Guide to Buying Kitchen Knives
There are a few things that you need to consider when purchasing a knife or a set of knives. This article is designed to assist you in understanding the different types of kitchen knives that knivesource has to offer.
Firstly, it’s not just the type of knife you need to consider, it’s important to choose a kitchen knife that is sharp, with a durable blade, safe, with a comfortable handle & has excellent balance, knivesource has individually selected brands and products that will suit these 3 important things.
Next, the handle material. Every Knife has an individual handle in one way or another. Each of these handles will have different benefits. Knivesource offers 3 Types of Kitchen Knife handle materials, let’s take a look.
HANDLE MATERIAL
WOOD
An attractive, traditional design to Kitchen Knives. Fairly lightweight & comfortable in the hand. Many chefs lean towards the wood handles based on design, looks and comfortability. The downside to wood handles is they are generally the more expensive option when it comes kitchen knives.
STEEL
Steel handles provide an extremely durable handle, with often quite an attractive design. The downside to a steel handle is the balance is usually compromised, as this is a heavy and bulky material. Stainless steel handles can also become slippery, as they are not naturally non-slip like wood handles.
PLASTIC
Plastic knife handles create a low maintenance, non-slip handle. This is generally the least expensive option when it comes to handle types in kitchen knives. Very common in commercial kitchens because of the low level of maintenance required. Plastic kitchen knives can also have great design and visual appeal.
TYPES OF KNIVES
Next, we should look at what you are wanting to use your kitchen knife for! Knife Club has a selection of different knives for different purposes. Below is a list of knife types Knife Club has to offer, with a brief description of what they are generally used for.
CHEFS KNIFE
One of the most versatile kitchen knives. This is a chef favourite due to its multi variety of uses. Perfect for;
– Cutting Meat
– Chopping/Slicing Herbs
– Dicing Vegetables
– Disjointing select cuts
CARVING KNIFE
Generally thinner, the size allows them to cut thinner and precise slices. Perfect for;
– Slicing thin cuts of cooked meats such as, poultry, roasts & ham.
PARING KNIFE
Short, Powerful & delicate. Size allows ultimate grip and handling. Perfect for;
– Slicing small fruits
– Peeling certain fruits
– Deveining
– Scoring meats
– Segmenting
– Trimming
– Coring
BREAD KNIFE
Let’s not state the obvious? Perfect for;
– Sourdough breads
– Other select breads
– Baguettes
– Brioche
– bagels
SANTOKU KNIFE
Santoku meaning, three uses or three virtues. Traditional Japanese knife. Very popular. Perfect for;
– Cutting meats
– Slicing cheese
– Mincing herbs or meats
– Slicing, chopping, dicing certain fruits and vegetables
– General cutting
– Seafood preparation
NAKIRI KNIFE
Meaning “Leaf Cutter” in Japanese. This is a classic, Japanese style knife, with a straight, symmetrical edge. Perfect for;
– Slicing vegetables
– Dicing Vegetables
– Chopping vegetables
FILLETING KNIFE
Filleting knives are specifically created for cutting fish and removal of fish bones. Filleting knives are not the only knife specific to fish, though they are the most common. Perfect for;
– Cutting fish
– Removing fish bones
– Filleting fish
– Delicate slicing of fish
SLICING KNIFE
Thin profile, long blade. Perfect for cutting thin slices of cooked or uncooked meats. Perfect for;
– Cutting slices of cooked meats
– Scalloping
– Cutting small foods
– Thinly slicing vegetables
– Thin slicing of meat for sandwiches
In closing, we hope the above gives you some insight and information to what type of knife will suit you. Of course, this is a brief insight, our upcoming topics will go into greater detail of each individual knife type.
Of course, as always, if you have any questions, contact us.
