The Six Knives every Chef must own.

 Various knives are crucial in the kitchen. Whether you are an experienced chef or a newbie, if you are having the right set of tools will set you for success in culinary skills. It all begins with your best chef knives you carry along with you.

 

It’s a great saying that Knives are to cooking like division and multiplication to mathematics. Knives do the lion share of work in the kitchen. However, this magic wand, which turns ordinary veggies into an edible piece of art, is often overlooked, or maybe you are still in confusion about how to use that particular knife in your Knife block.

 

Also, this does depend on how often you sharpen your knives and hone it with the help of honing steel, clean them, and store them with care. Using the wrong kind of knife and condiments would make you suffer, or worse, you might even end up injuring yourself.

 

This week our culinary team has spent some time reviewing 6 knives that every chef must have in his block. So, let’s get chopping.

·         A chef’s Knife: This Knife can be termed as a piece de resistance. This knife is like a workhorse in the kitchen. It can be used for multiple functions such as – slicing, chopping, and mincing meat. This knife is also capable of breaking down bones. We recommend you to test a few knives before choosing the best chef knife for you. The blade length of the knife is 6 to 10 inches long, improving work efficiency.

 

The classic French style chef knives blade curves upward towards the tip. But chefs are often into Japanese style chef’s knife which is termed as Santoku Knife. 

These knives are unique in their shape. They are comparatively shorter and have a “sheep’s foot” tip, which means the top of the tip curves downward. Several European santoku manufacturers add a Granton edge, a row of hollow-ground pockets that prevents food from sticking to the knife surface.

·         Paring Knife: This looks like a miniature chef knife. This knife is suitable for hulling and slicing of strawberry, peeling of apple, etc. The blade of the knife ranges typically between 2.5” to 4”. It doesn’t require the use of a cutting board.

       It’s an excellent knife for more delicate work and should have a faster touch to make sure that you save your time while doing mise-en-place. Try adopting a rhythmic motion while cutting and avoid applying too much pressure on the knife.

·         Serrated Knife/ Bread knife: Serrated Knives are used for tomatoes, bread, and sometimes even meat. No other knife is capable of breaking the crust as quickly and safely as the Bread knife. They are 6 to 10 inches long.

      

      They work best on food that has one texture on the outside and another on the inside. It is recognizable by its saw-toothed edge. But the only drawback of this knife is that it is challenging to sharpen, which means that you need to change one after every few years.

·         Utility Knife: This is the utilitarian knife. It is 4” to 7” long. Its blade is narrower than a chef’s knife and longer than a paring knife. 

      

       It works well in the slicing of fruit and vegetables or making tender pieces of meat or sandwiches. It’s a multipurpose knife; that’s the reason why it has given the title of the knife of all trades.

·         Slicing Knife/ Carving Knife: These knives have the same function but different names. The typical length is 8” to 15” long. 

       

       It has long blades and straight edges often rounded at the tip similar to santoku that is much thinner than that of a chef knife and is used for carving or slicing of cooked poultry, fish, or meat. It’s a perfect choice for slicing turkey, ham, pork, beef, etc.

·         Boning Knife: This knife is used for separating bones from raw meat, poultry, and fish. The typical length of this knife is between 5” to 6”.

       

       It has a slim body and has a razor-sharp point, which looks like a shark’s head. There are two options available in it: the stiffer one for meat and the flexible for fish.

Our Bonus, Honing Steel: It is the most important tool which the chef must carry while cooking on his work range. It is commonly made of steel or diamond steel.

 

With honing, you can realign the edge of the blade and sharpen your knives after wear and tear when you run your knife along the ridges of a honing steel. If you are regularly done this, then as a chef, you will prevent any mishappenings in the kitchen.

Takeaway:

These were some important knives that you must carry in your chef block. So, you can do your work flawlessly, and at the same time, you can impress the diners and the sous chef with your culinary skills. All you need is the Best knives that will help you to grow in all trade.