Which Knives are Best to use for Different Kinds of Food?
If you've ever been looking to increase your skills as a cook (professionally or just around the house), it starts with knowing which knife is used for different kinds of food. It’s pretty obvious that not all kinds of food have the same texture, thickness, or weight and to evenly and beautifully slice through your meat, veggies, and whatnot, you need to have the right type of knife for the job. If you have a new knife set then you should know what each piece does so that you can make the most out of it.
Some say that the kitchen is the heart of every home and this really means that it is essential to have the top quality tools. A kitchen without a set of knives would be quite useless since they are very essential in food preparation. The quality of your knives could determine how quickly you can prepare your food and this is a very important thing, especially for those who are voracious eaters. These knives are guaranteed to make your kitchen complete.
Some say that the kitchen is the heart of every home and this really means that it is essential to have the top quality tools. A kitchen without a set of knives would be quite useless since they are very essential in food preparation. The quality of your knives could determine how quickly you can prepare your food and this is a very important thing, especially for those who are voracious eaters. These knives are guaranteed to make your kitchen complete.
The Different Types of Knives and How to Use Them
The Paring Knife
Let’s start with the smallest knife. The paring knife is great for vegetables, particularly peeling them. There are a few kinds of paring knives but all of them are generally used for vegetables.
The Boning Knife
If it isn’t already obvious, this knife has something to do with bones. This knife is great for taking meat off of bones. This knife is also used for slicing fish. Its shape and size, as well as its lack of flexibility is what makes it the perfect knife for removing meat.
The Fillet Knife
On the flip side, we have the fillet knife. Unlike the boning knife which is short and firm, the fillet is long and flexible which is what makes gliding through a fish easy when using this knife.
Bread Knife
This knife is serrated which makes it easy to slice through bread perfectly. If you’ve ever tried sling bread with a smooth blade then you would know that doing that would end disastrously. I’ve also personally used this to slice citrus fruits because the teeth provide just enough friction so get you to cut through the rind. Some professionals might frown upon that though.
The Tomato Knife
This is similar to the bread knife because it is also serrated. This however is smaller than the bread knife. One great thing about this particular knife is its tip which is forked so you can use it to pick up what you just sliced. This would probably be great to have at a barbeque or at a dinner where you have to carve a piece of meat.
The Cleaver Knife
This knife is used when chopping up meat and poultry. It is a large, heavy knife and its weight is a factor in being able to cut through meats. This knife isn’t typically used at home but you would probably see it in restaurant kitchens and meat shops.
The Chef’s Knife
This is the most common and most basic knife and if you can’t afford to get a whole set at once, then you should purchase this first. The chef’s knife is kind of a jack of all trades and can be used for a wide variety of tasks. This knife is used from chopping to slicing and would probably be the most important knife you would have in a set.
Let’s start with the smallest knife. The paring knife is great for vegetables, particularly peeling them. There are a few kinds of paring knives but all of them are generally used for vegetables.
The Boning Knife
If it isn’t already obvious, this knife has something to do with bones. This knife is great for taking meat off of bones. This knife is also used for slicing fish. Its shape and size, as well as its lack of flexibility is what makes it the perfect knife for removing meat.
The Fillet Knife
On the flip side, we have the fillet knife. Unlike the boning knife which is short and firm, the fillet is long and flexible which is what makes gliding through a fish easy when using this knife.
Bread Knife
This knife is serrated which makes it easy to slice through bread perfectly. If you’ve ever tried sling bread with a smooth blade then you would know that doing that would end disastrously. I’ve also personally used this to slice citrus fruits because the teeth provide just enough friction so get you to cut through the rind. Some professionals might frown upon that though.
The Tomato Knife
This is similar to the bread knife because it is also serrated. This however is smaller than the bread knife. One great thing about this particular knife is its tip which is forked so you can use it to pick up what you just sliced. This would probably be great to have at a barbeque or at a dinner where you have to carve a piece of meat.
The Cleaver Knife
This knife is used when chopping up meat and poultry. It is a large, heavy knife and its weight is a factor in being able to cut through meats. This knife isn’t typically used at home but you would probably see it in restaurant kitchens and meat shops.
The Chef’s Knife
This is the most common and most basic knife and if you can’t afford to get a whole set at once, then you should purchase this first. The chef’s knife is kind of a jack of all trades and can be used for a wide variety of tasks. This knife is used from chopping to slicing and would probably be the most important knife you would have in a set.
Examples of High Quality and Affordable Kitchen Knives
Ginsu 04817 International Traditions
The Ginsu International Traditions 14 piece knife set comes with a wood block for organization. The Ginsu knife company proudly stands by the statement that this set will satisfy most if not all of your cutlery needs. They even state that these knives are always sharp and won't need any sharpening as long as they are properly maintained. This knife set would be a great asset to any home as they are known for the sharpness and ease of use.
Ginsu knives have full tang blades and triple-riveted handles that make them strong and secure. The set includes an 8 inch chef's knife, an 8 inch slicing knife, a 7 inch Santoku knife, a 5 1/2 inch boning knife, a 4 1/2 inch utility knife, six 4 1/2 inch steak knives, a 3 1/2 inch paring knife, and kitchen shears.
These knives make it easy and fun to cook and they also last years and years with adequate maintenance which is why they have an average rating of 4 stars on Amazon.
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Faberware Resin 3 piece Knife Set
What's great about having resin coated stainless steel knives is that they will reduce the instances of food sticking to the knife as you slice. The fun colors will also brighten up your kitchen so if you're looking for something cute and lively to put in your kitchen, this would be the perfect choice. That, of course, does not mean that these knives are only good for decorating purposes.
The Faberware knives were designed to be the perfect companion in the kitchen with their sharp blades and ergonomically sound handles. This small set includes an 8 inch chef's knife in purple, a 5 inch red utility knife, and a 3 1/2 inch green knife. |
Chicago Cutlery Fusion 18-piece Set
Top of the Line - Very Durable - Best Pick
The high-carbon stainless steel forged blades in these knives make them a favorite for a lot of consumers. This material ensures that your blades are strong and hard which resisting stains and pitting. The Chicago Cutlery Fusion knives are also made with the exclusive Taper Grind technology that gives you optimum sharpness to make sure that your cutting is as precise as possible. This same technology also makes resharpening easy.
The non-slip cushion grip also makes using this knife super safe and comfortable. It has an 8 inch slicer knife, a 7 3/4 inch bread knife, a 7 3/4 inch chef's knife, 7 inch Santoku knife, a 5 inch Partoku knife, a 5 inch utility knife, a 3 inch peeler, and eight 4 1/4 inch steak knives. |
Kitchen knives are essential in every kitchen so you should have the best that the market has to offer. You don't have to be a professional chef to use them. Save yourself from cuts and scrapes and use each knife for the kind of food that it was meant to be used with. Your food will turn out better because of this extra little effort and your skill around the kitchen will increase.