When shopping for kitchen knives, it helps to pick the best kitchen knife for the job that you have in mind. This blog post, featuring the top 10 kitchen knives for each task will help answer some questions that you may have. It explains what knife is, and what jobs it is best used for. That way, when you head over to your knife block or drawer, you can reach for the right knife and get the job done efficiently and quickly. This guide will also help you decide what you need if you are shopping for new quality kitchen knives for yourself or as a gift.
When you reach for the right knife, it helps you cut the ingredients efficiently and adequately. Learn the basic of your knives, build your knife set and tackle the jobs
one cut at a time starting with these top 10 kitchen knives.
Top 10 Kitchen Knives for Easy Meal Prep
The 10 different knives below explains exactly what each kitchen knife is meant for. After all, having the right knife for the job will make your cooking tasks so much easier!
1. Paring Knife
Victorinox 4-Piece Set of 3.25 Inch Swiss Classic Paring Knives with Straight Edge, Spear Point
A paring knife is a shorter knife with a smaller blade (2-4 inches). These small knives are great for hulling produce such as tomatoes and strawberries, trimming fruits and vegetables, and more. You do small jobs with this that are detailed or require a small blade.
I use my paring knives a lot so I prefer to have more than one. I like this 4 piece Swiss knife set from Victorinox. The handles are ergonomically designed and because they are color coded you could even assign different ones for different tasks.
2. Utility Knife
J.A. Henckels German Stainless Steel Utility Knife
The utility knife is one of the more versatile knives, where it allows you to do a multitude of tasks. From slicing up fresh herbs, cutting up vegetables, slicing cheese, and so on.
The utility blade offers a little longer blade than a paring knife but smaller than a chef knife. I like the utility knife as it fits well in my hand and I feel like I can navigate it easily.
3. Bread Knife/Serrated Knife
Mercer Culinary Millennia 10″ Bread Knife
Whether you call it a serrated knife or a bread knife, the name speaks for itself. This knife is great for slicing through tender bread since it keeps your bread together. I also use this knife for cutting tomatoes at times. I find that it does a great job of slicing right through the tomato skins without tearing like other knives tend to do.
One tip that I have for slicing homemade bread is to flip the bread over when you slice it. This will allow you to slice through the bread without smashing it as
you slice.
4. Fillet Knife
Mercer Culinary Millennia Narrow Fillet Knife
Not everyone owns a filet knife but if you do, utilize it! The fillet knife has a very thin and flexible blade and it is great for cutting up fish and other delicate meats.
The fillet knife is nice and sharp and slices meat easily, which makes it perfect for any home chef that enjoys working with various cuts of meat.
5. Chef Knife
Paudin Pro High Carbon Stainless Steel Chef Knife
This is a longer knife than some of the most used knives. From chopping up produce, meat and even fish, this knife is very versatile.
You can even use a chef’s knife to chop herbs or even a head of lettuce (although I prefer using a plastic lettuce knife over stainless steel to prevent the lettuce from browning).
6. Carving Knife Set
J.A. Henckels International 2 Piece Carving Knife Set
You may not use a carving knife very often, but it is still handy to have as part of your collection.
These knives are great for carving out a turkey during the holidays, leg of lamb, large roasts or briskets, and even whole chickens.
The fork will hold the meat, and the knife is nice and narrow which is great for giving you those nice clean cuts.
7. Cheese Knife
Premium 6-Piece Cheese Knife Set
Yes, there is a special knife meant to slice cheese! The beauty of a cheese knife for those that like to create cheese platters is that it is designed so that the cheese wont stick to the knife.
A good cheese knife will give you a clean cut whether you are slicing hard or soft cheese. A cheese knife set also makes a nice gift for those that enjoy entertaining.
8. Steak Knife
AmazonBasics Premium 8-Piece Steak Knife Set
Steak knives speak for themselves in the name.
Whether your cut of meat is a little tender or tough, a good steak knife will do the job.
I have this Amazon set of basic knives and am very happy with the quality.
9. Sashimi Knife
Professional Sashimi Sushi Knife
If you are a fan of making your own sushi, this knife is a must add to your wish list. It really offers a one-of-a-kind edge that is great for cutting your sushi into small flat cuts with ease.
Just keep your sashimi knife nice and sharp, and you can slice through the sushi with no issues.
10. Cleaver
J.A. Henckels Classic 6-inch Cleaver
The cleaver is a knife that is great for chopping up larger pieces of meat that might have bone. It is also great for slicing up a large roast or even ribs.
You can also use this handy knife for cracking marrow bones or even the back of a lobster. Not everyone owns a cleaver but if you love to cook with larger meats it could be worth the investment.
So there you have it! The top 10 kitchen knives that are sure to be handy for any cook to have in their kitchen!
Leave a Reply