There are different types of knives on the market and, for many, it is a real madness to face the shopping cart and decide which knife you should buy, which are the essential ones that should not be missing in your case, what each one is for or what you have? What to consider when buying them.
This post is intended as a quick guide to precisely explain the features and functions of the main kitchen knives.
Types of Knives in the Kitchen: Uses and Characteristics
AX
It is a knife with a large blade that, due to its dimensions, is not usually included in chefs’ knife cases. In professional kitchens there is usually a couple and this set of knife available on our knife stores. It is used to cut bones, fillet large pieces of meat or for butchering large animals.
Chef Or Onion Knife
This is one of the essentials for any cook. It is used to cut, clean and chop meat or vegetables. It is the most used together with the lace. The length of the blade must be chosen according to the use that we are going to give it. A versatile measure is 18 -20 cm.
Lace
The utility of this knife is to peel, turn and clean products. It is a small knife, less than 10 cm and easy to use. It is another of the essentials in the case. It is not necessary that the lace that we acquire is of excellent quality as in other knives. This will be our battle tool; we will be constantly sharpening it so better choose a basic range.
Pestle Knife
The blade of this knife is elastic and has a fine point to allow it to reach the bones and tendons. They usually have a slit to be able to scrape the meat from the bones and separate them.
Fish Fillet Knife
Its blade is uniform and pointed. This knife has the most flexible blade of all, designed to be able to access the skeleton of the fish. It is important to determine the size of the sheet. Always choose a blade long enough to avoid passing the blade of the knife several times through the same piece of fish and thus end up mistreating the product.
Bread Knife
It is a serrated knife that does not allow us to crush the piece of bread when cutting it.
Ham Knife
It is a long thin knife. It is specifically used for hand cutting cured ham. It is not usual but it can come in handy on occasions to cut dough and obtain clean cuts.
Chaira
It is an essential tool in any chef’s knife case and the best knife sets. It is used to seat the knife edge. It is important to clarify that it does not sharpen.
Increasingly, in professional kitchens we find more frequently different types of Japanese knives. Asian cuisine is one of the most chosen to fuse other cultures even to be the basis of certain restaurants and it is normal for Japanese tools to be used by chefs. Among the most common, we highlight two:
Santoku
Let’s say it is equivalent to a chef’s knife. It is the most versatile knife in Asian cuisine. It has a wide blade and has two bevels as in western cooking. One of its characteristics is that it has some slits so that the food, when cutting it, does not stick to the blade. It is very common in professional kitchens and its uses include cutting vegetables, meat and fish.
Sashimi Knife
The blade of the sashimi knife is of high hardness. It has an edge on only one side and therefore requires constant maintenance and grinding by the cook. They are not very flexible and quite long (about 30 cm approx.) Why do they have these characteristics? Well, because this type of Japanese knife is designed to be able to obtain impeccable pieces of fish made in a single cut.
I hope that we have solved several of your doubts and that you are very clear about what you need. In any case, if you have any questions, we will be here on the other side to answer you as soon as possible.
