Essential Kitchen Knives For Every Kitchen
Are you an avid cook or a wannabe chef wanting to improve and perfect their cooking skills? When asking chefs their favourite tool when in the kitchen, many will all say that their chef’s knife is their favourite yet essential tool when in the kitchen.
For those wanting to perfect their prep skills and get chopping up a range of delicious dinners, first you must invest in the correct knife. With over 10 different types of kitchen knives available, we will walk you through their differences while explaining why a Santoku is different to a Clever.
When visiting Dexam, you will be meet with a selection of British made, wood knives, but many customers are unsure, wondering about which knife is best suited to their kitchen and their style of cooking.
Chef’s Knife
A chef’s knife is also referred to as a cook’s knife and is distinctive with its blade which measures between 6 and 14 inches long. With a slight curve that is more noticeable at the top of the blade, this knife is suited to all cooking needs. Form slicing chunks of meat to dicing vegetables, the Chef’s Knife is an all-round knife!
Check out Dexam’s Chef Knives range.
Paring Knife
Another handy knife and a top choice when reaching into the knife drawer, a paring knife looks like a smaller Chef’s Knife. The paring knife is an ideal choice for chopping vegetables and deveining seafood, as well as peeling fruit.
Utility Knife
With a blade that ranges between 4 and 7 inches in length, the utility knife is handy tool for when precision counts. From peeling vegetables, delicately slicing through fruits and vegetables, the utility knife can cut bread and pastries. Looking a lot like a longer paring knife, the utility knife is perfect for slicing through smaller ingredients.
Bread Knife
The knife for bread lovers, a bread knife is most appreciated when it comes to effortless slicing of your homemade loaf of bread. A bigger version of the serrated utility knife, the bread knife has been designed to slice cleanly through bread without crushing the whole loaf.
Carving Knife
A long, thinner version of the much-loved chef’s Knife, the carving knife is a knife for those wanting effortless carving of meat. With a blade that varies between 8 to 15 inches in length, the long blade allows for precise, thin slicing of slow cooked meat, ideal for Sunday Roast and Christmas Dinners.
Cleaver
An iconic tool in Asian cooking, the popularity of cooking with cleavers is on the rise. A large rectangular knife, cutting with a cleaver can at first seem daunting. Ideal for cleaving meat, cutting with a cleaver is also recommended for those wanting to prep and cut their ingredients as thinly as possible.
Steak Knife
Medium or well done, no matter your preference, enjoy a well-prepared slab of steak, cutting with a sharp and durable steak knife. With serrated blades, a steak knife effortlessly slices through your steak, making light work of this tiring task!
Kitchen Shears
Kitchen shears has multiple kitchen uses. Whether it being from cutting herbs, cutting vegetables to slicing through meat, kitchen shears can do it all. Extremely sharp and with strong blades, kitchen shears makes the ideal tool for cutting herbs for seasoning your dishes.
Santoku
A knife that is gaining in popularity and that is the Santoku knife. A Japanese version of the Chef’s knife, the Santoku is an all-round knife. Ideal for slicing, dicing and mincing, the Santoku can effortlessly slice through meat and vegetables with speed and precision.
Lettuce Knife
The ultimate salad knife, you may have wondered why all lettuce knives you see are made from plastic. This is because the metal in ordinary knifes causes oxidisation of the salad, spoiling it and reducing its lifespan. Keep food fresher for longer with the lettuce knife.
Now that we have educated and informed you of the different uses between each of these 10 basic kitchen knives, you fully understand the role of each knife. When the time comes to invest in a new set of quality kitchen knives, visit Dexam for a large range of professional knives.
Made in the UK, with British wood and Sheffield steel, our selected of kitchen knives can change and transform the way you prepare and cook dinner forever.