What types of knives are used in the kitchen?
Good knives are indispensable in the kitchen. That is why kitchen knives are available in all kinds of shapes and sizes. All these different types of knives have their own intended use. By choosing the right type of knife, you make things much easier for yourself. In this article, we will help you make this choice.
The different knives for cooking
You can use many different types of kitchen knives in the kitchen. Each type of knife has its own intended use and can be identified by its typical appearance and size. What types of knives are there and which are the best for certain tasks in the kitchen? We will list them for you.
Chef's knife
A chef's knife is a commonly used type of knife in the kitchen. This type of knife has a blade measuring between 15 and 35 centimetres in length, although around 20 centimetres is an ideal length. The blade is usually about 4 to 5 centimetres high and the knife has a sharp point. Due to the shape of the blade, a chef's knife is ideal for cutting meat, vegetables and herbs.
Santoku knife
A santoku knife is a Japanese chef's knife. Just like a chef's knife, the blade of a santoku knife has an ideal length of around 20 centimetres. The blade of the santoku knife is slightly less rounded than that of a chef's knife. As a result, the cutting technique with a santoku knife is also slightly different from that of a chef's knife. A santoku knife is very suitable for cutting meat, vegetables, fruit and fish. Grooves on the side of the blade ensure that food does not stick to the knife. This makes it easier to cut thin slices.
Bread knife
A bread knife is, as the name suggests, primarily designed for cutting bread. With its large serrations, the long knife easily cuts through the crust of bread. You can also use a bread knife to cut through the hard skin of vegetables or fruit. A bread knife can be identified by its long blade with large serrations and a rounded point.
Carving knife
A carving knife is a sharp knife designed for cutting meat. On average, a carving knife has a blade measuring around 20 centimetres in length. This means the blade is approximately the same size as that of a chef's knife. However, the difference lies in the width of the blade. A carving knife has a narrow blade, so that meat does not have a chance to stick to the knife.
Paring knife
Paring knives are small, handy knives specially designed for peeling potatoes, vegetables and fruit. The blade is about 5 to 10 centimetres long. Paring knives are very sharp, allowing for precise peeling and cutting.
Utility knife
A utility knife is ideal for all kinds of tasks in the kitchen. Whether you need to quickly slice some fruit or prepare some vegetables for lunch, you can easily reach for the utility knife. The knife has a blade measuring around 13 centimetres and is therefore more manageable than a large chef's knife. This also makes a utility knife a pleasant knife for less experienced cooks to use.
Store all your different types of kitchen knives in a knife block
Now that you know what different types of kitchen knives are available and what you can use the knives for, we would like to give you another tip about storing the knives. We recommend always storing your knives in a knife block. This has several advantages.
First of all, it is safer to store the different knives in a knife block. The sharp blades are securely held in the knife block. This makes the chance of accidentally cutting yourself on the knife much smaller than if you store the knives loose in a kitchen drawer. Even if you have small children, you can keep the knives safely out of reach of little fingers in a knife block.
Another important reason to choose a knife block is that the knives become dull less quickly in a special knife block. They do not come into contact with other (metal) kitchen accessories, allowing the knives to stay sharp for longer. This means you do not have to sharpen the knives as often and they will last longer. A knife block also looks stylish in your kitchen and keeps the knives easily within reach while cooking.
