Do you know which knife to pick when you get ready to do a cooking task? If not, it’s time to have a look at the various types of knives and their uses.
The correct knife is an indispensable tool, and can make all the difference in your recipes. With so many styles, brands, shapes and sizes available, it can seem a bit daunting to know which one to choose.
Using the right knife for the task at hand is a necessary step when cooking. From dicing vegetables to carving a roast, each knife is has a specific purpose. This guide will help you decide which knife to use for all your kitchen tasks.
Keep reading to about the types of kitchen knives and uses for each one.
Types of knives and their uses
Does your set of knives consist of steak knives and a sharp knife that you use for everything when cooking? You don’t know what you are missing!
There are so many other knives to use that will make your meal preparation easier. Here are a few of the most common knives used in the kitchen and a description of kitchen knives uses.
Chef’s knife
If you are looking for a versatile kitchen knife that is designed for a variety of tasks, look no further. Chef’s knife uses are many – it’s a great tool for chopping, slicing, dicing, and mincing.
It has a wide and curved blade that allows for a rocking motion, making it easy to get precise cuts and deal with larger amounts of ingredients. Most chef knives are 6-10 inches (15-25 cm.) in length.
The wide blade is also useful for picking up and transferring ingredients.
The chef’s knife is often considered the workhorse of the kitchen because it can handle a wide range of cutting tasks, This makes it an essential tool for all types of cooks.
Paring knife
A paring knife has a small, narrow, and pointed blade which makes it ideal for intricate jobs that require careful control. I use mine for peeling apples, trimming extra fat from meat and de-veining shrimp.
Other uses are scoring bread dough, and hulling strawberries.
Paring knives are generally short – about 2 1/2 to 4 inches (6.35 – 10 cm.) long.
Bread knife
The purpose of a bread knife is to slice through bread with without crushing it. If you have every massacred a loaf of freshly baked bread by using the wrong knife, you know how much you love your bread knife!
Bread knives have serrated edges, with a series of teeth along the blade. These serrations grip and cut through the crust of the bread without squashing or tearing of the interior of the loaf.
Although primarily designed for bread, these knives can also be used for cutting through other items with a hard crust and soft interior, such as cakes or tomatoes.
Bread knives come in various lengths, typically ranging from 8 to 10 inches (20-25 cm.) This allows you to choose one that suits the size of the bread you have chosen.
Utility knife
This knife will be your go-to knife. It is mid-sized and is used for tasks that are too small for a chef’s knife, but too large for a paring knife.
Utility knives can be used for a wide range of kitchen activities, including slicing sandwiches, chopping smaller fruits and vegetables, and trimming meat.
Use these knives to slice through bagels, and to cut and prepare cheeses, sausages, and other charcuterie items.
Utility knives come in various sizes from 4-7 inches (6.35 – 17.78 cm.) long, and in both serrated and straight edge versions. I have two of them (4.5 and 6 inch blades) and use them daily!
Boning knife
If you are looking for the perfect kitchen knife to remove bones from meat or to fillet fish, a boning knife is the one to choose.
It has a thin and flexible blade that allows you to maneuver around joints and bones. The flexibility of the blade makes it easier to separate the flesh from the bone.
Generally, the blade length of a boning knife ranges from about 5 to 7 inches (12.5 to 18 cm).
The sharp and pointed tip allows for precise and detailed work. Using a boning knife helps to reduce wastage when butchering meat or fish.
There are various types of boning knives. Stiff boning knives are often used for denser meats, while flexible boning knives are better suited for more delicate tasks like filleting fish.
Carving knife
We’ve all seen the cook carving a Thanksgiving turkey or holiday ham, but carving knives can be used all year round.
When you want to present beautifully sliced and elegantly arranged cuts of meat at the dining table, a carving knife is a must-have.
Carving knives have a long, thin blades, often with a pointed tip. This design facilitates smooth, even slicing through larger cuts of meat.
Their blades allow you to create thin, uniform slices with minimal effort and little tearing or shredding.
The elegant design of carving knives makes them suitable for serving at the table, adding a touch of sophistication to special occasions.
Carving knives have blade lengths ranging from 8 to 14 inches (20 to 36 cm). The most common sizes for home use are 8 to 10 inches (20 to 25 cm).
While not a knife, another essential item for carving is a carving fork. It holds meat in position while carving and you can also use it to transfer slices of cut meat to a platter.
Butcher knife
This tough, heavy-duty knife will help you get professional results when butchering larger cuts of meat, and cutting up larger vegetables. It is not a tool that I use often but when I need to cut into a large, dense butternut pumpkin, I always reach for it.
The wide belly allows for accuracy when segmenting and trimming meat. It has a super sharp, and straight-edge blade for smooth slicing and cutting.
The clip point allows more control and intricate cutting.
