pieces of meat in one go. Perfect when prepared but also when you still have to prepare it.
Cleaver
Knife to have?
Nice to have around.
Only when you divide large pieces of meat with bones.
A cleaver is a type of hand axe. You use it to divide large pieces of meat with bone. Not to chop through the bone, only to disassemble joints and ribs.
Peeling knife
Knife to have?
Fun to have around
Very practical when peeling vegetables and fruit.
It might not surprise you that you use a peeling knife to, yes, peel! You can also do so with other knives but a peeling knife and its straight edge work a little better. Sometimes this knife is also called a ‘vegetable knife’.
Vegetable knife
Knife to have?
Fun to have around.
Incredibly practical when peeling vegetables and fruit.
You use a vegetable knife to clean and peel vegetables. Slightly similar to the paring and peeling knives.
Boning knife
Knife to have?
Practical when you divide large pieces of meat yourself.
About this type of knife
You use a boning knife when you clean your meat yourself.
Butter knife
Knife to have?
Beautiful asset for the breakfast table.
About this type of knife
Breakfast is not complete without a good butter knife. As the name might already suggest you use this knife to spread out butter.
Paring knife
Knife to have?
Will always come in handy.
About this type of knife
The paring knife is an all-round knife you use for different small cutting jobs in the kitchen.
Tomato knife
Knife to have?
Practical when you don’t like to sharpen your knives.
About this type of knife
You use the tomato knife to cut tomatoes. The serrations make cutting through them a piece of cake, even though a sharp knife should also do the trick.
Turning knife
Knife to have?
Absolutely indispensable.
About this type of knife
The turning knife is probably the most underestimated kitchen knife. Perhaps the best peeling knife of all, but also great to shape products. Think of cutting pieces of apple, carrot, potatoes and other products. We believe it to be indispensable!
Nakiri
Knife to have?
For anyone who loves to precisely cut vegetables.
About this type of knife
The Japanese vegetable knife. Excellent for neatly cutting julienne and brunoise. Perfect for up and down movements.
Yanagiba
Knife to have?
Especially when you love to make sushi.
About this type of knife
The Katana for the kitchen: perfect for sushi! You use it to cut sashimi and nigari, but also carpaccio! With a one-sided grind.
Ham knife
Knife to have?
Practical when you love to cut large pieces of meat into wafer-thin pieces.
About this type of knife
With a ham knife you can cut large pieces of meat into wafer-thin pieces. Think of ham, dried hams and carpaccio. Similar to a European Yanagiba.
Salmon knife
Knife to have
Practical for anyone who loves salmon.
About this type of knife
With a salmon knife you can cut smoked salmon into beautiful thin slices. The blade is narrow, thin and flexible. As a result you can cut thin slices.
Utility knife
Knife to have?
Practical when you find a chef’s knife too big
About this type of knife
The utility knife is the little brother of the chef’s knife, but bigger than a paring knife. Practical for any task a chef’s knife is too big.
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