When you have the correct equipment, food preparation is quicker, faster, and safer. However, with so many various kinds of knives available on the market, selecting the one that best meets your requirements may be difficult to do. If you don’t have the appropriate information, it’s all too easy to wind up with a collection of expert knives that you’ll never use, and a collection of unused knives that will languish at the back of your utensil drawer.
To make things even more complicated, the naming rules for knives may be quite complex, with numerous different names for the same sort of cutting instrument. To make sense of it all, we’ve put up a comprehensive reference to every kind of knife and its applications, as well as recommendations on which knife is ideal for specific culinary activities. So, whether you’re just getting started in the catering industry and want to know which knives to invest in, or you’re looking to outfit your home kitchen, we’ve got you covered.
Different kitchen knives and their use
A chef’s knife is a straight-edged knife with a belly that bends toward the tip, as shown above. The length of the blade may range from around 6 inches to 14 inches, with an average length of 8 inches.
This is an all-purpose knife that may be used in the kitchen while preparing meals. Everyday tasks such as cutting up huge portions of steak and slicing vegetables are performed with it. It’s also useful for a variety of other tasks like as mincing, dicing, and slicing.
The paring knife is a smaller knife that serves as a complement to the chef’s knife in a kitchen environment. The length of the blades varies from 3 inches to 4 inches.
The following tasks may be completed with this knife: deveining shrimp, peeling fruits, and slicing tiny vegetables, all of which cannot be completed with a bigger chef’s knife due to its size.
In form and function, the utility knife is similar to a chef’s knife; however, it is smaller and more multipurpose than the chef’s knife. The blade’s length ranges between 4 and 7 inches depending on the model.
Typical Applications: Prior to the invention of the chef’s knife, this was the all-purpose knife that could be used for just about any task in the kitchen. It is now mostly used for simple activities such as chopping meat and cooking tiny meals, among other things.
The bread knife is one of the most recognized kitchen knives because of its enormous serrations. Bread knives with blades up to 10 inches in length and serrations along the length of the blade are common.
Uses: The bread knife has only one primary function, and it performs that function exceptionally well. By sawing through the bread with its serrations, the knife prevents the loaf from being crushed. Because it features serrations, it has a restricted range of applications, although it may also be used to chop other objects such as tomatoes.
Different kitchen knives brands
The same brands will most likely appear again and over again while you are browsing for kitchen knives, which is understandable. While the name on the side of a knife should not be the only thing you look for, learning a little more about the brand will provide you with a good indication of the quality and history of a knife you are considering.
The following are some of the most well-known knife brands in the world: Global, J.A. Henckels, and Wusthof, however this article focuses on the brands that we offer at Knife Depot.
Victorinox
Even while Victorinox is best known as the manufacturer of the Swiss Army Knife, you’d be incorrect if you assumed it was the extent of their product line. Victorinox manufactures a broad variety of items, including watches and luggage, among others. Their kitchen knives, on the other hand, are an underappreciated portion of their product line. Besides manufacturing some of the finest budget kitchen knives available, Victorinox also manufactures a wide range of different types of knives, including niche and specialty knives.
Kanetsune
Kanetsune is a Japanese knife and sword manufacturer that was founded in 1948 in Seki City, well known as the “Japanese city of blades.” The company specialises in high-quality knives and swords that are inspired by traditional Japanese forms. Many of the knives are made in accordance with historical Japanese techniques. Despite the fact that the kitchen knives are on the more expensive end of the scale, the quality and beauty of the blades demonstrate their value.
Ergo Chef
Ergo Chef is a relatively young firm that was founded in 2002 by chef Scott Staib with the assistance of his family’s design and machining company. The ergonomics of the knife are particularly important to Ergo Chef, which, as its name implies, pays special attention to them because many chefs (including Scott Staib) suffer from tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome.
While holding one of these knives, you’ll get the sensation that your arm is being extended naturally.
Ginsu
No matter how you feel about Ginsu and its use of the infomercial in the 1970s and ’80s, the brand is immensely popular because of its low costs. Consumer Reports has given good ratings to several Ginsu sets for their pricing and overall quality. You’ll acquire more than just a set of functional kitchen knives with these knives; you’ll gain a piece of pop culture as well.
Dexter-Russell
Dexter-Russell, the leading maker of kitchen cutlery in the United States, has been in the industry for a very long time since 1818, to be exact and has a lot of experience. Those over two hundred years have provided them with a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the production and experimentation with knives. A look at their site shows that they make over 1,500 distinct knives and cutlery, including anything from two-handled cheese knives to utility slicers with scalloped edges and everything in between.
Dexter-Russell takes great pleasure in the fact that company manufactures its knives entirely in the United States, in addition to its lengthy history and extensive product line.
Cutlery Chicago
Chicago Cutlery is a well-known American company that has been in business since 1930 and is best recognized for its kitchen knife collections. The firm had its roots in the meat markets of Chicago, where it provided butchers with knife services. Since then, Chicago Cutlery has developed enormously and has extended its product line to include professional-grade knives for at-home cooks. One of the company’s biggest assets is its never-ending quest for new and improved designs that will make chopping, slicing, and dicing food simpler and more efficient.