This guide is for the inquisitive home cook to learn about the most common types of kitchen knives and their uses. Upgrade your tools, and it might seem like anything is possible in the kitchen.
Table of Contents
Maybe you’ve just purchased a kitchen knives set and realized you don’t actually know what each is meant for. Maybe you’ve had a knife set for a while, and you’re starting to wonder how the ones you never use might make your life easier. Either way, understanding the different types of knives and how to use them can open up a whole new world. Grab a knife and board, and let’s get cutting!
Just a quick note, I use a German knife set because I like the wider blade. They have a full tang, where the blade extends into the handle for sturdiness and a bolster for comfort. Plus, it has softer steel, so it’s not rigid.
Chef’s knife
A chef’s knife is one of the most versatile tools in a knife block. Any professional chef will tell you this is a must-have. It should feel like an extension of your arm. It’s a go-to for chopping herbs, dicing vegetables, fruit, and herbs. As well as cutting a variety of other ingredients like meat, poultry, and fish.
They are usually 8 to 10 inches long, and the blade rounds at the tip. Don’t use it to peel small produce (it’s too large to be precise), and avoid using it to carve cooked meat.
Santoku knife
With more of a straight blade, this Japanese knife has small indentations that make it easier for food to slide off. Like a chef’s knife, it’s also very versatile, great for chopping, dicing, and mincing ingredients or slicing cheese. You can use it for just about anything you’d use a chef’s knife for; both are great all-purpose knives.
Carving knife
Now, we’re getting a little more niche. After cooking a large cut of meat like prime rib or roasted turkey, a carving knife comes in handy. They are more narrow for precision and can be longer for slicing through wider pieces. They may have indentations on the side of the blade to make it easier to release each slice.
Bread knife
Bread knives are long and have serrated edges. They easily carve through soft or crusty bread without sacrificing its integrity. When using it, move it more like you would a saw than a chef’s knife. In addition to slicing bread, they can be used with other baked goods, too, like cake.
Other than bread, you can use them to cut large melons where straight blades often get stuck, slicing tomatoes, and breaking bars of chocolate into smaller bits.
Utility knife
Utility knives are smaller than chef’s knives but not quite as petite as paring knives. They’re great for slicing and chopping small to midsize vegetables and cuts of meat. A serrated utility knife comes in handy for slicing sandwiches as well. A straight-blade utility knife is helpful when peeling produce, though sometimes that’s better left to paring knives.
Boning knife
Boning knives have an extremely narrow blade that tapers to a pointed tip. The long thin knife has a flexible blade that is used to debone cuts of meat or remove salmon skin more efficiently and reduce waste in the process. It can cut through those tough connective tissues and joints that other knives struggle with.
Just remember, cut around bones, not through them. I also use it to remove the skin from fish as it helps to easily separate the flesh.
Paring knife
Paring knives are proof that you should never judge a knife by its size. This little piece of cutlery has a very thin blade that’s super sharp. It expertly peels, chops, slices, minces, and removes seeds. It’s my go-to for slicing fruit or cutting up hot peppers.
Though you don’t want to cut large meat or large produce with it, you can use it for just about everything else, and you’ll find yourself reaching for it a lot. It’s available in either a straight or serrated edge.
Steak knife (set)
Steak knives are less for cooking and more for eating. They should be set at the table with any good steak dinner. They are sturdy and sharp so that you can enjoy those expensive steaks with ease, cutting them like butter. They are often sold in sets with a straight or serrated edge.
Kitchen shears
More like scissors than knives, kitchen shears are used to cut herbs off their vines, chop salad greens, and open up the packing on processed foods. You can also use them to cut bacon into small pieces if you’re adding it to pasta or a cobb salad.
Try using shears to cut canned and jarred goods — think canned whole tomatoes or jarred chilies. You can also use shears to cut pieces of meat into bite-size chunks, say if you’re making a stir-fry with chicken.
