To get the most out of cooking, it is always best to use the right kitchen tools. If you are a chef, food enthusiast, or foodie, you will know how important the right kitchen knives are.
You can use different knives in the kitchen for a variety of cooking tasks. The different kitchen knife shapes make all the difference in what kind of dish can be made. Each knife is designed to be the most efficient at doing its specific job, and it's important to use the right one for each task, so you don't have to spend time switching back and forth between them or accidentally damage your ingredients.
For example, if you want to slice raw vegetables, using a chef's knife would be more effective than a serrated bread knife. The best way to figure out which knives are necessary for your kitchen is by figuring out what needs they will fulfill. This blog post will give you some insight into how different knives can change up your dishes!
Since many different types of knives are designed for specific tasks, it's crucial to have a few of them on hand at all times. For example, if you're using a really big knife to slice up a sandwich, you are going to have a tough time using the same knife with cutting through tomatoes and an increased chance of also slicing up your fingers! So save the big knives for only the biggest jobs and use smaller ones to do detailed work that requires more precision. Below are different knife shapes vital in your kitchen.
V-shaped blades are the best ones for cutting through fruits and vegetables. They are similar to a cook's knives, but the blade is thinner, making it easier to slice through things like tomatoes or coconuts. Also, since they have a wider tip, you can use them to cut things close to the bone or hard shells without hurting yourself. A paring knife is a great example of a V-shaped blade.
Double-edged blades are perfect for cutting and slicing through meats and vegetables. They can also provide more control over your cuts. To use a knife in this way, you need to hold the blade with one hand and place it on top of the item you're cutting through (this means making sure you use the flat part of the blade).
A boning knife is a great example of a double-edged blade. It can be used in many different ways and is perfect for cutting through meat, fish, and poultry bones. There are several kitchen knife brands you can choose from to best fit your preference!
Hollow-ground blades are great for slicing and dicing. They are similar to a cook's knife and can be used like one, but the thing that makes this knife type different is its concave blade, which causes any food you cut with it to release less water and fewer juices. This is especially useful for meats since it will help you slice them faster and cleaner, helping your dish stay moist and flavorful.
Straight-ground blades are perfect if you want a blade that does it all: chopping, slicing, and dicing. If you're looking for a knife that can do everything but the dishes, this is it! The straight and flat blade runs perfectly through any ingredient, no matter how hard the shell or bone. This makes it easy to cut things like eggplant or boneless chicken breasts.
Hollow-ground blades with teeth are great for cutting through tough meats and vegetables. The blade is sharp, but the saw-like teeth will cut through anything, even bones! Since this type of knife can go through any ingredient, it's perfect to use when you're cooking an elegant meal.
Granton blades are great for cutting through delicate ingredients without squashing them. Usually used with sashimi, this is the type of knife you'd use to create perfectly cut sushi pieces! The grooves along the blade will keep any ingredient from sticking. While it's not as sharp as other knives, its slim blade makes it perfect for making clean slices that won't break your fish apart.
Carving blades are best used for cutting large pieces of poultry or meat. It's also great at splitting chickens into smaller parts without damaging their skin. The long blade is perfect to use on larger pieces of animal protein, making it easy to carve a turkey or roast beef.
For those of you intimidated by the variety of kitchen knife shapes on the market, this article will break down each knife and what it's perfect for. In addition, you'll find out why a chef's knife is not the only type of blade that you should be using in your kitchen and what to look for when purchasing a new one!
Cheese knives are perfect for cutting soft and hard cheese without crushing it. The serrated blade easily cuts through any type of cheese, including harder ones like Parmesan or soft cheeses like mozzarella. This is one knife that you want to add to your collection!
Boning and fillet knives are great for separating meat from bones. The long and slim blade usually has a flexible spine along with it, so you can easily bend them while working on delicate ingredients. It's perfect for reaching small spaces, like removing the meat from the fish's bones or peeling shrimp tails off their shells.
A paring knife is part of any kitchen because it's what you need when you don't want to pull out the big guns (like your chef knife). You can use them on smaller ingredients that are harder to slice, like peeling apples or cutting out bad parts of strawberries. It's also great if you want to cut small garnishes for your dishes.
Serrated knives are usually the last option that most people think about when shopping for handmade kitchen knives. However, this type of blade is great for slicing through any ingredient.
A Santoku knife is a Japanese-style knife with a thin blade and a straight edge. It is usually made from high carbon steel instead of stainless steel and has a very simple design. The Santoku is perfect for cutting meat or vegetables quickly, such as when you're making a stir-fry or dicing up some parsley!
The Nakiri knife is one of the more traditional knives due to its triangular shape. It is designed for slicing and mincing vegetables. This knife is best for those who love to cook veggies and want a smaller, lighter blade.
People prefer this knife because its blade is thicker than the slicing knife and has a sharp edge like the santoku knife.
You can also check out good kitchen knife brands as your kitchen knife buying guide.
Salmon knives are often used for cutting or filleting fish and can be found in most kitchen drawers. They typically have a serrated blade and a pointed, curved tip. The blade's edge is not as sharp as other knives but is still fairly good for cutting and slicing through tough skin and flesh. They usually come in two different shapes: tapered or straight-edged.
There's a wide selection of kitchen knife shapes and designs you can use for different uses. Make sure to check them out when you can!
Some chefs swear by using more than one type of blade depending on their tasks, while others prefer sticking with just one style throughout their day. But whether you're a professional chef or just cooking for the family, all good cooks know that getting the perfect kitchen knife will make slicing, cutting, and chopping much easier!
