7 Knives That Will Instantly Upgrade Your Cooking Game

Every good cook knows that having the proper tools available can make all the difference in the world. Knives are a kitchen essential. These tools allow you to complete the steps in almost every recipe. In fact, the right knives can be a valuable aid to every cook throughout the food preparation process and beyond.

Many cooking enthusiasts would welcome guidance when deciding which knives to include in their kitchen collections. There are so many varieties to consider these days. Keep reading to discover which seven knives can instantly upgrade your current cooking game.

1. Chef’s Knife

Many professional chefs and everyday cooks alike swear by their favorite chef’s knife. This is probably the most important kitchen knife to own, as it can be used for a wide variety of food prep purposes.

A chef’s knife is useful for:

•  Cutting meats
•  Slicing or trimming fish
• Peeling or dicing fruits
• Chopping vegetables

These types of multipurpose knives are found in several styles. Some cooking enthusiasts prefer the Japanese versions. They often cite the knife’s narrow blade width and expert cut precision capabilities as valuable attributes. These two components make the knives ideal for focused or delicate work. However, many other knife styles will work as well.

Since chefs use these kitchen tools often, it is important to keep the blades sharp. Working with dulled blades may cause increased kitchen-related accidents like cuts and stabs. In addition, a dull blade will make your food prep tasks take longer, increase your overall frustration level and may result in poor cuts that can negatively impact the final presentation of the food.

When working with sharp kitchen utensils, including all types of knives, always follow expert-recommended kitchen and knife use safety measures and maintenance tips. These may help you to avoid potential kitchen dangers.

2. Butcher Knife

While many cooks use a butcher knife when working with meat, this knife can also be used to chop veggies and crush cloves of garlic or other stalky food items. It also has many other kitchen-related uses. These knives have curved blades that differ from the rectangular and straighter blades of cleavers.

First used by outdoorsmen to swiftly dress and break down large pieces of animal meat, butcher knives are now a staple of every good chef’s kitchen inventory of tools. This utensil is also terrific for trimming fat or for splitting apart an entire chicken into more easily managed sections.

Sometimes, a well-crafted cleaver or butcher knife will come with a hole in the blade located near the knife’s handle. This is useful for those times when your knife blade becomes jammed within a thick cut of meat or stuck deep inside a bone. Just insert your finger carefully into the hole. Then, deftly pull back and up on the blade to release it. The hole serves as a stabilizer of sorts.

3. Paring Knife

There are different types of paring knives you can select. The blades of this utensil are shorter, pointed at the tip, and much smaller. Use this knife for tasks that require increased attention to detail and finesse in your cuts. Additionally, the blade may be serrated, straight, or curved for different purposes.

Use a paring knife for:

• Deveining shrimp
• Trimming off fat
• Slicing or peeling small fruits
• Chopping small vegetables, shallots, or garlic cloves
• Making delicate cuts
• Removing seeds or undesirable food portions

The paring knife should not be used on thicker foods such as pineapples or thick meats. Doing so may dull or break the delicate blade.

4. Bread Knife

It can be annoying to slice into thick, savory bread that you just baked or bought at your favorite bakery, only to watch the delicate inner layers fall apart into mounds of unpalatable dough chunks due to the use of the wrong knife.

It pays to invest in a good bread knife that has longer serrated edges on the blade. This will help you to slice evenly, thinly, and keenly into denser breads like rye, pumpernickel or crusty bagels.

5. Fillet Knife

Although many chefs often use a boning knife, some choose a fillet knife instead. This is a bit more flexible, making it perfect for skinning, deboning or filleting a delicate cut of meat or fish. The longer blade length and greater flexibility add precision when performing those dainty slicing maneuvers.

The user must take care when working with this type of knife, as the blade is extremely sharp. It may be curved or straight in design.

6. Steak Knife

Even people who do not do much cooking usually have the basic eating utensils in their homes. These knives often come in sets, and it is best to invest in better brands that use high-quality stainless steel. Look for ones that are lightweight, sharp-bladed, and built to last.

Steak knives come in a wide range of designs and price ranges. These utensils are a must if you wish to impress your dinner guests with your well-set table when serving delectable meat dishes.

7. Cleaver

Cleavers have noticeably shorter, thicker and wider blades with a flattened edge. These tools are perfect for hacking through thick slabs of meat, detaching tendons and slicing through dense bone. There are also vegetable cleavers featuring thinner blades that are usually lightweight as well. Choosing the right type of cleaver to do the job is important.

Professional chefs and butchers use this tool to break down a larger cut of meat or chicken. Using a cleaver knife may make your job easier and quicker to complete.

Did you know that medieval folks had to bring along their own personal knives when they ate away from home? As an intriguing aside, delve more into the history of cooking utensils like kitchen knives, and learn how they are still evolving in our modern times.

Let’s ‘Cut to the Chase’ Regarding Knives

Selecting the proper knife for each food preparation task will help inexperienced and accomplished chefs, home cooks and new cooking devotees achieve greater success with their culinary endeavors.

The proper kitchen utensils and gadgets can aid anyone who strives to create mouthwatering food for themselves, family and friends. We hope you now feel a little more confident in choosing the best knives for preparing daily meals and whipping up dishes for special occasions.