Sharpener
Every good knife collection needs a knife sharpener, and there are a few different types. You can buy sharpening stones which are like little metal bricks with coarse to fine grit. The blade edge is held at an angle, then drawn down the stone until it becomes sharper. It gives the home cook more control over the sharpening process, and more knives can be sharpened, like a chef’s knife, meat cleaver, paring knife, and even kitchen shears.
A popular type is called whetstones. This skill takes more time and practice and yields extremely sharp edges. There are also various Manual sharpeners that are the most affordable, with little slits you run your knife through. Electric knife sharpeners are also an option, though manual ones do the trick just fine.
Honing steel
Honing steels are like long metal rods used to correct a blade’s edge before and after each use. It doesn’t technically sharpen or remove any metal; it essentially aligns and repositions where the edge of the knife is to make it more effective. Not to be confused with sharpening steel rods that do, in fact, sharpen your blade.
Tourné knife
This type of pairing knife has a short blade that is curved, like a bird’s beak. The use might not be obvious at first, but the shape has advantages for round ingredients or creating round shapes. I first used one in culinary school to make small football-shaped potatoes that we would boil, then saute in hot fat to get the surface browned and crisp.
It was quite fancy. Nowadays, I use it to remove the peel from citrus for desserts or drinks. It’s also great for removing the skin from onions and ginger roots.
Meat cleaver
The large knife with a rectangular shaped blade has many functions. It’s primarily used to chop through bone. The flat side can be used to crush garlic to make it easier to remove its peel before mincing. However, both my grandfathers used it like a chef’s knife to chop vegetables, slice meat for stir-fries, and pretty much everything.
They come in various sizes and weights, so you can purchase a size that feels comfortable to you. The big blade can be intimidating and a little dangerous if not used correctly.
M.KK says
Information is good 👍but not enough..many knives are still missing in your chart…🙏
Plz share yours experience of Japanese knives if any…🙏
Sameer khosla says
That’s was an amazing knowledge
Thanks and have a great day
Jessica Gavin says
Glad that you found the article helpful!
Sabina says
Wow❤️I love your knowledge..i’m a catering student and you have helped me alot ..
Jessica Gavin says
Glad that the tips about the kitchen knives was helpful!
Abdullah M S says
Knives knowledge was very helpful. Thank you ?
Jessica Gavin says
You’re welcome!
Ivy says
what brand is that chef’s knife?
Jessica Gavin says
WÜSTHOF
David Vara says
Thank you for your insight Jessica! Kudos!
Jessica Gavin says
You’re welcome, David!
Reid M says
Nicely done article on blade use(s). I think knife and build quality is a subject in itself; e.g., bevels, full tang or not, stamped vs. forged (always go forged…forget Chicago Cutlery) etc.
Jessica Gavin says
Great idea, Reid! Lots of things to consider when purchasing a knife.
Maureen Moeton says
I mean the prices of Jessica Gavins video knives , ir. the bread knife for instance
Maureen Moeton says
Very interesting explanation of kitchen knives , but I need to know the prices please.
I shall be shopping in Nicosia Cyprus
Ellen says
Can I use my carbon steel butcher knife to cut the legs and wings from the turkey?
Jessica Gavin says
Yes, as long as it’s sharp enough you can cut the wings and legs from the turkey.
Satish says
Thank you so much, nice presentation!!!
Jessica Gavin says
You’re welcome!
Patrick Livingston says
Even the best knife brands have a line of less expensive stamped knives. Whatever brand you choose make sure they are forged blades (not stamped). Another thing I have learned is it is best to sharpen often. I use the small manual sharpener that that I got at the fair, (Oso Sharp) and I sometimes sharpen a knife again after only one or two uses. Better to keep them super sharp than trying to get them back after they have been dulled.
And yes I am super happy with the Wustof “Grand Prix II” knives that I purchased.
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you for your helpful tips and insights on knife selection Patrick!
Darlene Couch says
Regarding knives, You mentioned Carbon instead of Stainless steal. Not sure what you meant.