Butcher knives have larger and more robust blades compared to other kitchen knives. The blade length of a butcher knife generally falls within the range of 6 to 14 inches (15 to 36 cm).
Cheese knife
These knives are used for slicing and serving various types of cheese. They are designed to handle various textures and consistencies of cheese, and give clean cuts.
Cheese knives often have unique blade designs tailored to specific types of cheese. Blades range from 3 to 6 inches, (7.5 – 15 cm) depending on the type of cheese.
The holes on surface of the blade help to keep cheese and other dense foods from sticking during cutting.
Whether you’re dealing with soft, semi-hard, or hard cheeses, having the appropriate cheese knife can make the job of slicing cheese much easier.
Steak knife
Steak knives are used after the meal is cooked. Guests use them to cut through their own servings of cooked meat at the dinner table.
They come with serrated or straight-edge blades which range from 4 to 5 inches (10 to 12.5 cm).
The sharpness of the blade is crucial for cleanly slicing through meat without tearing. We use our steak knives for all types of protein, not just steak.
Other miscellaneous types of cooking knives
The following kitchen knives are a bit more specialized, but are still great tools to have on hand if you cook a lot.
Santoku knife
The Santoku knife is a versatile Japanese blade known for its exceptional slicing, dicing, and chopping capabilities. Its name, “Santoku,” translates to “three virtues,” highlighting its proficiency in slicing, dicing, and chopping.
Santoku knives normally have a blade length ranging from 5 to 7 inches (12.5 to 18 cm).
The Granton edge (hollowed-out depressions on the blade,) helps prevent food from sticking, and ensures smooth and efficient cutting.
This knife is widely used in both professional kitchens and household and is a valuable addition to any culinary arsenal.
Cleaver
The cleaver is a robust and versatile kitchen tool designed for heavy-duty cutting tasks. It is used for butchering, chopping, and handling tough ingredients.
Cleavers can chop through bones and very dense foods.
Their blades are heavier and thicker than other knives and often have a broad surface, which can be used to transfer ingredients.
Cleavers are versatile and can also be used for a variety of vegetable preparation tasks, from slicing through thick-skinned items to finely chopping herbs.
The size of cleavers can vary, to suit various tasks and user preferences. Typically, cleavers come with blades from 6- 8 inches long. (15-20 cm.)
Filleting knife
If you enjoy preparing fresh fish, a filleting knife is an essential kitchen tool. Its long, thin and flexible blade removes fish bones with ease.
A filleting knife is similar in look to a boning knife, but they are two different kinds of knives. Boning knives are used mainly to remove bones, while the primary purpose of a filleting knife is to fillet fish and separate the flesh from the bones with little waste.
The flexibility of the blade allows for clean and precise cuts along a fish’s backbone.
You can also use it to debone poultry or other meats and preserve as much meat as possible.
The narrow, flexible blade is well-suited for trimming excess fat or skin from cuts of meat. Filleting knives are often used for skinning fish or removing the skin from poultry, because of their sharpness.
Filleting knives come with blades from 6 to 9 inches long (15-23 cm.)
Tomato knife
As the name implies, a tomato knife is designed to slice through tomatoes. It has a serrated edge which will cut the skin but not crush the flesh
The forked tip on a tomato knife is used to easily lift and serve the sliced tomatoes. Tomato knives typically have a blade length ranging from 4 to 7 inches (10 to 18 cm).
This shorter blade gives you better control for precise slicing through tomatoes and other soft-skinned produce.
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Miscellaneous types of knives and tools
In addition to the knives listed above, there are two other sharp kitchen tools that I use often.
One is a pair of Cutco kitchen shears. While not actually knives, they come with my Cutco knife set and I use them all the time.
They are strong and very sharp. I use them in the kitchen, garden and beyond. They cut everything from delicate herbs to tough packaging.
The heavy-duty blades come apart for easy cleaning.
The other tool is a spatula spreader with a serrated edge. This spatula is an all-in-one tool that mixes, spreads, slices and serves making it a versatile knife.
Whether you are a beginning cook exploring the basics or an experienced chef refining your skills, the right set of knives can make meal planning so much easier.
The knives that I recommend are Cutco knives. They are backed by the company’s forever guarantee. I’ve used them for years and am super happy with the quality and also with their service.
I keep mine in a butcher block on the counter near my stove where they are always handy for preparing recipes.
Happy cooking!
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KItchen Knife Names and Their Uses - Printable
There are many styles of knives used in the kitchen. Each has its own design and use.
This printable will show the types of knives, and their names, as well as how to use them in the kitchen.
Materials
- Computer paper or heavy cardstock
Tools
- Computer printer
Instructions
- Load your heavy cardstock or computer paper into your Deskjet printer.
- Choose portrait layout and if possible "fit to page" in your settings.
- Print the image with the types of knives and uses.
- Keep it handy in with your cookbooks.
Notes
