Types of kitchen knives

Cooking and kitchen knives

… these are wider and relatively hard knives. Due to the wide blade, sufficient distance is maintained between the fingers gripping the knife handle and the cutting board. In slicing and cutting, where the blade moves towards the cutting board, the broad and curved blade can be easily manipulated by the hand holding the handle, the knife moving sideways along the cutting board and the tip resting on the cutting board. If you use a knife with a wide blade, the cutting surface will be smooth and neat. The purpose of a smooth, sharp edge is to ensure that as little juice as possible escapes from the raw fruit or meat onto the cutting board. The blades are sometimes fitted with oval-shaped notches on the sides. Because of the air that is held in these notches, the pieces of meat do not stick to the knife.

Boning and butchery knives

… are wider and relatively hard knives. Due to the wide blade, sufficient distance is maintained between the fingers gripping the knife handle and the cutting board. In slicing and cutting, where the blade moves towards the cutting board, the broad and curved blade can be easily manipulated by the hand holding the handle, the knife moving sideways along the cutting board and the tip resting on the cutting board. If you use a knife with a wide blade, the cutting surface will be smooth and neat. The purpose of a smooth, sharp edge is to ensure that as little juice as possible escapes from the raw fruit or meat onto the cutting board. The blades are sometimes fitted with oval-shaped notches on the sides. Because of the air that is held in these notches, the pieces of meat do not stick to the knife.

Japanese kitchen knives

… can be used as an all-purpose. If you use a knife with a wide blade, the cutting surface will be smooth and neat. The purpose of a smooth, sharp edge is to ensure that as little juice as possible escapes from the raw fruit or meat onto the cutting board. On a hot pan, the smooth surface of the meat piece will close quickly. The juices that give the meat its flavour therefore remain inside and the meat does not dry out. A sharp chef’s knife can also be used to thinly slice a tomato apple, crisp bread, chop leeks, cucumbers, cut harder vegetables, slice meat or fish. Larger chef’s knives are getting into the hands of professional chefs. The blades are sometimes fitted with oval-shaped notches on the sides (olives), so that the pieces of meat do not stick to the knife.

Pastry knives

… a typical bread slicing knife is 18-35 cm long and a relatively narrow knife fitted with a wavy cutting blade that can be used to slice dough, separate cakes from the tin and slice bread. It must be taken into account that even the wavy and serrated blade will dull over time with intensive use. In addition to the grain, particles of soil always get into the flour. The blades wear out very quickly, especially when they come into contact with fragments of quartz.

Ceramic kitchen knives

…cut more efficiently than steel knives. Their extreme hardness guarantees a performance you’ve never experienced before. Unlike a saw blade, CERAMIC knives guarantee a smooth and clean cut. The disadvantage is the high fragility of these knives, they need to be treated more considerately than metal knives. The reward will be long-lasting sharpness and preservation of vitamins when processing fruit and vegetables.

Filleting knives

… have a smooth edge and a narrow, flexible blade (16-20 cm long). A filleting knife is often used to cut meat in the direction of the cutting board. The filleting knife is designed for activities requiring precision. It needs to be as whole as possible so that, for example, it can be used to remove bladders. The narrow knife follows the fish’s spine quite closely. However, impatient cooks should be reminded that cutting the backbone and, in the case of some types of fish skin, all knives become dull quickly.

Kitchen knife sets

… very popular are sets of kitchen knives. they are priced at a discount compared to individual knives, or a wooden block is included for safe and gentle storage.

Kitchen knives

… are used to cut meat naturally depending on the purpose of use and working procedures. Culinary professionals also use the knife for skewering, cleaning, butchering.

Cheese knives

… a selection of knives suitable for cutting cheese. The knives are fitted with grooves or holes to reduce the cheese sticking to the knife blade.

Vegetable knives, peeling

… are usually kitchen knives with a shorter blade, with a blade length of 6-12 cm. they are excellent for activities requiring precision, such as processing fruits, vegetables, etc. The purpose of the smooth and sharp edge is to ensure that the least amount of juices escape from the raw fruit or meat onto the cutting board.

Pastry knives

…usually use blades with wavy and serrated blades. These blades will easily, comfortably, and accurately cut even a pastry or hard-surfaced dessert.