Also it would be nice to mention the proper care of knives. Clean in dishwasher or not. Air dry or wipe with a cloth to dry.
Handles wood or medal. This may relate to steak knives.
Jessica Gavin says
Those are great suggestions to add to the article, thank you Darlene! Carbon steel knives tend to be harder than stainless steel, so it holds it’s sharp edge longer and is easier to sharpen.
Mike M says
Darlene asked some questions I have as well:
(1) I have been advised to avoid the dishwasher…Is there a reason why? If it’s so the knives don’t risk banging against other items in the wash, is there a technique that we can use to safely wash the knives in the dishwasher?
(2) Is there a way to coth-dry knives properly or is air drying knives the best way?
(3) Plusses and Minuses of Wood vs Metal knives?
If you write another article addressing these, rather than addressing this directly in the comments, can you post a link in response to this comment? Thank you.
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Mike and Darlene- Great questions! 1) I don’t ever wash my knives in the dishwasher. Always in the sink with soapy water and a sponge. Dishwasher detergent abrasive and can cause staining on stainless steel blades, plus the agitation during a wash cycle can dull the edge. 2) I always dry my knives right away with a kitchen towel, then place them back in the block. 3) I’m assuming you mean the handle? I like the sturdiness of metal knives with the blade that runs all the way through the handle. Wooden handle could work too if it fits well in your hand, just wash and dry right away since it’s porous. I always feel like a chef’s knife is a very personal decision, balancing feel, weight, and style.
Marion Malvini says
I loved all of the explanations of the knives and have all of them as well as the sharpener you featured. I only use the Santuko and my small paring knife for everything. I also use a bread knife and have a small tomato knife. I could live with only these 4 knives. Use them every meal every day. I still love all of your excellent scientific information not to mention your recipes. I’ve made many and love them all.
Larry Gaines says
what is more important is the quality of the knives and Manufactures. There are many cheap poor quqlity knives on the market and a good quality knife is way overpriced
Erin says
Thank you Jessica for another helpful, informative post – this is great info and does demystify my own set of knives!
Linda S Webster says
Thank you for this. I knew what most were called and what I use them for, but was interested to see what the others were for.
Robert says
Thanks JG for useful overview on cutlery. As you know, the household cook, and the professional as well, become dependent upon the chefs knife, the boner, and the pairing knife, maybe even in that order. I would suggest to your followers to spend on those necessities, and build a tool kit gradually, as dictated by need, rather than purchasing the entire arsenal only to have at least 1/2 of it rarely used. My 2 cents, and thank you again for your insights.
T Nicole says
OMG thank you for this. So helpful!
Sandra says
I am so grateful for this information on knives! Thank you! I need to purchase a set as an amatuer in the kitchen, can you advise me on where to buy a proper set?
Gary Valente says
Pretty much any knife made in Germany, Whstoff is one of the best brands( Just make sure always made in Germany not China or anywhere else), Chicago cutlery, Brooks brothers. Carbon not stainless steel
Michael Cass says
I think Jessica would agree that if you are starting out you can, as you mention, buy a complete set. However, that can get pricey and you might not have a need for all the knives in a set. If I were starting out again I would buy a high quality chef (also known as a French) knife and a high quality paring knife. When I was in College and later after grad school I had the opportunity to work in a couple of commercial kitchens–one in a restaurant and one at a very fancy country club. I learned a lot about cooking at these jobs but I also learned that professional chefs relay primarily on a good chef knife and paring knife for most of what they do. I got a high quality chef’s knife as a wedding present many decades ago. I still use it almost every day and it is a breeze to sharpen. It has a solid wood handle and balances perfectly in my hand. So, to make a long story short if I were you I would buy the best chef’s knife and paring knife I could afford and add to my collection as the need occurs. Best of luck.
Maria Estrada says
Totally agree.Thru all the years i have been married I bought a Lot of knives but mainly used the chef and pairing knive.Very important to save and buy a quality one,otherwise you end with them in the garbage.[Good quality does not mean paying a lot of money for one knive]