Kitchen Knives

Whenever I cook for clients in their homes, I always get asked questions about the many different kitchen tools that I use. This week's big question is what knives I should have for my kitchen and the use of each knife. Some people get a gift of kitchen knives or inherit them from a grandparent. The idea to write this column came from when I asked a client what the specific use of a certain knife was and their response was, “for cutting.”  

There are many brands of knives out there and can vary quite drastically in price. Higher-end knives will be of better quality but of course, that means they will be more expensive. I always suggest to my clients to buy what they are comfortable with. Here is a basic guideline to stock your kitchen with knives and what their uses are. 

CARVING KNIFE

With the long thin blade of the carving knife, the carving knife is meant for cleanly slicing through cooked meats like roasts, poultry, and fish. 

CHEF'S KNIFE

The chef's knife is an all-purpose knife that is great for chopping. The curved blade allows you to rock the knife back and forth, which allows you to cut/dice at a quicker speed. 

FILET KNIFE

The filet knife has a long, thin, and flexible blade that is designed to clean fish. 

UTILITY KNIFE

The utility knife is a multipurpose knife that is perfect for jobs that are too big for a paring knife but aren't large enough to warrant a chef's knife. 

BONING KNIFE

The boning knife is used to remove to main bone from large cuts of meat like a ham. The blade is rigid to prevent it from bending as it is being worked around the bone. 

PARING KNIFE

The smallest knife is the paring knife. Its main use is for peeling or small jobs such as chopping garlic. It's also good for more intricate jobs like de-veining shrimp.