Different types of knives are used for different purposes. On this page I’ll go over the different kinds of knives that you would find in a kitchen.
Kitchen knives consist of paring knives, bread knives, butter knives, chef’s knives, carving knives, slicing knives, boning knives, fillet knives, cheese knives, and even cleavers.
There are also a wide variety of Japanese knives.
Before I talk about what each of these types of knives does for the knife owner, I’ll go over the different materials that these knives are made from.
Kitchen knives are typically made from stainless steel and carbon steel. Stainless steel has the advantage of never rusting, but it does not cut nearly as well as carbon steel.
A good set of kitchen knives will be made from carbon steel rather than stainless steel. However, I would recommend getting butter knives and maybe some steak knives made from stainless steel.
These are good to have around the house since they won’t rust and you can use them in the dishwasher.
When looking for ratings on kitchen knives for a good set of kitchen knives, consider carbon steel.
Types of Knives
The paring knife is a knife that you would use to peel apples and other fruits and vegetables. It makes the job much easier and safer than it would be with a typical knife. Even a cheap three dollar one is better than an expensive chef knife when peeling an apple or pear.
A chef knife is one of the best types of knives because it is an all around kitchen knife. It can cut meat and vegetables as well as cheeses without too much trouble. If you can only buy one knife, then get a chef knife.
The bread knife is a long serrated blade that is perfect for cutting into loaves of bread. I make homemade bread and would be lost without my bread knife.
A carving knife is a long smooth blade meant for cutting meat. Just picture a turkey being carved and you’ll know what knife I’m talking about.
The boning knife is a thin knife that excels in cutting meat off of bones. However, it is not like a filleting knife which is used to cut the meat off of fish bones.
Keeping Your Knives Sharp
Sharpening knives is not hard but is essential for anybody looking to keep their knives cutting well. While you shouldn’t have to sharpen brand new knives, it is only a matter of time before they get dull and you will need to sharpen them. It doesn’t matter what types of knives you have, it is a good idea to buy a knife sharpener.
