When you’re preparing food in the kitchen, a knife set is important to have because there are different types of knives which have their own special purpose. In fact, there are four knives in particular which every kitchen knife set should have in it. These knives include the chef’s knife, paring knife, bread knife, and Santoku knife. It doesn’t matter how many other knives are included in your knife set as long as it has these four knives.
The Classic Chef’s Knife
The chef’s knife is typically either 10 inches or 8 inches long. It is great to use for cutting up larger food items such as raw vegetables, fruits, or big hunks of meat. The exact length of the chef’s knife that you’ll want to have will depend on your own individual needs and what you typically want to cut in the kitchen. Of course, if you can get both sizes in your collection, then that is a plus too. But either way, the chef’s knife will be your main cutting knife the kitchen.
A Good Paring Knife
The paring knife is what you’ll need for peeling your fruits and vegetables with. It is not meant for making huge cuts like the chef’s knife does. That is because the paring knife is not as sharp as the chef’s knife. However, that is a good thing because it means there will be fewer accidents when trying to peel your produce with the paring knife. Plus, these knives are only around 3 inches to 4 inches in length so they are easy to grip while you’re peeling.
The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread
The bread knife is a serrated knife that is usually around 10 inches in length. This is basically a softer version of the chef’s knife because it is made specifically for cutting softer food items like bread, sandwiches, tomatoes, and fatty meat tissue. The best part is that it is a lot harder to cut yourself with a bread knife because the teeth of the blade are thick rather than sharp.
The Santoku Knife
Finally, the Santoku knife is a Japanese knife which is a nice alternative to the chef’s knife. These knives come in either 8 inches or 7 inches in length and they are great for making thin cuts or slices out of your food item. Its ability to do this comes from its curved blade and the weight balance this blade has with the knife’s handle. You won’t find a Japanese chef without the Santoku knife in their kitchen. If you want to dice, mince, or slice your food, this is the knife you’ll want to have in your kitchen knife set at all times.
Having the right knife set for your kitchen is essential to keep it running smoothly. As you can see, there are four knives that every kitchen should have in its collection. These four essential knives include the chef’s knife, paring knife, bread knife, and Santoku knife. By having these four knives in your kitchen all at once, you will be able to cover most of the food preparation needs that will come up in your day-to-day cooking. So make sure that you get yourself a good quality set of these knives as soon as possible and you will be well on your way to becoming a master chef!