Knives are, of course, part of the minimum set of essential kitchen items. They are used in the preparation of any dish, even the simplest ones, so choosing kitchen knives requires careful consideration: they must be truly comfortable and of high quality. We will tell you what is important to consider and which knives will be most useful for your culinary endeavors.
It is worth mentioning right away that one knife is not enough. There is a concept of a “chef’s trio” — this refers to the three most essential knives, which, incidentally, are often sold as a set. The trio includes:
- a universal knife 15-25 cm long;
- a 10-15 cm vegetable knife for peeling vegetables;
- a chef’s knife — the largest knife of the trio, which can be up to 40 cm long, for cutting, slicing, and finely chopping food.
At first, you can limit yourself to this standard trio, but over time, experimenting in the kitchen will surely lead to the purchase of other knives as well.
What is important to consider when choosing a kitchen knife?
First, it is important to understand the “structure” of a knife in order to know exactly which details to pay attention to. Every knife has a handle and a blade, which is also called a blade. At the junction of the blade and the handle, there may be a bolster: this is a plate that performs several different functions. The bolster helps redistribute the bending load that occurs when working with the knife, balances the weight of the blade, and generally makes the tool more durable and reliable — products without a bolster often break at the junction of the handle and blade.
The blade has a cutting edge and an opposite upper edge — the butt. The butt drop is the place of bending closer to the tip of the blade, which is called the point. If the blade is large and protrudes beyond the width of the handle, it has a “heel” — the corner of the blade near the end of the handle.
There are several criteria that can help you choose the best quality and most reliable option from the wide variety of kitchen knives available.
The first is the purpose of the knife. What exactly do you need a knife for? Do you need a universal tool or a knife designed for vegetables, meat, fish, bread, or any other products? This is the main “starting point,” after which you can move on to the next criteria.
Next, you will need to consider the blade material (this can be ceramic or various metal alloys) and the handle material (most often plastic, wood, and metals are used), the quality of the knife’s assembly, and the quality of the sharpening. When choosing a knife, you can also learn more about the manufacturer’s brand and its features. In addition, it is important to not only visually evaluate the kitchen tool, but also hold it in your hands to see if it will be comfortable to use.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these criteria, starting with the different types of knives.
Types of kitchen knives by purpose
Start with your needs in the kitchen. The type of knife and its purpose will determine what parameters it should have and what you should pay special attention to. In general, about 20 types of knives are widely used in European countries. And that, by the way, is not so many. For comparison: in Japan, there are about 200 different types of kitchen knives, and in reality, even more due to some regional differences.
Chef’s knife
Also known as a chef’s knife. In terms of size and versatility, this knife can truly claim the title of king of the kitchen. It can be recognized by its fairly wide and long 20 cm blade. Sometimes it can be even longer — up to 30 cm. A chef’s knife can be used to cut meat, slice it and other products — fruits, vegetables, herbs, mushrooms — as well as finely chop them.
By the way, it is precisely the ability to chop that often surprises novice cooks, who find the chef’s knife to be bulky and “clumsy.” The secret is that you don’t need to lift this knife every time you want to finely chop herbs or something else; to do this, simply “rock” the blade along the surface without lifting it, moving the blade along the board with small movements.
Santoku knife
It is also worth noting the Japanese version of the chef’s knife, which is also used far beyond the borders of this country: the Santoku knife. If we translate its name, it means that the knife has three uses — it can be used to cut, chop, and mince food. It is also large, but less pointed at the end — more rounded. But perhaps the most recognizable feature of the santoku knife is the small notches along the blade — thanks to these “pockets” (their “official” name is grantons), the food being cut does not stick to the blade and is easily separated.
Utility knife
The utility knife is another member of the “cook’s trio.” Its name speaks for itself: with this knife, you can comfortably cut most of the foods that end up in our kitchens. Utility knives have a long, sharp blade ranging from 12 to 15 cm in length. Thus, it is smaller than a chef’s knife, but still capable of many things.
Vegetable knife
The vegetable knife is also included in the aforementioned trio. It has another name — the paring knife. This knife is the smallest of the three basic knives. It has a small 10 cm blade that tapers toward the tip; its shape and length are designed to make it convenient for peeling vegetables (and fruits) and cutting off unwanted pieces.
Meat knife
Not to be confused with meat cutting knives, which come in different types: there is a cleaver, a curved boning knife used to separate meat from bone, and a sabre-like knife, which is more versatile.
A meat knife is a separate tool with its own characteristics. It is a knife with a thin and fairly long blade, which must be metal (it is important that the meat knife is slightly flexible, so a ceramic blade will not work), a smooth and even cutting edge, and a comfortable, ergonomic handle that prevents wrist strain. A double-sided European sharpening will make working with a meat knife as comfortable as possible.
Bread knife
While knives for cutting meat should be smooth rather than serrated, bread knives, on the contrary, need serrations. The correct name for the wavy cutting edge of such a knife is a serrated edge. This feature is very convenient in practice if you need to cut bread or, for example, cut a piece of cake. This knife will allow you to cut through the hard crust without crushing the soft inside, so each slice will retain its aesthetic appearance for serving. By the way, a bread knife can also be used to cut melons, watermelons, and pineapples, so don’t just go by the name.