7 types of kitchen knives: the ultimate guide

Kitchen knives are true instruments that connect the cook to the ingredient when preparing any meal, influencing their experience with food and transforming the results of any dish.

If you love to cook and want to put together your cutlery set, you need to know the best kitchen knives, those that are essential and will greatly assist your daily life.

Here on the blog, we have already taught you how to choose a good kitchen knife, covering details of quality, resistance, blade types, sharpening, and safety.

But today we will show you the most important types of kitchen knives, indispensable in your cutlery set. Want to know them all? Just follow the post.

Shall we begin?

What knives to have in the kitchen?

Chef's knife, Santoku knife, cleaver... are these names familiar to you? These are some types of kitchen knives that are quite common, both in a professional kitchen and in a common everyday space.

Considering the most common processes and cuts in a kitchen, we have made a selection of useful knives. Below we present the types of kitchen knives and their uses, so you can understand and choose which one you need to have in your collection right now.

1. Chef's Knife

We start by talking about the most versatile and necessary knife in the kitchen, the Chef's knife.

It is one of the best knives, as its shape helps to perform almost all types of cuts that exist: slicing, filleting, and dicing meats, vegetables, and greens with precision, cleanly and naturally.

With it, it is possible to prepare different dishes, so if you want to start investing in kitchen knives, the first one needs to be the Chef's knife.

Also read: Chef's knives! Check out the best models and choose yours.

2. Santoku Knife

The Santoku is another type of kitchen knife, considered the oriental version of the chef's knife, which is equally versatile and practical.

It is usually slightly smaller than its "sister knife" and has a different shape, with the tip straight down and a straighter base.

The translation of Santoku is "three virtues," which relates to the three uses this knife model performs well: slicing, dicing, and chopping.

We talk more about this incredible blade in a special post: Santoku - discover the Japanese origin knife. Be sure to check it out.

3. Paring Knife or Peeling Knife

Another example of a kitchen knife is the paring knife, which is slightly smaller. But don't underestimate these small knives, okay?

This type of knife is essential for peeling vegetables and fruits, as its shape and size will help you hold the food with stability, offering greater control of movements, providing a more precise cut. They are also very useful for cleaning food and making delicate cuts.

4. Serrated Knife or Bread Knife

Bread knives, as they are commonly called, are not just for bread. Serrated models are perfect for cutting soft foods without the risk of them falling apart!

Need to cut vegetables and sandwiches or desserts like cakes and pies? This is the ideal option.

It's worth noting that: the smaller the serrations, the more delicate the cut will be.

5. Boning Knife or Fillet Knife

Also called filleting knives, this model is thinner, more flexible, and longer than the others. They are ideal for delicately separating meat from bones or spines.

Due to its elongated shape, it is possible to pass through the fillets in one go, cutting without burrs and without tearing the piece.

If you want to improve your processes and do cleaning and boning? You need one of these knives!

6. Cleaver

If you need to separate bones and cut the toughest pieces of vegetables or meat more cleanly, the cleaver is a kitchen knife that cannot be missing from your home. Its blade has a rectangular shape, with only one side sharpened.

It is a large knife with considerable weight, so with it, you will be able to make the famous "chopping cuts," but, at the same time, it allows for meticulous and more delicate cuts.

7. Barbecue Knives

For those who love a good barbecue, a type of knife that cannot be missing from the kitchen are those intended for this purpose.

You can use a barbecue knife alone, but you can also count on a good barbecue kit to help you make grilling tasks simpler and more practical.

There are kits that will optimize your daily life, in addition to being a great gift option.

Also read: Top 5 best barbecue knives!

What can't be missing in your kitchen: accessories

Kitchen knives don't work alone. There are accessories that make daily life more practical, helping to optimize knife work and also helping to care for the durability of the blades. We've prepared a small list for you to choose from as well,

Sharpening Steels

The first accessory on the list is the sharpening steel, a practical type of sharpener for quickly sharpening your blade's edge. There are smooth sharpening steels, which remove material from the blade by hardness, and grooved sharpening steels, which sharpen by abrasion.

Barbecue Fork

Another important accessory is the barbecue fork, which is larger than a common fork, used to provide greater support when cutting meat, making cutting easier and more practical for the grill master.

Meat Tongs

Like the fork, the meat tong is a kitchen tool that also facilitates the daily lives of hosts who love to serve their guests.

Bear Claw

Another indispensable kitchen accessory for holding large pieces of meat is the bear claw!

With it, you will have ease and more firmness when making your cut and won't need to force the knife as much.

Cutting Boards

Having quality cutting boards is essential for cuts to be made safely and efficiently when preparing your recipe, without damaging the knives' cutting edge with impact.

They are made of different materials, such as wood, which is quite soft and does not affect the knife's sharpness as much, but is a little more difficult to wash and maintain.

Glass boards, on the other hand, have a smoother surface and are easier to clean. A good alternative is a polyethylene board, a material that offers a smooth surface, easy to sanitize, and doesn't damage the blade as much.

We hope this complete guide to the best kitchen knives helps you choose your favorites and, who knows, complete your collection.

In fact, we have a post with a step-by-step guide on how to choose kitchen knives; be sure to check it out. Did we miss any models? Tell us in the comments.

See you next time, knife enthusiasts!