Master chefs and butchers, as well as good housekeepers, know that they can’t do without a quality kitchen knife. Even today, an indispensable tool that is not missing even in the most mechanised kitchen and butchery production. With a quality knife, cutting is easier, faster and more precise, the work is more efficient and safer. In a good home kitchen, it also pays to have quality knives. How to choose and care for them properly?
The basic characteristics of a chef’s knife are cutting ability, balance and a properly shaped handle. The quality and durability of a knife depends mainly on the quality of the blade. It must be hard to have a durable blade, but at the same time tough and flexible to prevent cracking. Knives are divided into forged and banded steel, according to the way the blades are made.
Forged knives are of the highest quality. The surface is hardened by forging and the blade and edge are extremely hard.They have a characteristic thickening at the transition from the blade to the handle. They are heavier, yet easy to work with. The thickening aids balance, protects against injury and the rounded shape ensures greater hygiene. Their manufacture is complex, with up to 40 technological operations required to produce the best quality ones, such as the Dreizack from WÜSTHOF. A simple proof of the quality of a knife is provided by tapping the blade – a quality forged knife makes a ringing sound.
Strip steel knives are made from sheet steel strip by cutting out or removing it with a laser. The required blade shape and edge are achieved by sharpening. These knives are thinner and lighter, yet they are no more comfortable to work with than comparable forged knives.
The handle of the knife is very important. It must provide a comfortable and firm grip and must not have sharp edges or protrusions. At present, handles are mainly made of plastic, which ensures a high level of hygiene. Luxury modern forged knives also have a stainless steel handle.
Quality kitchen knives, if cared for carefully, will last for decades.

Here’s some advice:

– Knives should be sharpened regularly. Use sharpening stones for a good sharpening – coarse to sharpen first and fine to smooth the edge. During sharpening, the stone should be moistened with water or oil. Never grind on high speed grinders – they degrade and excessively strip the cutting edge material and reduce the durability of the blade.
– A well-sharpened quality knife only needs to be “sharpened” during the work – gently smoothing the edge with a sharpener or a diamond or ceramic-coated sharpening rod.
– The cutting mat must be of a much softer material than the blade, but tough and resistant to blade penetration. Traditional cutting boards made of hardwood and some plastics are best. Never cut with a good quality knife on a cutting mat or in utensils made of metal, glass, porcelain, etc.
– Do not leave knives dirty for long periods of time. Water with salt and organic acids in food residues will cause loss of shine and sometimes rusting over time. Immediately after use, wash the knives under running water, wipe and store properly. Some manufacturers allow dishwasher cleaning, but frequent use of more aggressive cleaners at higher temperatures can leave marks on the blade.
– Do not underestimate the storage of knives. Even contact of the blade with other knives and hard metal objects can cause deformation and damage to the cutting edge. Do not store knives together in a drawer, but in a wooden rack, box or compartments where each knife has its own place. It is practical to store them on a magnetic holder on the wall where they are always close at hand.
– The knife is to be used only for cutting. Don’t use it for sawing and chopping bones, that’s what a cleaver and poultry shears are for.

Kitchen knives vary in size, blade shape and edge. Three knives are basic for the cook, butcher and housewife, and can be used for all kitchen work: the large chef’s knife – with a wide, slightly curved blade, useful for virtually all kitchen work; the medium utility knife – with a narrower blade for cutting medium-sized pieces; and the small knife – for small jobs such as peeling, cleaning and carving. Suitable accessories for these can be: A bread knife and a tomato knife with a serrated blade to cut through crusts and skins more easily, a peeling knife for fruits and vegetables, and a narrow boning knife for precise and economical separation of meat around the bones, A perforated or Teflon-coated cheese knife for soft and serrated for hard cheeses, a steak knife for steaks and grilled meats, a filleting knife with a flexible blade for slicing meat and fish, and more.Specially shaped knives are e.g. ornamental knives for cheese and butter, “weighted” with two handles for herbs, serrated for frozen foods and others.

The term among chef’s knives is “Solingen”. It is not a manufacturer, but a town in Germany, world famous for the production of quality cutlery, where several companies have been granted the right to use the name “Solingen” alongside the manufacturer’s name. Unless it is a German manufacturer, “Solingen” is definitely not genuine. However, there are also differences in quality between ‘Solingen’. One of the best brands, with almost 200 years of tradition, is the aforementioned Dreizack from E. WÜSTHOF.
All types of Dreizack forged knives are repeatedly ranked first in professional evaluations all over the world. To the existing Classic, Grand Prix and Culinar all-metal knife series, WÜSTHOF has now added two new ranges of outstanding kitchen knives – the Grand Prix II and Le Cordon Bleu. The latter were created in collaboration with the best chefs of the renowned French cooking school of the same name. They have a new blade design – it is thinner and has a blade along its entire length and under the thickening at the transition to the handle. It makes better use of the blade length and makes it easier to sharpen the blade while working. If you are furnishing your kitchen or buying new kitchen knives, don’t be tempted by the bargain price of a larger knife set. Rather buy once and quality, to start with 3 – 4 basic knives and sharpeners of a reputable manufacturer with a long tradition, with which you have a guarantee of quality. This set can be supplemented later with other knives according to your needs and habits.